UK

United Kingdom · Knowledge management · Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Search Support Assistant

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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As a Search Support Assistant, a good place to start on Prompt Engineering for Knowledge Retrieval is Using and Checking AI Tools in Daily Work, a free Future Fluency module at Level 3. You'd practise using everyday AI tools on real tasks from your own week, and checking what they produce before you use it.

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One email: what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for, where it leads, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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  • Experience bandMid-Level (2-5 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toSenior Search Support Assistant
  • UK framework levelUsually someone starting out, or keeping a process running

Also advertised as Knowledge Analyst · Information Specialist · Content Findability Expert

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Digital and Technical Skills for the Workplace (RQF) Training Qualifications UK Ltd · Level 3 · covers 1 of 9 standards
BIIAB Level 3 Diploma in Libraries, Archives and Information Services BIIAB · Level 3 · covers 1 of 9 standards
OCN NI Level 2 Award in Digital Marketing Open College Network Northern Ireland · Level 2 · covers 1 of 9 standards
OCNLR Entry Level Certificate in Digital Skills (Entry 3) OCN London · Entry Level · covers 1 of 9 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Digital Marketing Skills for Business TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Digital and Technical Skills for the Workplace (RQF)
Health Information BIIAB Level 3 Diploma in Libraries, Archives and Information Services
Search Engine Optimisation OCN NI Level 2 Award in Digital Marketing
Search Engines and Online Research OCNLR Entry Level Certificate in Digital Skills (Entry 3)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Search Support Assistant

4 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Digital Marketing Skills for Business Training Qualifications UK Ltd · covers 1 of 9 standards Level 3
  2. Health Information BIIAB · covers 1 of 9 standards Level 3
  3. Search Engine Optimisation Open College Network Northern Ireland · covers 1 of 9 standards Level 2
  4. Search Engines and Online Research OCN London · covers 1 of 9 standards Entry Level
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Search Support Assistant?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skill this role is being asked for

  • Prompt Engineering for Knowledge Retrieval
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Search Support Assistant plan as you set up, starting with the free AI Fluency module. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

This job involves helping people find the information they need, even when they struggle to describe what they're looking for. It means understanding the reason behind a question and handing over the right answer, and making sure knowledge systems work for the people who rely on them.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Coveo / Sinequa / Microsoft Search (Enterprise Search) Intermediate

Executing complex searches using the user interface, understanding how to use faceting and advanced operators to find specific documents across our various content repositories.

Confluence / SharePoint Online / Guru (Knowledge Base) Intermediate

Creating, editing, and tagging knowledge pages; managing permissions at a page/space level; and answering user questions on how to use these platforms effectively.

Jira Service Management / ServiceNow (Ticketing System) Intermediate

Managing your personal queue of search requests, logging interactions accurately, and using canned responses or linking to relevant KB articles to resolve issues efficiently.

SharePoint Term Store / PoolParty (Taxonomy Management) Basic

Consistently applying existing metadata tags and keywords according to our documentation, and understanding the structure of our enterprise taxonomy.

Slack / Microsoft Teams (Collaboration Tools) Intermediate

Finding information within channels and chats using search modifiers, and answering questions by linking to official knowledge sources to prevent knowledge siloing.

Power BI / Tableau (Analytics/BI - Viewer Level) Basic

Viewing and interpreting pre-built dashboards that show search activity, like top queries or zero-hit reports, to understand general trends.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Resolving a standard search request Follows documented procedures, all work reviewed by supervisor. Independently determines best search strategy, executes, and delivers the answer. Escalates only for truly novel or blocked requests. Defines best practices for resolving complex requests, mentors others, and handles escalations.
Creating a new knowledge article Drafts article following template, supervisor reviews and publishes. Drafts and publishes routine articles based on common queries, ensures proper tagging. Complex articles reviewed by Senior Search Support Assistant. Designs new article templates, defines publishing workflows, and reviews articles from junior team members.
Suggesting a change to search engine configuration (e.g., new synonym) Identifies potential issue, reports to supervisor. Identifies issue, proposes specific solution (e.g., a new synonym pair), discusses with Senior Search Support Assistant for approval and implementation. Analyses data to justify changes, implements approved changes, and monitors impact.
Engaging with a content owner about content quality Reports content issues to supervisor. Directly contacts content owner with specific, actionable feedback on content quality or findability, with guidance from Senior Search Support Assistant if needed. Leads discussions with content owners, influences content strategy, and provides training on best practices.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Time-to-Resolution (TTR)
The average time it takes you to successfully resolve a search request, from when it lands in your queue to when the user confirms they have the answer.
Target · < 4 business hours (for 90% of requests)

If a request comes in at 10:00 on Monday and is resolved by 13:00 on Monday, that's 3 hours. We're aiming for that kind of speed most of the time.

