A career at the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

1. This week's employment opportunities

The TIO has no vacancies this week, but we often recruit investigations staff. Read on for more information about working at the TIO.

2. Do I need a law degree to work at the TIO?

No you don't! What we value are communication and analytical skills, and there are many ways of developing these.

Our investigations staff at all levels have a mix of qualifications and experience, including arts and cultural studies, cognitive science, community mediation, counselling and human services, customer care and telecommunications, journalism and professional writing, and working for different levels of Government.

3. Overview of investigation roles

The TIO has a 4-tier complaint resolution process, classifying complaints from Level 1 to 4. In general, different staff members handle different levels of complaint, depending on their complexity. More detailed descriptions and first hand-accounts of each role follow:

Enquiry Officers — $49,211 plus superannuation at the statutory rate

Enquiry Officers (EOs) are the TIO's "front-of-house" staff, as they are generally a complainant’s first point of contact at the TIO. An EO's main role is to record the details of a complaint and give complainants advice about how to proceed with their complaint, e.g. by referring complainants to their service provider's senior complaint-handling department. This is an important role that requires good communication, analytical and decision-making skills.

Enquiry Officers spend a lot of their day taking calls or processing first-time correspondence from complainants. They handle basic enquiries and Level 1 complaints, and hand over unresolved complaints to Investigations Officers for further action.

• Enquiry Officer: web version
• Enquiry Officer: PDF version - 3 pages / 49.52KB

Read Sandra's account of her experience as an Enquiry Officer

Investigations Officers — $61,800 plus superannuation at the statutory rate

Investigations Officers (IOs) take an active role in helping to resolve complaints that have not been resolved after an Enquiry Officer referred the complainant to their service provider's senior complaint handling department.

This involves talking in detail with the complainant about their complaint, drafting initial correspondence to the service provider, discussing the complaint with service provider representatives, collecting all relevant information, and forming an independent assessment of the complaint. Analysis and decision making will involve comparing all available information and deciding whether law, telecommunications industry codes of practice and TIO Position Statements apply to the circumstances of a complaint. Investigation Officers handle Level 2 and 3 complaints, and hand over unresolved Level 3 complaints to Senior Investigation Officers.

• Investigation Officer: web version
• Investigation Officer - PDF - 3 pages / 54.52KB

Read Nick's account of his experience as an Investigation Officer

Senior Investigations Officers — $74,132 plus superannuation at the statutory rate

Senior Investigations Officers handle complex unresolved complaints. These are generally Level 4 complaints, but may also be Level 2 and 3 complaints.

• Senior Investigations Officer position description (web version)
• Senior Investigations Officer position description (PDF 41.76KB)

Read Jill's account of her experience as a Senior Investigation Officer

4. About the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) is a national alternative dispute resolution scheme that provides a free service to people from all over Australia who have been unable to resolve a complaint directly with their telephone company or internet provider.

We are a medium-sized not-for-profit business. Most employment opportunities are in the Core Business area, which is made up of Enquiry Officers, Investigations Officers and Senior Investigations Officers.

The TIO office is located in the city of Melbourne, Australia, at 595 Collins Street. We are well supported by public transport, just 2 minutes walk from Southern Cross Station and with a tram stop right outside our door.

5. The TIO's values

The TIO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to being a diverse workplace which represents a wide range of backgrounds and experience. We promote a harassment-free workplace.

We also promote a set of core values, which guide our approach to all of the TIO's stakeholders — complainants, member companies, regulators and the general public.

Our core values

1. Delivering mission statement
   
   
   TIO staff members are committed to the TIO’s mission of providing independent, just, informal, speedy resolution of complaints.
   
   
2. Striving for excellence
   
   TIO staff members:
   • produce work of the highest quality
   • contribute to the quality and efficiency of complaint resolution
   • are committed to the Benchmarks for Industry-Based Customer Dispute Resolution Schemes of accessibility, independence, fairness, accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness
   • understand the regulatory environment and the changing nature of the telecommunications industry, and
   • continually look for new ways to improve individual, team and business performance and actively support change.
3. Taking personal responsibility
   
   TIO staff members:
• accept responsibility for their own actions and behaviours and ensure that the work they perform meets agreed performance levels, policies, procedures and standards
• act in an ethical, fair and responsible manner, and
• show integrity in all dealings with their colleagues, complainants and members.
  
