At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic programmes to enhance customer experience and strengthen partnerships.
- Company: Join L&Q, a leading housing association dedicated to social homes.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, excellent pension, generous leave, and lifestyle benefits.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on the lives of 250,000 residents through meaningful change.
- Qualifications: Experience in programme management and strong analytical skills required.
The predicted salary is between 65913 - 65913 £ per year.
Contract Type: Permanent, Full Time, 35 hours per week
Salary: £65,913 per annum to £72,884 per annum (London weighted salary) or £57,900 per annum to £64,504 per annum (Regional salary), dependant on experience
Grade: 11
Reporting Office: London, Stratford or Manchester, Trafford
Agile Worker: 20% - 40% of contractual hours to be worked from reporting office/working location (hybrid working)
Benefits include:
- Excellent pension plan (up to 6% double contribution)
- 28 days Annual Leave rising to 31 days with length of service + Bank Holidays
- Westfield Health Cash Plan
- Non-contributory life assurance
- Up to 21 hours volunteering paid days
- Lifestyle benefits
- Employee Assistance Programme
Early applications are encouraged as we reserve the right to close the advertisement and interview earlier than stated. L&Q reserve the right not to progress applications from candidates with 3 or more unsuccessful applications/interview processes with L&Q in the previous 24 months.
Join our Customer Experience Team at L&Q: L&Q is one of the UK’s largest housing associations and providers of social and affordable homes. We house around 250,000 people primarily across Greater London and Greater Manchester. Our purpose is simple – to provide social homes and landlord services that everyone can be proud of.
Are you passionate about delivering meaningful change that improves customer experience and strengthens services for residents? We're looking for an experienced Programme Manager to lead two high-profile strategic programmes that will help shape the future of customer services at L&Q. This is an exciting opportunity to influence service delivery across a large and complex organisation, working with a range of internal and external stakeholders to improve outcomes for residents, strengthen partnerships with Local Authorities and drive regulatory compliance.
The Customer Experience Programme Manager will lead the development and delivery of L&Q's Customer Service Offer and Strengthening Operational Partnerships programmes. Resident satisfaction and trust relies upon a clear understanding of what services they should expect and how they should be received. As services are redesigned across the organisation, the Programme Manager will be responsible for ensuring that L&Q can clearly communicate what residents can expect; embed performance measures and processes that demonstrate to the organisation and residents that we are delivering; and ensuring that the resident experience is understood so that we ensure alignment with meeting service standards as well as resident expectation and experience.
L&Q relies upon strong partnerships with our key Local Authority Partners across a range of services and functions covering housing nominations, safeguarding referrals, anti-social behaviour, resident wellbeing and data sharing. Developing operational partnerships so both parties know what to expect, how we will collectively operate, communicate and hold each other to account is critical to ensuring residents don’t fall through the cracks, especially in a period of tight budgets and a cost of living crisis.
This is a newly created role to provide dedicated programme leadership, ensuring strategic initiatives are effectively planned, governed, monitored and successfully delivered. The role will sit within the Customer Experience Team, reporting to the Head of Customer Experience, reporting to a cross-cutting steering group made up of Heads of Service from Resident Involvement and Insight, Business Planning, Communications and Business Information and Analysis. The role will work closely with multiple tiers of L&Q through Directors to the front line, Local Authority partners and colleagues across Customer Services, Property Services, Communications, Transformation and Insight teams.
This is a challenging role and one which will require great judgement around when to drive and lead, when to enable and support. You’ll get to work with a genuinely fantastic group of individuals and teams in a collaborative and supportive environment to support delivery of housing to over 250,000 people.
Your impact in the role:
- Lead the development and delivery of the Customer Service Offer and Strengthening Operational Partnerships programmes from strategy through to implementation.
- Develop programme plans, milestones, governance arrangements, risk registers and performance frameworks to ensure successful delivery.
- Produce robust reporting, assurance and actionable insights to support decision‑making, service improvement and regulatory compliance.
- Develop and embed performance measures and KPIs that demonstrate successful programme outcomes and customer experience improvements.
- Build strong relationships with stakeholders across L&Q, including Directors, Heads of Service, Communications, Insight, Transformation and operational teams.
- Work directly with Local Authorities and external partners to develop and strengthen operational partnership arrangements.
- Manage programme dependencies, risks and issues, ensuring timely escalation and mitigation where required.
- Use data and analysis to identify opportunities for service improvements, root cause resolution and enhanced customer outcomes.
- Contribute directly to the achievement of L&Q's strategic priorities by improving service delivery, strengthening partnerships and supporting regulatory compliance obligations.
What you’ll bring:
- Significant experience of leading complex programmes, projects or business transformation initiatives within a large and complex organisation.
- Extensive knowledge of programme and project management frameworks and methodologies, with a proven track record of delivering successful outcomes through stakeholder engagement and influence.
- Strong experience developing and implementing strategic plans and translating organisational objectives into deliverable programmes of work.
- Excellent analytical skills, with experience developing performance metrics, reporting frameworks and actionable insights from data.