User Satisfaction (CSAT)
How happy colleagues are with the quality and helpfulness of your support, measured by a short survey after each resolved request.
Target · > 4.5/5 stars

After you help someone, they'll get a quick email asking 'How was your experience?' We want to see those high scores, showing you're genuinely helping people.

First Contact Resolution Rate
The percentage of search requests you resolve yourself without needing to escalate to a Senior Search Support Assistant or another team.
Target · > 85%

If you handle 100 requests in a month, we'd expect you to solve at least 85 of them completely on your own, only escalating the really tough ones.

Knowledge Base Contribution
The number of new or significantly improved knowledge articles you create or update based on common search requests or identified content gaps.
Target · 3-5 articles per month

You spot that five people asked about 'Q3 expense policy updates' this week. You'll create a clear article, tag it properly, and make sure it's easy to find for next time.

Proactive Problem Solving
You don't just answer the question; you anticipate the next one. You'll spot patterns in user behaviour or search logs and suggest improvements before they become widespread issues.
  • You're bringing ideas to team meetings about improving content, suggesting new tags, or pointing out areas where our search results could be better. You're not waiting to be told what to fix.
User Education & Empowerment
You're teaching colleagues how to fish, not just giving them a fish. You'll patiently guide them on how to use search tools more effectively, helping them become more self-sufficient.
  • Feedback from users mentioning you showed them 'how to do it next time.' You're sharing tips and tricks, maybe even running informal mini-training sessions for specific teams.
Collaboration & Communication
You work well with content owners and other teams, making sure everyone's on the same page about knowledge gaps and content improvements. You're clear and concise in your communications.
  • Content owners are happy to work with you because you make their lives easier. Your emails are easy to understand, and you follow up effectively. You're seen as a helpful partner, not just a ticket resolver.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Solving Puzzles

Every ambiguous search request is a new puzzle to solve. You get a real kick out of deconstructing a vague query and finding that needle in the haystack.

Someone asks for 'that thing about the new sales process.' You'll enjoy figuring out if it's a policy, a training doc, a presentation, or a Slack thread, and then tracking it down.

Helping People

You genuinely enjoy making someone's day easier by connecting them with the information they need. You like being the person who can cut through the noise.

Getting a 'thank you, you saved me hours!' email from a colleague after you've helped them find a crucial document for a client pitch.

Creating Order

You feel satisfied when you've improved a piece of content, added missing tags, or helped tidy up a messy corner of our knowledge base. You like making things work better for everyone.

Spotting a common zero-hit query in the search logs, then creating a new article or adding synonyms to the search engine so others can find it next time.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Human Google' Perception: Being treated like a personal search engine for requests users could easily handle themselves if they just tried a bit harder. It can feel like you're doing basic admin rather than valuable knowledge work.
  • Content Hoarders & Silos: Knowing the perfect document exists, but it's locked away in someone's personal drive or a team's private channel, and you can't get access. It's like hitting a brick wall.
  • Metadata Apathy: Constantly fighting an uphill battle to get content creators to apply basic tags and metadata to their documents when they first create them. It makes your job harder down the line.
  • The Vague Request: Those infamous 'I saw a presentation on it a few months ago, I think Dave made it' requests with no searchable keywords. It's like being asked to find a ghost.
  • Content Rot: Dealing with a knowledge base full of outdated, incorrect, or duplicate information that clogs up search results and makes it harder to find the right answer.
What this role does not give you
  • A perfectly structured, predictable workload where every problem has a clear solution. Expect curveballs.
  • A role where you only deal with cutting-edge technology. You'll work with some older systems too, because that's where some of our knowledge lives.
  • A job where you're always creating new, glamorous content. A lot of your work is about improving existing content and making it findable.

