Customer Relationship Manager

JLA Group; Ripponden; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

JLA Group is seeking a Customer Relationship Manager to own the end-to-end customer experience. You will act as the primary contact, coordinating across Operations, Finance, Sales and support functions to resolve complex issues with transparent communication.

Responsibilities include driving root-cause analyses, supporting retention and renewal activity, and promoting customer adoption through digital enablement while maintaining high governance and data integrity.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in customer relationship management, account management or complex customer support.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage ambiguity and apply judgement in complex situations.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to coordinate and influence across teams without direct authority.
• Experience working in a contract-based or regulated environment.
• Commercial awareness and understanding of customer lifecycle value.
• Experience contributing to root cause analysis and service improvement.
• Familiarity with CRM or case management systems.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary point of contact for customers and own communication throughout the resolution journey (clear updates, manage expectations).
• Coordinate multi-step customer issues across Operations, Finance, Sales and other functions.
• Lead root cause analysis on complex and recurring customer issues and translate insights to leadership.
• Support renewal and retention activity through collaboration with sales and customer success teams.
• Deliver customer enablement and adoption initiatives, including portal walkthroughs and self-service guidance.
• Maintain governance, quality and professional standards in customer communications and records.

Skills

CRM systems

Account management

Communication

Organisational skills

Stakeholder influence

Contract environment

Commercial awareness

Root cause analysis

Customer lifecycle

Job description

JLA has been providing critical assets and services to a range of businesses and sectors including Care Homes, Hospitals, Schools, and Hotels for over 50 years. These assets and services are crucial in supporting customers with their Laundry, Catering, Heating, Fire Safety, Infection Control, and Air Conditioning.

The company offers a unique, all-inclusive package called Total Care, this rental model allows customers to make a single monthly payment, to receive brand new equipment, and have maintenance costs taken care of.

Role overview

The Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) is responsible for owning the customer experience and relationship, especially where issues are complex, prolonged or high impact. The role provides customers with a consistent primary point of contact, ensuring clear communication, coordinated resolution and fair, timely outcomes.

The CRM role exists to strengthen customer relationships, support retention and renewal activity, protect cash collection and ensure learning from customer issues is translated into preventative action across the business. CRMs work in close partnership with Sales, Credit Control, Care Advisors, Resolution Experts, Account Managers and Customer Success to deliver joined up, professional customer outcomes.

Key tasks

Primary Customer Relationship Ownership

• Act as the primary point of contact for customers
• Own customer communication throughout the resolution journey, providing clear updates and managing expectations
• Build trust and confidence through consistent, professional and proactive engagement
• Ensure customers experience continuity, transparency and accountability

Coordination of Complex Resolution Activity

• Coordinate multi step customer issues across Operations, Finance, Sales and other support functions
• Maintain momentum on complex or aged cases, removing blockers and driving progress
• Work in structured partnership with assigned Care Advisors to progress tasks and gather information
• Escalate appropriately to Resolution Experts where formal complaints, remedies or governance decisions are required

Structured Insight, Root Cause Analysis and Feedback Loops

• Lead structured root cause analysis on complex and recurring customer issues
• Identify patterns, trends and systemic weaknesses impacting customer experience
• Translate customer insight into clear, evidence-based feedback for Operations, Customer Experience and leadership teams
• Support agreed preventative actions and track completion to reduce repeat failure

Commercial Awareness and Retention Support

• Maintain awareness of customer risk, sentiment and relationship health
• Work closely with Area Sales Managers (ASMs) to support renewal, re-sign and wider relationship activity
• Provide structured insight to Customer Success where customers progress toward termination
• Contribute to informed decision making around retention gestures and commercial outcomes

Customer Adoption and Enablement

• Deliver MyJLA portal walkthroughs and customer education
• Encourage digital adoption and self service behaviours
• Reduce avoidable demand by improving customer understanding of visibility, status and processes

Governance, Quality and Professional Standards

• Ensure customer communication is accurate, considered and aligned to business position
• Maintain high standards of written and verbal communication
• Operate within agreed governance frameworks, escalation pathways and authority levels
• Ensure customer records, timelines and case information are complete and reliable

Criteria

Knowledge, skills and experience

• Proven experience in customer relationship management, account management or complex customer support
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to manage ambiguity and apply judgement in complex situations
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to coordinate and influence across teams without direct authority
• Experience working in a contract-based or regulated environment
• Commercial awareness and understanding of customer lifecycle value
• Experience contributing to root cause analysis and service improvement
• Familiarity with CRM or case management systems

Personal Attributes

• Proactive and self-motivated
• Calm, confident and professional under pressure
• Detail focused with the ability to think systemically
• Comfortable taking ownership and accountability
• Collaborative and relationship oriented

Key Outcomes

• Improved customer confidence and experience on complex issues
• Reduced repeat and avoidable customer queries
• Stronger insight into systemic issues and preventative action