  
4. Cultivating a supportive and collaborative workplace
   
   TIO staff members:
• value diversity in the workplace and respect each other’s differences
• respect their colleagues’ opinions, ideas and contributions, and
• support their colleagues and pro-actively participate in and enhance the culture of the TIO.

6. Benefits at the TIO

Standard working hours		Full-time TIO staff work a 37.5 hour week either from 8.30am to 5pm or from 9am to 5.30pm, with an hour for lunch. Enquiry Officers also have 15-minute rostered morning and afternoon tea breaks.
Flexible working hours		The TIO will consider flexible working hours to cater for caring and study commitments, provided that the TIO's business needs can still be met.
Public holidays		Because the TIO is a national office, we stay open on Victorian public holidays that are not observed in other States and Territories. Staff who work on these days are compensated accordingly.
Annual leave		28 days each year
Personal Leave		10 days each year
Parental leave		52 weeks, including up to 16 weeks paid leave depending on the employee's length of service
Exam leave		Either a half or full day's paid leave depending on the time of the exam, and if the employee is studying an approved course.
Employment Assistance Program (EAP)		The TIO pays for up to 6 appointments a year with a counsellor under its Employment Assistance Program (EAP). The counsellors retained by the TIO are experienced clinical psychologists.
Learning & Development		The TIO offers its staff members regular ongoing opportunities to develop their specialist knowledge, skills and career. These include: in-house workshops on various topics subsidisation of fees for staff with legal qualifications to attend professional development days to maintain their CPD points, and payment towards fees for approved courses of study for eligible staff. Amounts vary depending on the relevance of the course to the TIO's core work.
Subsidised financial advice		As it is a not-for-profit organisation, the TIO has rebatable Fringe Benefits Taxation (FBT) status. The TIO has secured the services of a company that offers salary packaging administration services, and will subsidise the cost of staff obtaining these services. In addition, the TIO subsidises the cost of visits to a financial planning service which develops individualised financial plans.
Staff discount scheme		The TIO gives staff free access to a state-wide scheme which offers its members: a box office service for tickets to major shows, concerts & theatre events discount vouchers to cinemas, public transport and shops shopping services through an online shop exclusive offers with key suppliers including dining, travel and accommodation services.
Stress management services		The TIO offers staff the option of: attending weekly subsidised yoga classes, and receiving a monthly subsidised head and neck massage The TIO also holds sessions on stress management and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Health and medical		The TIO offers staff the option of having a free yearly flu injection.
Social Club		The TIO's employee-run social club organises regular social gatherings for staff. Past events have included karaoke, Twilight at the Zoo, 10-Pin bowling and lawn bowling, and end of year functions.

Individual staff profiles

Sandra - Enquiry Officer at the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

I completed a Law Degree in Austria in 2003 and worked as a Law Clerk in the Human Rights Court in Costa Rica. I have also worked in Nicaragua as General Manager for an Eco Lodge on a remote island.

When I came to Australia I wanted to pursue a career where I could use my legal education and I applied for a position at the TIO for that reason.

As an Enquiry Officer my main duty is to register complaints taken over the phone and provide advice to consumers. An Enquiry Officer takes about 30 calls a day. Most consumers telephone the TIO, but we also receive complaints by post and email. My job involves recording the details of a complaint in our complaint handling database and categorising the complaint issues. To do this, I rely on my understanding of the telecommunications industry and the TIO’s policies and procedures.

After I register the complaint, I usually refer the consumer to a senior level of complaint at the relevant telecommunications company. We give the company a last chance to resolve the complaint before considering further involvement. If the consumer returns to the TIO and says they were not able to resolve their complaint with the company, I decide whether the complaint can be further assessed by an investigations officer. If I decide that the issue does not warrant further investigation, I sometimes need to write a letter to the consumer to explain my decision.

Sometimes I become more involved with a complaint, and I may need to discuss a complaint directly with a telecommunications company's representative to facilitate a speedier resolution.