8Who you work with

This role directly improves internal operational efficiency and employee productivity by ensuring quick and accurate access to critical business information. It reduces time wasted searching, minimises errors from using outdated content, and fosters a culture of self-service and knowledge sharing across the organisation. Your work makes people's jobs less frustrating and more effective.

Inside the business
  • Content Owners (e.g., Marketing, HR, Product)
  • IT Service Desk
  • Learning & Development Team
  • Internal Communications
  • Departmental Leads
Outside the business
  • Knowledge Management Platform Vendors (e.g., Coveo, Sinequa)
  • Training Providers

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • At least 2 years of experience in a knowledge management, information support, or technical support role where finding and sharing information was a core responsibility.
  • Proven ability to deconstruct complex user requests into actionable search strategies.
  • Demonstrable experience with at least one enterprise search platform (e.g., Coveo, SharePoint Search) and one knowledge base system (e.g., Confluence, SharePoint Online).
  • A solid track record of independently solving problems and taking ownership of tasks from start to finish.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, especially when explaining technical concepts to non-technical users.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Search Analytics & Reporting

Moving beyond just viewing dashboards, you'll need to start creating custom reports and digging deeper into search data (e.g., from Coveo or Google Analytics for internal search) to uncover more nuanced insights. This will be key for proactively identifying systemic issues and proving the value of KM.

Custom Dashboard Creation · Correlation Analysis · A/B Testing Search Configurations · Data Storytelling

  • This month: Get more familiar with Power BI or Tableau. Try to replicate an existing dashboard from scratch.
  • Next quarter: Take an online course on data visualisation or basic SQL for data extraction.
  • Month 3-6: Work with a Senior Search Support Assistant to create one custom report that addresses a specific search problem.
  • Month 6-12: Start presenting your findings in team meetings, focusing on the 'so what?' of the data.

Quick win: Spend an hour each week just exploring the raw data in our search analytics platform. See what patterns jump out at you, even if you don't fully understand them yet.

Basic Scripting for Automation (e.g., Python)

While not a core requirement today, a basic understanding of scripting will become increasingly valuable. It'll allow you to automate repetitive tasks, manipulate data for analysis, or even interact with APIs of our knowledge systems. This isn't about becoming a developer, but about being able to make your own life easier.

Basic Python Syntax · Data Manipulation (Pandas) · API Interaction (Requests) · Error Handling

  • This month: Complete a free online 'Python for Beginners' course. Focus on the basics.
  • Next quarter: Try to automate one small, repetitive task you do weekly, like renaming files or extracting specific data from a spreadsheet.
  • Month 3-6: Explore how Python can interact with SharePoint or Confluence APIs (read-only to start!).
  • Month 6-12: Work with a Senior Search Support Assistant or developer to build a small utility that helps the team.

Quick win: Use Python to quickly count words in a folder of documents, or to find specific text strings across multiple files. It's a small start but builds confidence.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Attending industry webinars or virtual conferences on Knowledge Management or enterprise search trends.
  • Participating in online communities or forums dedicated to KM professionals to share insights and learn from peers.
  • Taking online courses on specific tools in our tech stack (e.g., advanced SharePoint features, Coveo administration basics).
  • Reading relevant books or articles on information architecture, taxonomy, or user experience in search.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Prompt Engineering for Knowledge Retrieval

AI and large language models (LLMs) are changing how we interact with information. Being able to 'talk' to these systems effectively will be crucial for quickly extracting relevant information and summarising content. Analysts who master this will be significantly more productive.

  • Effective Query Structuring
  • Context Provision
  • Output Validation
  • Iterative Prompting

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Query Formulation & Refinement
  • Metadata & Taxonomy Application
  • Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) Methodology
  • Content Curation & Synthesis
  • Search Log Analysis (Basic)

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Junior Knowledge Analyst / Associate Search Support Assistant

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Basic query formulation, content tagging, understanding of core knowledge base functionality, excellent user communication.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently resolves routine search requests quickly and accurately.
    • Proactively identifies opportunities to improve existing knowledge articles.
    • Demonstrates a strong understanding of our internal knowledge systems.
    • Receives positive feedback from users on helpfulness and clarity.
  2. 2

    Technical Support Specialist (with KM focus)

