Head of Customer Experience

Candidate Opportunity Brief Position: Head of Customer Experience Confidentiality: N/A Ford & Stanley Executive Search (Part of the Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group) are a leading Executive search and talent advisory firm specialising in the following sectors: Rail & Transportation Civils & Construction Manufacturing & Supply Chain Technology & Cyber Security Logistics & Intermodal Freight Defence Our search directors, search consultants and in house research team specialise in retained opportunities at the highest level of organisational leadership and management. Our success is based upon a blend of trust-driven relationships, robust market knowledge, and working practices that ensure the best possible alignment of organisational need with experience and personal ambition. Working with business leaders on bespoke assignments for over a decade, we understand exactly what our customers expect from an executive search and talent advisory service – whether there is a pressing business need for an executive interim or that of a long-term permanent appointment - Ford & Stanley Executive Search provide the solution. Below you will find a ‘Candidate Opportunity Brief’ developed from notes taken during the scoping meeting (Situational Discovery) held between the Principal Consultant of Executive Search & Senior Consultant and the Commercial & Customer Director & TA. This brief is designed to give candidates a deeper insight into the opportunity inherent within the role, the challenges the role presents, and provide access to the detail that sits behind the job specification. Challenges expected within the first 12 months include: Bring pace, simplicity and visible accountability to a seven-workstream customer confidence programme that is strategically important. Align multiple directorates and external rail stakeholders around clearer, more consistent customer information during disruption. Create practical, customer-led improvements across information, accessibility, loyalty and retention, with clear measures of progress and ownership across the team. Key deliverables within the first 12 months include: Deliver the agreed customer confidence programme milestones at pace, establishing a credible path from approximately 75% customer satisfaction towards the 90% target by 2030. Provide effective leadership through the Sheffield in-house contact centre transition and embed improving customer service standards following its November go-live. Create practical, customer-led improvements across information, accessibility, loyalty and retention, with clear measures of progress and ownership across the team. Essential Hard Skills (Skills & Experience) A proven record of leading customer transformation in a large, complex and consumer-facing organisation, ideally retail, consumer telecommunications or a similarly tangible service environment. End-to-end customer experience or customer service function, extending beyond contact centre operations and with the credibility to lead an experienced management team. Proven experience operating in similarly large, complex customer environments Commercial understanding of customer value, loyalty and retention, coupled with the ability to turn insight into practical action rather than prolonged analysis the successful candidate must rapidly learn the railway's systems, regulatory context and accessibility obligations. Essential Soft Skills (Attributes & Behaviours) Driven, ambitious and proactive in their approach. Resilient and comfortable in challenging people in their ways of thinking. Strong communicator and able to manage multiple relationships. Collaborative and keen to work closely with internal stakeholders. Working Arrangements & Location: Onsite 2/3 days per week in the North with some travel to the contact centre in Sheffield/ rest of the time WFH Ford & Stanley Executive Search Pre-Submission Process: First Engagement: A short engagement and introductory conversation to position the opportunity, gauge candidate early interest level and arrange a time and date for a more detailed discussion. NDA sent (if applicable) upon receipt of signed NDA - Candidate Opportunity Brief shared. Candidate Discovery: An open, conversational and consultative discussion where candidates and executive search consultant explore and discuss the opportunity brief. Candidates are assessed on their suitability for the role in the context of the key essentials and challenged on how the opportunity lines up with their career aspirations, motivations, financial expectations and personal circumstance. The search consultant will utilise the information captured during candidate discovery to start to build your profile on suitability. Recommendations may be made at this point for adjustments or updates to your CV.  The ‘shortlist’: Shortlisted candidates, having taken time to reflect on the opportunity and undertake subsequent research on the clients business are reengaged where they are asked to provide additional specific information on their suitability (if/where applicable). Final checks of key notes, package details and logistical alignments made. Finishing touches are then made to your profile prior to submission along with our notes and recommendations. Salary & Supporting Benefits: Competitive, please reach out to Josh Winfield directly for this.  Executive Search Delivery Team: Billy Jackson – Principal Consultant: (Co-Client Recommendations/Advisory, Offer Negotiations, Consulting & Networking,) Josh Winfield – Senior Consultant: (Headhunting, Shortlisting, Networking, Research, Search, Longlisting, Interviews, Data & Market Intel) Tilia Kozluk - Executive Assistant: Diary Management, Interview Coordination & Candidate Experience. About Ford & Stanley Executive Search: Please see supporting appendix: Executive Search Candidate Journey Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group Ltd is a Disability Confident employer that is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all opportunity seekers. We shall adhere to such a policy at all times and will review on an on-going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. We will treat everyone equally irrespective sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief or political beliefs and we place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy. Services advertised by Ford & Stanley Executive Search are that of an executive search and talent advisory business