Head of Customer and Lending Operations

Kroo Bank; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 25 days + holidays

Personal days 3

Volunteer time

Mental health support

Pension 5% employee + 3% employer

MacBook & hybrid setup

Office in Manchester (Deansgate)

Cycle to Work

Electric Car scheme

Enhanced parental leave

Private healthcare

Job summary

Kroo Bank is seeking an experienced Head of Customer Operations to lead live chat, email, phone and lending servicing, across onboarding to collections, ensuring standards and customer outcomes.

Based in Manchester with a hybrid working pattern, you will build a high-performing team, implement quality controls, use data to prioritise improvements and collaborate with Product, Technology, Credit Risk and Compliance.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience of leading customer operations within retail banking, together with practical lending experience.
• Strong understanding of the customer journey.
• Proven experience of leading managers and driving performance.
• Ability to set objectives and address underperformance fairly, with appropriate coaching, support and development.
• Experience improving customer service and operational processes to support growth, efficiency and good customer outcomes.
• Understanding of how to support customers experiencing financial difficulty or vulnerability.
• Sound knowledge of operational risk, controls and regulatory requirements relevant to retail banking and lending.
• Ability to use operational data, customer feedback and performance measures to inform decisions and prioritise improvements.
• Experience of managing budgets, resources and workforce planning.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior colleagues and explain operational priorities clearly.
• Experience of working collaboratively with Product, Technology, Credit Risk and Compliance teams.
• Ability to lead change and introduce technology and automation that improve service and operational delivery.
• Strong judgement, with a commitment to fair treatment, responsible banking and the bank's values.
• Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining clear standards and supporting your teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement Kroo's customer and lending operations strategy, aligning it with the bank's overarching goals and vision.
• Lead customer operations across live chat, email, phone and social media, alongside lending servicing and collections.
• Set clear standards for customer care, service quality and operational delivery across your function.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators covering service levels, quality, productivity and customer outcomes.
• Ensure managers within your function effectively manage team and individual performance and productivity, setting clear expectations, reviewing results regularly and addressing concerns promptly and fairly through appropriate coaching, support and formal processes where required.
• Hold managers accountable for delivering agreed objectives and maintaining consistent performance standards, taking account of individual circumstances and reasonable adjustments.
• Oversee the customer journey across retail banking and lending, ensuring effective support from onboarding and loan origination through to servicing, repayment and collections.
• Implement quality controls and process improvements to improve operational performance and customer satisfaction.
• Analyse customer feedback, complaints and service data to identify patterns, resolve recurring issues and prioritise improvements.
• Work with internal stakeholders to improve the tools, processes and policies that support customer and lending operations.
• Introduce appropriate technology and automation to increase efficiency, support growth and improve the customer experience.
• Work closely with Product and Technology to ensure customer feedback and operational requirements inform product development.
• Collaborate with senior leaders to incorporate customer and lending operations insights into business strategy and product roadmaps.
• Build, coach and develop an effective management team, ensuring managers have the skills and support to lead their teams successfully.
• Promote a culture of learning, accountability and collaboration through regular feedback, coaching and development.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, training and performance management across the function.
• Manage budgets, resources and workforce planning to meet customer demand and support the bank's growth.
• Apply your retail banking and lending experience to develop and scale loan origination, servicing and collections processes, working closely with Credit Risk, Product and Compliance.
• Oversee support for customers experiencing financial difficulty or vulnerability, ensuring their circumstances are understood and appropriate support is provided.
• Ensure customer and lending operations comply with applicable regulatory requirements, data protection standards and internal policies.
• Identify and manage operational risks, maintain effective controls and elevate material issues promptly.

Skills

Customer operations leadership

Retail banking

Lending experience

Stakeholder management

Regulatory knowledge

Data-driven decisions

Budget management

Team coaching

Change management

Automation awareness

Job description

At Kroo Bank, we're building a better bank from the ground up. One that puts customers first, treats money responsibly and uses technology to make everyday banking simpler, fairer and more transparent. We're a fully regulated UK bank, backed by long term investors, with a growing customer base and big ambitions. We move fast, think carefully and hold ourselves to the highest standards, whether that's how we engage with our customers, build products, manage risk or look after our people. Please note that we have one position available, which can be based in either Manchester or London.

