Complaints Planning and Forecasting Manager

M&G; City Of London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services company is seeking a Complaints Planning & Forecasting Manager to oversee resource planning and optimize complaints management processes. The role involves developing planning models and ensuring effective oversight of third-party suppliers. Ideal candidates will have experience in resource planning, strong understanding of industry KPIs, and excellent analytical skills. This position offers opportunities for flexible working arrangements and a supportive workplace culture.

Qualifications

• Experience in resource planning and forecasting.
• Understanding of regulatory metrics in Financial Services.
• Ability to manage stakeholders effectively.

Responsibilities

• Right-size the Customer Resilience team with the Head of Complaints.
• Own the planning models for the Complaints team.
• Manage the complaints allocation and tail management processes.
• Govern processes for forecasting and complaints plans.
• Oversee third-party supplier planning oversight.

Skills

Resource planning

Forecasting principles

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Understanding of KPIs

Job description

Overview

The Role: Complaints Planning & Forecasting Manager M&G Life in its current form was created in October 2024 with the merger of what was formerly the closed book operation and the M&G Wealth Business (open book). M&G Life now covers over 5 million customers with more than £300 Bn invested across all of its products and wrappers, and has an ambitious growth plan for 2025 and beyond. M&G Life operations work with a number of partners including Equiniti, Diligenta, Waystone, Paragon, Willis Towers Watson, as well as M&G Global Services supporting our in-house operation. M&G Life also has international presence with teams in Ireland and Poland, using a mix of insourcing and outsourcing service operations to sell to domestic and international markets. Within the Customer Services team, a new function is being established to proactively manage customer journeys and intervene before issues arise. As this capability is still evolving, the role holder will work closely with the Head of Complaints to develop insight into the effort and lay the foundations for effective forecasting and resource planning. They will ensure the function is appropriately resourced to meet business needs. When issues do occur and result in complaints, the role holder will lead planning and forecasting for the Complaints team—from long-term strategic planning to week-on-week tactical adjustments—working with Operations to maintain service levels and deliver swift resolutions. Additionally, they will oversee complaints planning across third-party suppliers, ensuring delivery against contractual obligations and alignment with our customer service standards.

Main Responsibilities

• Customer Resilience team right-sizing. Work with the Head of Complaints and team to right size the new function as it takes shape, and build the model that enables the tracking of plans and actuals to refine.
• Complaints workforce and tactical planning. Own the model(s) for Complaints planning in-house, working with the ops team to ensure that the team is right-sized and aligned to budget, and hitting committed outputs in order to underpin swift customer resolution.
• Complaints allocation / tail management. Work with the Head of Complaints and team to ensure that the correct processes and procedures are in place to underpin productivity but approach open pipeline clearance in a structured and logical way to ensure oldest work is closed down first.
• Governance & Continuous improvement. Ensure that the processes are being optimised for forecasting and refining Complaints plans, including collecting demand and supply data to improve the accuracy and integrity of those plans and drive business efficiency.
• Third Party Oversight. Ensure that where we have outsourced our customer service administration to third party suppliers, the correct planning oversight governance is in place to safeguard service delivery and manage associated risks for Complaints operations.

We have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture at M&G plc, underpinned by our policies and our employee-led networks who provide networking opportunities, advice and support for the diverse communities our colleagues represent. Regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, nationality, disability or long term condition, we are looking to attract, promote and retain exceptional people. We also welcome those who take part in military service and those returning from career breaks.

Qualifications & Skills

• Must have: Experience in resource planning and forecasting & actualising demand and supply in order to embed and then continuously improve planning processes.
• Must have: A good appreciation of key regulatory and internal service metrics for Complaints handling in the Financial Services industry.
• Must have: Strong understanding of forecasting and planning principles and the ability to build from scratch as well as optimise existing processes.
• Must have: The ability to manage stakeholders up to and including Head of/Director and work well as part of matrix teams.
• Should have: Familiarity with other customer services operational domains (contact centres and back office processing).
• Should have: Experience of working with outsourcers in an operational environment.
• Should have: Strong knowledge of service performance and other customer KPIs and the inherent links between them and planning outcomes.
• Should have: Analytical and problem-solving skills, an ability to extract insight from patterns and ability to translate this into insight to drive actions.
• Should have: An understanding of insurance products and the FS industry.

Through our behaviours of telling it like it is, owning it now, and moving it forward together with care and integrity; we are creating an exceptional place to work for exceptional talent. We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and also offer work place accommodations to ensure you have what you need to effectively deliver in your role.