- Technical capability to analyse, manipulate and present complex data, alongside an understanding of data architecture and system improvements.
- Experience of business analysis, continuous improvement, service design and change management methodologies.
- Strong risk management and governance experience, including identifying, managing and mitigating programme risks and issues.
- Excellent communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and build effective partnerships internally and externally.
- Understanding of housing regulation and the wider social housing environment would be advantageous.
- Relevant programme, project management or business improvement qualifications (e.g. PRINCE2, MSP, AgilePM, APM) would be desirable.
About L&Q: We’re one of the UK’s leading housing associations and developers. We were founded on a simple belief: high quality housing is vital for people’s health, happiness and security. Our purpose is simple – to provide social homes and landlord services that everyone can be proud of. 250,000 people call our properties ‘home’, and we’re proud to serve diverse communities across London, the South East and North West of England. People are at the heart of our business and our success depends on employing the best people and getting the best from them. The foundation of everything that we are is built on our corporate values, which outline our core expectations and should be demonstrated at all times, and all levels, when representing L&Q. At L&Q, we know that diversity and inclusion make us stronger – and they’re at the heart of everything we do. When we recruit, we look at what really matters: your skills, experience, and potential. We’re proud to be recognised for creating an inclusive workplace. We’re a Disability Confident Leader (Level 3) and we’ve introduced our own Recruitment Advocate scheme to make sure every step of our hiring process is fair, transparent, and consistent. It’s all part of our commitment to ending discrimination and making L&Q a place where everyone feels welcome. Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do. We recognise the responsibility we hold as one of the UK’s largest housing associations.
Customer Experience Programme Manager employer: L&Q Living
L&Q Living is an exceptional employer that prioritises the well-being and development of its employees. With a strong focus on work-life balance, our team enjoys generous benefits such as up to 31 days of annual leave and pension contributions, all within a supportive and inclusive work culture. Located in vibrant cities like London and Manchester, we offer meaningful career growth opportunities for those passionate about delivering outstanding service to our residents.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Customer Experience Programme Manager
✨Get to Know the Company Culture
Before jumping into applications, it’s super helpful to understand the vibe at L&Q Living. Check out their social media, read reviews on sites like Glassdoor, and see how they engage with customers. It'll give you clues on their values and help tailor your conversation during interviews.
✨Join Customer Support Communities
Dive into online communities like those on Reddit or LinkedIn where customer support pros hang out. Participating in discussions or asking questions can make you more visible to potential recruiters and help you learn about job openings at companies like L&Q Living before they even post them.
✨Attend Job Fairs or Networking Events
Look out for local job fairs or events specifically for customer support roles. This is your chance to meet hiring managers face-to-face, and you might even get the opportunity to interview on the spot!
✨Show Off Your Skills with Customer Interactions
In the customer support world, showcasing your communication skills is key. Consider creating a short video introducing yourself or even doing a mock call to showcase your abilities. It's a memorable way to stand out, especially if you can share this during your interview process!
We think you need these skills to ace Customer Experience Programme Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Communication Skills:In customer support, clear communication is key. Make sure your CV highlights any experience you've had in customer-facing roles and your ability to resolve issues. Don't shy away from including specific examples of how you've gone above and beyond to help customers – this really shows your potential in the role.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to L&Q Living:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Tell us why you want to work at L&Q Living specifically. Mention any unique aspects of our company that resonate with you and how your skills can enhance our customer support. This personal touch will set your application apart from the rest!
Highlight Any Relevant Tools or Tech Skills:If you've used customer support software like Zendesk or Freshdesk or have experience with CRM systems, make sure to mention these in your application. Being familiar with industry-standard tools can be a big plus for us when we’re reviewing applications, as it shows you can hit the ground running!
Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills:Customer support roles often require a knack for problem-solving. In your application, share examples of past experiences where you've tackled tough situations or resolved conflicts effectively. This will give us a good sense of how you handle challenges—an essential skill for success at L&Q Living!
How to prepare for a job interview at L&Q Living
✨Show Off Your People Skills
In customer support, it's all about communicating effectively. Prepare to share instances from your past experiences where you handled difficult customers or resolved conflicts. We want to hear how you empathised and found the best solutions, so think of specific examples to back up your stories!
✨Know the Tools of the Trade
Familiarise yourself with common customer support tools like Zendesk or Freshdesk, and make sure to review how you’ve used any similar systems in the past. During the interview, being able to discuss your hands-on experience with software or ticketing systems can really set you apart from the competition, so don’t skip this prep!
✨Show Genuine Enthusiasm
As this is a full-time role, employers want someone who isn’t just looking for any job, but wants to grow within customer support. Make sure to express your enthusiasm for helping customers and your desire to develop your skills. Show them why you're passionate about this field!
✨Practice Common Scenarios
Be prepared for role-playing scenarios where you might have to reassess a solution with a frustrated customer or explain a complex process in simple terms. Practising these common scenarios can help us feel more confident and demonstrate our practical skills effectively during the interview.