How you will contribute and key responsibilities:

• Develop and implement Kroo's customer and lending operations strategy, aligning it with the bank's overarching goals and vision
• Lead customer operations across live chat, email, phone and social media, alongside lending servicing and collections
• Set clear standards for customer care, service quality and operational delivery across your function
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators covering service levels, quality, productivity and customer outcomes
• Ensure managers within your function effectively manage team and individual performance and productivity, setting clear expectations, reviewing results regularly and addressing concerns promptly and fairly through appropriate coaching, support and formal processes where required
• Hold managers accountable for delivering agreed objectives and maintaining consistent performance standards, taking account of individual circumstances and reasonable adjustments
• Oversee the customer journey across retail banking and lending, ensuring effective support from onboarding and loan origination through to servicing, repayment and collections
• Implement quality controls and process improvements to improve operational performance and customer satisfaction
• Analyse customer feedback, complaints and service data to identify patterns, resolve recurring issues and prioritise improvements
• Work with internal stakeholders to improve the tools, processes and policies that support customer and lending operations
• Introduce appropriate technology and automation to increase efficiency, support growth and improve the customer experience
• Work closely with Product and Technology to ensure customer feedback and operational requirements inform product development
• Collaborate with senior leaders to incorporate customer and lending operations insights into business strategy and product roadmaps
• Build, coach and develop an effective management team, ensuring managers have the skills and support to lead their teams successfully
• Promote a culture of learning, accountability and collaboration through regular feedback, coaching and development
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, training and performance management across the function
• Manage budgets, resources and workforce planning to meet customer demand and support the bank's growth
• Apply your retail banking and lending experience to develop and scale loan origination, servicing and collections processes, working closely with Credit Risk, Product and Compliance
• Oversee support for customers experiencing financial difficulty or vulnerability, ensuring their circumstances are understood and appropriate support is provided
• Ensure customer and lending operations comply with applicable regulatory requirements, data protection standards and internal policies
• Identify and manage operational risks, maintain effective controls and elevate material issues promptly

Requirements

• Substantial experience of leading customer operations within retail banking, together with practical lending experience
• Strong understanding of the customer journey
• Proven experience of leading managers, developing their leadership skills and holding them accountable for team performance and productivity
• Ability to set clear objectives and address underperformance fairly, with appropriate coaching, support and development
• Experience of improving customer service and operational processes to support growth, efficiency and good customer outcomes
• Understanding of how to support customers experiencing financial difficulty or vulnerability
• Sound knowledge of operational risk, controls and regulatory requirements relevant to retail banking and lending
• Ability to use operational data, customer feedback and performance measures to inform decisions and prioritise improvements
• Experience of managing budgets, resources and workforce planning
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior colleagues and explain operational priorities clearly
• Experience of working collaboratively with Product, Technology, Credit Risk and Compliance teams
• Ability to lead change and introduce technology and automation that improve service and operational delivery
• Strong judgement, with a commitment to fair treatment, responsible banking and the bank's values
• Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining clear standards and supporting your teams

Benefits

We offer a range of benefits to support you both in and outside work:

• Annual leave: 25 days of annual leave, 8 bank holidays, 1 Kroo bank holiday on 24th June and 1 day off during the week of your birthday
• Personal days: 3 personal days to use as needed
• Volunteering: Up to 4 hours of employer sponsored volunteering time each month
• Mental health support: Access to Spill, our mental health support partner
• Workplace pension: A pension with a 5% employee contribution and a 3% employer contribution
• Equipment: A MacBook laptop and the equipment you need for hybrid working, with support towards your home office setup if required
• Office space: Access to our offices, including our workspace in Deansgate in central Manchester
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Electric Car scheme
• Enhanced parental leave to support employees starting and growing their families
• Development opportunities as the bank grows
• Private healthcare for you and your immediate family through Vitality

Hybrid Working:

This role is based in Manchester, with office attendance expected 2 to 3 times per week. Working hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, combining remote working with regular time in the office to support collaboration and teamwork.

Diversity and Inclusion:

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone is valued, respected and supported. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and ensure reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process. Please let us know if you need any support or adjustments when applying.