Central Services Team Leader

Build Your Future with Colby River. At Colby River, we are shaping the landscape of UK real estate. With expertise across Investment Management, Development Management and Property Management, we take a strategic, long-term approach to investing in, developing and operating high-quality residential communities across the UK. We operate across key living sectors, including Multi-Family Living, Single Family Housing (SFH) and Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). By combining deep market insight with disciplined operational delivery, we create sustainable value for our investors and exceptional experiences for our residents.

About the Role: We are looking for a Central Services Team Leader to join our Altrincham team. Reporting to the Central Services Manager, you will coordinate the daily activities of the New Business and Tenancy Progression teams, ensuring workloads are managed effectively and service standards are maintained. You will monitor workflows, support rota planning, handle escalated enquiries and work closely with onsite teams to keep property information accurate and up to date.

Location and Working Pattern: Office-based at our Altrincham headquarters (2 days WFH after probation), 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday. Working hours of either 8am-5pm or 9am-6pm. Occasional Saturday cover may be required during team absences or periods of annual leave, with time off in lieu provided.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support and coordinate the daily operations of the New Business and Tenancy Progression teams.
• Monitor shared inboxes and workflow queues, ensuring tasks are allocated appropriately and completed within agreed service levels.
• Manage customer enquiries and telephone calls in a professional, accurate and timely manner.
• Plan, prioritise and allocate workloads to support the achievement of team objectives.
• Monitor customer service, compliance and business standards, addressing performance or process issues promptly and constructively.
• Act as the first point of escalation for challenging or sensitive telephone calls, taking ownership of issues and escalating further where appropriate.
• Collaborate with onsite teams to ensure property availability information is accurate and up to date.
• Work with relevant colleagues to maintain accurate and timely property listings across marketing portals.
• Support the Central Services Manager by collating, validating and presenting operational data for regular and ad hoc reporting.
• Assist with the preparation and coordination of team rotas, ensuring appropriate coverage during peak periods.
• Provide day-to-day operational oversight in the absence of the Central Services Manager, working closely with the Operations Manager to maintain service continuity.
• Promote a positive customer experience by modelling professional communication and supporting the team to resolve enquiries efficiently and courteously.

About You: You will be a proactive, organised and customer-focused individual who is comfortable working in a busy operational environment. You will be confident managing competing priorities, monitoring workloads and supporting colleagues to deliver against agreed goals and service standards. You will communicate clearly and professionally, including when handling sensitive or challenging customer interactions. A flexible and collaborative approach is essential, along with the ability to adapt positively as business needs change.

Essential:

• A strong commitment to delivering excellent customer service.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to plan and prioritise multiple tasks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• A proactive and results-focused approach.
• Confidence using digital systems accurately and efficiently.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365, particularly Word, Excel and Outlook.
• The ability to work collaboratively while also using your own initiative.
• A flexible and adaptable approach to changing operational needs.

Desirable:

• Previous experience within leasing, property management or a comparable customer-focused environment.
• Experience of leading, coaching or supporting colleagues.
• Experience monitoring shared inboxes, workflow queues or team service levels.

What We Offer: Competitive salary of £32,500, annual discretionary bonus, employer-matched pension scheme, life insurance at three times your annual salary, generous annual leave entitlement, with the option to buy more, cycle to work scheme, retail, leisure and lifestyle discounts, employee wellbeing support.

Why Colby River? Colby River combines disciplined investment with operational expertise and a commitment to quality at every stage of the asset lifecycle. Joining us means becoming part of a progressive, responsible and collaborative business with clear direction and ambitious plans for growth. You will be supported to develop your career while playing an important role in delivering the high standards of service our customers and communities expect.