Customer Service Helpdesk Operative Apprenticeship (Welsh Essential)

Job summary

We’re responsible for Land Transaction Tax, Landfill Disposals Tax and the introduction of the Visitor Levy in Wales. Our work raises revenue to support public services, like the NHS and schools, in communities across Wales. But that’s not all, we're also involved with and support future tax design for Wales.

Join a place with purpose
You’ll join a team of 100+ talented people from across 14 different professions. Our culture is best described as innovative, collaborative and kind. By working together, we’ll deliver a fair tax system for Wales.

Our people
You’ll be working with people from a wide range of backgrounds and experience. From Operations, Policy, Digital and Data, HR, Communications to Finance – there’s a place for you in our friendly team.

You’ll be our greatest asset

You’ll be joining an inclusive organisation and be part of a team where you can thrive, be rewarded and heard.

We’re recognised as one of the top organisations for people engagement in the Civil Service People Survey. Inclusion and fairness are one of our strongest areas, as well as pay and benefits – our People Survey results say it all!

We’re also recognised for being innovative and a digital, ‘cloud-based’ organisation that supports hybrid and flexible working enabling a great work-life balance.

More about working for us, our roles and our Corporate Plan 2025 - 2028 .

Job description

In this role, you will be one of the first points of contact for customers of the Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA), including taxpayers and their representatives. You will play an important part in creating a positive customer experience and helping people meet their tax obligations accurately and on time.

As part of our supportive Operations team of more than 30 colleagues, you will contribute to delivering Our Approach – a distinctly Welsh way of administering tax that emphasises collaboration, trust, and partnership with taxpayers and their representatives, including solicitors and conveyancers.

You will undertake a variety of customer service and administrative responsibilities, supporting the collection and management of Land Transaction Tax, the Visitor Levy, and the national register of visitor accommodation providers in Wales. Your work will help individuals during significant life events, such as purchasing a home, as well as businesses and organisations in meeting their tax-related responsibilities.

We are seeking an organised and proactive individual who can manage a varied workload while maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. You will be comfortable working in a structured environment, prioritising tasks effectively, and adapting to changing demands.

Collaboration is central to this role. You will work closely with colleagues across operational teams and be committed to delivering a professional, responsive, and customer-focused service to both internal and external stakeholders. You will take pride in resolving queries efficiently and clearly, ensuring customers feel supported and confident in the service they receive.

As the Welsh Revenue Authority continues to evolve, this role will provide opportunities to develop new skills, broaden your experience, and grow within the organisation.

A comprehensive training programme will be provided, covering all aspects of the role. As this is an apprenticeship opportunity, the programme is designed to equip you with valuable new skills, knowledge, and practical experience in business administration and customer service.

Successful completion of the apprenticeship and Business Administration qualification will provide a pathway to a permanent role within the organisation.

The qualification will be delivered by Coleg y Cymoedd and will support your long-term professional development.

The apprenticeship is expected to last a minimum of 15 months, depending on your existing qualifications. Applicants who do not already hold relevant qualifications may be required to complete the Level 2 Business Administration qualification before progressing to Level 3.

There are two Team Support Apprentice vacancies available. Welsh language skills are essential for this particular position.

"Our helpdesk colleagues are at the forefront of providing professional, expert and friendly advice to our customers, making vital first impressions as well as building long-term trusted relationships. You will join an interesting, supportive organisation and be proud of being at the heart of our business, collecting and managing our devolved taxes, to fund Welsh public services such as schools and hospitals.”

Paul Johnson. Customer Service Helpdesk Operative

Person specification

This post is Welsh language essential

• Provide customers with a professional, friendly, and accurate service, to help them comply with their responsibilities, for example providing help and advice by answering phone calls and responding to emails, drafting letters, redirecting customers to an appropriate colleague for further assistance when required.
• Effectively and efficiently identify and understand the needs of the customer and decide, based on guidance, the best course of action to help each customer
• Actively seek to provide tailored support for those with specific needs or requiring additional support
• Accurately input and update data on the WRA’s Tax Management System with information received by the customer; Liaise with the customers where information is missing or incorrect to ensure the correct information is held on the system
• Monitor and review cases to ensure that appropriate action has been taken in the allocated time, ensuring the highest standard of accuracy and audit is maintained at all times
• Look for opportunities in your own work and that of your wider team to continuously improve our services and processes, identifying and implementing improvements based on customer feedback
• Provide support across the organisation when required

