Customer Operations Director

Southern Water

Worthing

On-site

GBP 70,000 - 100,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

£600 monthly car allowance

Performance-related bonus up to 30%

Family cover private medical insurance

Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution

Life assurance payment equal to 4 times your annual salary

Health benefits through a Cash Plan

Two paid community volunteering days a year

25 days annual holiday

Occupational health service

Study support and funding for job-related qualifications

Job summary

Southern Water is seeking a Customer Operations Director to lead their customer service teams, enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. This pivotal role involves strategic oversight of customer operations, compliance with regulations, and driving innovation in service delivery. Ideal candidates will possess extensive experience in contact center management and a proven ability to transform customer operations.

Qualifications

Extensive experience in contact-centre management.
Strong track record in transforming customer operations.
Experience within a regulated industry is advantageous.

Responsibilities

Lead customer service function across in-house teams and outsourced partners.
Implement automation and self-service solutions.
Drive continuous improvement in customer service processes.

Skills

Data-driven leadership

Contact center management

Continuous improvement

Digital service strategy

Job description

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Direct message the job poster from Southern Water

Hiring the next generation of Senior Leaders at Southern Water!

Job Title: Customer Operations Director

Location: Hybrid working between Worthing (2 days pw) and home. Travel to Doncaster will also be required on a semi-regular basis.

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday

Package: Competitive salary commensurate to experience + £600 monthly car allowance and bonus up to 30%.

Job Overview

Southern Water are at the forefront of transforming Britain’s water industry and with over £300 million of planned investment in customer services across the next 5 years, there has never been a better opportunity to lead, innovate and make a lasting impact on 4.7 million customers!

Reporting into our Chief Customer Officer, this is a newly created role that will lead our Customer Service, Complaints, Vulnerability, Developer Services and Alternative Water Supply teams.

This pivotal leadership role is responsible for shaping and executing our customer operations strategy, ensuring seamless and positive experiences across all touchpoints, and will be instrumental in defining and implementing best-in-class customer service practices, leveraging technology and data to enhance our responsiveness and proactively address customer needs.

Our Customer Operations Director will lead the customer service function across in-house teams and outsourced partners, shaping a high-performing operation that improves customer satisfaction, reduces cost to serve, and ensures operational resilience.

Other responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Management of external customer service teams (UK/India).
Identifying opportunities for innovation and digital transformation in customer operations.
Implementing automation and self-service solutions to improve customer experience.
Ensuring compliance with industry regulations, data protection (GDPR), and company policies.
Driving continuous improvement in customer service processes to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
Representing customer operations in executive meetings and strategic planning discussions.

About You

This role is ideally suited to a data-driven operations leader with deep experience in contact centre transformation, resource planning, digital service strategy and continuous improvement

Whilst experience in the Water industry would be advantageous, we recognise the value that having applicants from wider backgrounds can offer.

What is essential for this role, is extensive experience in contact-centre management and a strong track-record with demonstrable results in transforming customer operations and delivering a meaningful step change in performance metrics.

The ideal candidate will be data-driven and will be able to evidence their success in delivering significant improvements in processes and operational efficiencies.

Experience within a regulated industry would also lend itself well to this position.

Package

This role will be full time Monday to Friday with a hybrid approach to working between our office in Durrington, Worthing and home. We also have a contact centre team based in Doncaster so travel here will be required on a semi-frequent basis.

We are offering a competitive salary commensurate to experience as well as other benefits including:

Company and performance-related bonus up to 30%
£600 monthly car allowance
Family cover private medical insurance
Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution
Life assurance payment equal to 4 times your annual salary
Health benefits through a Cash Plan
Two paid community volunteering days a year
25 days annual holiday
Occupational health service
Study support and funding for job-related qualifications
We offer competitive maternity/paternity leave and flexible return to work options

Join Southern Water and see how far your career could progress with a company committed to career progression, training and development opportunities, our customers and the environment.

Why Southern Water?

Southern Water is investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

You will be joining at a time of significant change, working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions, and drive long-term value creation.

At Southern Water, diversity and inclusion are core values. We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an environment where every individual is empowered to succeed.

Seniority level