    2-3 years

    Skills to master

    • Troubleshooting information access issues, documenting solutions, using ticketing systems, understanding user pain points related to information.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Has a track record of resolving complex technical issues by finding and applying relevant knowledge.
    • Is adept at using and contributing to a knowledge base as part of their support workflow.
    • Shows a keen interest in improving information findability beyond just solving individual tickets.
    • Can effectively communicate technical information to non-technical users.
  3. 3

    Content Coordinator / Editor

    2-4 years

    Skills to master

    • Content creation, editing, information organisation, understanding of content lifecycles, basic SEO principles for internal search.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Has experience managing and organising large volumes of content.
    • Demonstrates a strong eye for detail and consistency in content presentation.
    • Understands the importance of metadata and tagging for content discoverability.
    • Is proactive in identifying and addressing content gaps or inconsistencies.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to roles such as lead search and knowledge analyst or knowledge systems manager, working on how information is organised and found.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Search Support Assistant is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Digital Marketing Skills for Business, worked against Search Support Assistant.

Digital Marketing Skills for Business Level 3

Applied to your work in Search Support Assistant

This unit aims to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of digital marketing, covering SEO fundamentals, user persona development, and user engagement strategies. Learners will develop the ability to create tailored digital content and manage and analyse digital marketing campaigns to optimise performance and achieve business objectives.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Search Support Assistant
  • Query Formulation & Refinement
  • Metadata & Taxonomy Application
  • Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) Methodology
  • Content Curation & Synthesis
  • Search Log Analysis (Basic)
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Search Support Assistant is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Senior Search Support Assistant

    2-3 years (from this role)

    OFQUAL Level 6-7

    • Advanced Search Log Analysis Creating custom reports, identifying deeper trends, and translating data into actionable insights for search optimisation.
    • Search Relevance Tuning Understanding how to configure and adjust search engine settings (e.g., synonym lists, query pipelines, 'Best Bets') to improve results.
    • Taxonomy Development Proposing and helping to implement changes to the enterprise taxonomy based on user behaviour and content analysis.
    • KCS Programme Leadership Leading initiatives to improve KCS adoption and quality within the team or across departments.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, a big chunk of your day can be spent on repetitive tasks or sifting through mountains of data. But what if you could offload some of that to AI? We're not talking about replacing you; we're talking about giving you superpowers.

In Knowledge Management, AI isn't just a buzzword. It's a practical toolkit that can help you find answers faster, create better content, and understand user needs more deeply. Imagine having an intelligent assistant that handles the grunt work, freeing you up for the more interesting, human-centric parts of your role. Here’s how you'll actually use it:

Automated Content Tagging

Use AI models (like those built into SharePoint Syntex or standalone tools) to automatically read new documents and suggest relevant metadata tags. This means you'll spend far less time manually tagging, and more time making sure the right tags are applied, not just any tags. It's a huge time-saver for content hygiene.

Semantic Intent Analysis

Forget just keyword matching. We use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to look at our search logs and identify what users really mean, even if they use different words. This helps you spot hidden content gaps or relevance issues much faster than manual review, giving you deeper insights into user needs.

AI-Powered Summarisation

Imagine feeding a long, dense policy document or a collection of search results into an AI and getting an instant, concise summary. This lets you quickly curate and deliver a digestible answer package to a colleague, especially when they need a quick overview rather than the full deep dive. It's about getting to the point, fast.

Draft KCS Articles & FAQs

After you've resolved a tricky request, you can feed the conversation into a generative AI model and ask it to draft a clean, well-structured Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) article or FAQ entry. You'll then review and refine it, cutting the time to create new knowledge from 20 minutes to perhaps 5, dramatically increasing how much knowledge we capture.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Search Support Assistant?

Common routes in include Junior Knowledge Analyst / Associate Search Support Assistant (1-2 years), Technical Support Specialist (with KM focus) (2-3 years) and Content Coordinator / Editor (2-4 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Search Support Assistant progress to?

This role can lead on to Senior Search Support Assistant (2-3 years (from this role)), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Search Support Assistant?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering for Knowledge Retrieval. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

Or try another one

17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 2

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in knowledge management

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills built in this job carry across other fields. They can lead to work in information architecture, content strategy, technical writing, UX research, or data analytics, particularly for anyone drawn to search log analysis and reporting. Most organisations need to manage their knowledge, so this expertise applies widely.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free AI Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.