Candidate information Session

If this seems like a role you’d be interested in, join us for our virtual Candidate Information Sessions. You’ll meet the Line Manager, get an overview of the role as well a feeling for what it’s like to work at the WRA. We’ll also talk through our benefits and provide helpful tips for your application with us. Please register for one of the sessions below:

Register here for 11th August at 12:30pm:

https://CustomerServiceHelpdeskOperativeApprenticeship.eventbrite.co.uk

Register here for 11th August at 16:00pm:

https://CustomerServiceHelpdeskOperativeApprenticeship.eventbrite.co.uk

Languages

Welsh language requirements - We’ve undertaken an objective assessment of the Welsh language skills needed to undertake the duties of this role. For this role:
Welsh language skills - Welsh language skills are essential. This means that you will need to demonstrate your Welsh language skills at the levels detailed below. These skills will be assessed during the recruitment process and we’ll explain clearly how these skills will be assessed.

Welsh language skills levels

Reading Level 3 - Description - Can read some routine work-related material with support
Speaking Level 3 - Description - Can converse in some work-related conversations
Understanding Level 3 - Description - Can understand routine work-related conversations
Writing Level 3 - Description - Can prepare routine work-related material with checking

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,302, Welsh Revenue Authority contributes £7,909 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

What we offer

• 31 days annual leave + Bank holidays, and 2 Privilege days
• Flexible and hybrid working
• Generous employer pension schemes with a contribution of upto 28.97%
• Tusker car scheme
• Vivup Cycle2Work and advances of salary for season Travel Tickets
• Lifestyle Benefits offering discounts on shopping, restaurants and entertainment
• Wellbeing hour each week
• Access to subsidised sports groups
• Generous family-friendly leave policies
• Free Welsh language courses and time off to learn
• Access to a range of staff diversity networks
• Free counselling and support service via our Vivup Employee Assistance Programme and Your Care Health platform
• A thriving culture that’s described as innovative, collaborative and kind.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

We’ll always be clear about how we assess your application, at each stage of the process. This will usually include:

• Your application will be assessed based on your completed application form and a personal statement of no more than 500 words. The personal statement should demonstrate how your skills and experience align with the role, why you believe the position is a good fit for you, and your motivation for working for the WRA.
• Candidates who progress beyond the sift will be invited to attend a face-to-face interview. At this stage, you will be assessed against the “Team Player”, “Service Focused” and “Problem Solver” strengths.

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Leader so we’ll ask you if you need any adjustments at each stage of the recruitment process. So that we can support you in a way that works for you, we’ll offer a pre-interview accessibility chat to anyone that declares a disability or needs any adjustments. This will take place with someone who is independent of the recruitment process and you won’t be placed at any disadvantage as a result of needing adjustments.

A reserve list may be held for this role for applicants that have scored above the appointable threshold at interview. This means that if a similar vacancy becomes available in the next 12 months we may contact you to offer you the role.

We recommend you review the job description (or candidate pack) under the 'attachments' section before completing your application.

Success criteria

Personal Statement

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Demonstrate how your skills and experience align with the role, why you believe the position is a good fit for you, and your motivation for working for the WRA. No more than 500 words

Yes

Strengths

Criteria

Assessed during interview or assessment

Team player

You work well as part of a team and actively contribute to ensuring the team functions cohesively and successfully.

Yes

Service focussed

You prioritise serving customers by keeping their needs at the heart of all your actions and decisions

Yes

Problem solver

You adopt a positive and proactive approach to challenges and identify suitable solutions.

Yes

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : WRA Recruitment
• Email : Recruitment@wra.gov.wales
• Telephone : 03000254000

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@wra.gov.wales

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. See the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles where this is set out.
If you feel your application has not been treated in line with the recruitment principles, and you wish to complain, you should contact the Head of HR.
Email: hr@wra.gov.wales
If you’re not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Job Description - Customer Service Help Desk Operative Apprenticeship (Welsh Essential)- (FINAL) Opens in new window (pdf, 253kB)Disgrifiad swydd - Prentisiaeth Gweithiwr Desg Gymorth Gwasanaeth Cwsmeriaid (Cymraeg yn Hanfodol) -cy_gb - Welsh Opens in new window (pdf, 283kB)