Within the office I often work closely with other TIO departments, including Member Communications, the Policy Team and the Systemic Investigations Officer.

The information that I record about complaints is often used by other TIO departments. It may prompt the TIO to develop a new TIO Position Statement, or we may forward the data to regulatory agencies such as the Australian Communications & Media Authority or the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.

Enquiry Officers work as a team, and we also have a close relationship with Investigation Officers. I am part of a Workgroup which meets every week. This small team is an effective forum for expressing my opinion and sharing questions and concerns about our work processes. While the workgroup is used to pass on important information or deliver new policies, I like it in particular because it is an opportunity for me to get know to my work colleagues better.

Overall, I enjoy working at the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman because my role is versatile, and because the TIO fosters a learning and supporting environment. I especially appreciate the TIO strong commitment to creating a team of its staff, including the TIO’s social committee which organises after work activities such as going to the movies.

Note: since writing this, Sandra has been promoted to the position of Contact Team Manager.

Nick - Investigations Officer at the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

After studying Law I spent a couple of years working as a Civil Litigation lawyer. I have found that many of the analytical skills I learned in legal practice are applicable to the role of Investigations Officer (IO).

Essentially, my role as an IO is to frame a dialogue between customers and service providers, and use the powers of the TIO to guide them toward a resolution that is fair and reasonable.

I genuinely enjoy the role of IO, and while there is enough sustained pressure to provide an intellectual challenge, the culture of the organisation makes my job feel comparatively idyllic.

While I enjoyed the work of a lawyer, and still practice voluntarily, I prefer being an Investigations Officer at the TIO for a number of reasons, including the following:

• In working toward the resolution of a dispute, I consider not just legal principles, but also what is fair and reasonable in all the circumstances.
• Because of the TIO’s independence, I neither champion consumers nor “toe a company line." If I form a view of a dispute that is inconsistent with that of either party, I will give reasons, and either initiate further investigation, or end the TIO’s involvement accordingly.
• I am able to deal with a very high volume of disputes, because I am not restricted by overly technical or formal procedure.
• I am often faced with technical issues, having no previous knowledge of telecommunications, but I can count on the assistance of a very knowledgeable and collegial team.

Jill - Senior Investigations Officer at the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

I joined the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) as a Legal Investigations Officer in 2003. I have a law degree, and before working at the TIO I mainly worked in criminal law. When I first started at the TIO, telecommunications and consumer law were new to me.

I was appointed to the position of Senior Investigations Officer (SIO) in August 2007. At the time of writing, there are 6 SIOs in the Office.

Senior Investigations Officers investigate and assess complex issues, in consultation with Investigation Managers, the Deputy Ombudsman and other TIO staff, to help achieve a fair and reasonable resolution to complaints. Complaints are allocated to SIOs if an Investigations Officer (IO) is unable to conciliate a fair and reasonable outcome at either the Level 2 or Level 3 complaint stage.

SIOs may escalate a complaint to Level 4 for further investigation. At Level 4 (and sometimes at Level 3) SIOs draft preliminary views and binding determinations, where a complaint has not been able to be resolved through negotiation with the consumer and their telecommunications company. SIOs need to exercise special care and attention when drafting these documents, selected determinations are published on our website.

The complaint issues SIO’s investigate involve such areas as Consumer Protection law, including a consumer’s capacity to enter contracts; privacy legislation; or a consumer’s entitlement to compensation for business loss, or special compensation under the Customer Service Guarantee Standard, for faults on services. This variety makes for an interesting case load.

SIOs also generally assist the investigations area by providing high level advice and support to staff.

Another component of the role is to provide ongoing feedback and information to investigations staff about complex cases. SIOs regularly meet as a group to discuss complex cases and we produce a quarterly Complex Cases Bulletin for the office. The bulletin shows how we resolved some of the TIO’s more complex or unusual investigations.

The TIO provides opportunities for all staff, including SIOs, to undertake personal and professional development to further expand on your individual skills and knowledge.

The TIO also provides a supportive team environment with good working conditions and social occasions.

Note: since writing this, Jill has been promoted to the position of Investigations Team Manager

Last updated: 25 May 2009