Customer Experience Programme Director

Job Function: Business Change and Project Management

We are looking for a Customer Transformation Programme Director to define, establish, lead, measure and report upon the customer transformation programme through which National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) will deliver its ambition to become #1 DNO, increase BMCS scores to 9.3 by the end of ED2, change its approach to the governance, measurement and management of customer experience, significantly improve the culture of NGED and prepare the organisation for the delivery of the customer elements of ED3.

This is a high-profile role, and the successful candidate will make a significant impact across NGED, National Grid and the sector. You will be passionate about customer excellence, have ambition to play a key role in the UK’s shift to net zero carbon, highly experienced in leading and delivering customer insights to steer businesses, and skilled in stakeholder management.

Reporting to the Director of Customer Excellence and working closely with NGED’s President’s office, plus NGED’s Operational Directors this role holder is the Customer Experience and strategy leader for NGED. They are responsible for developing the Customer strategy for and delivery of NGED’s Customer improvement and channel strategies. This strategically critical role leads NGED in:

1. Action to achieve the incentives, which directly impacts NGED’s reputation and financial performance (£15m+).
2. Executive-led insight-driven strategic decision making, and operations transformation.
3. Channel optimization driving efficiency for NGED and simplicity for customers in ensuring the customer engages via their preferred channel enabled by streamlined operational processes.

You will be responsible for

1. To define, establish, ensure adequate resourcing and funding, lead, measure and ensure governance of NGED’s customer transformation programme. This programme includes but is not limited to the following elements:
2. Management of the Customer board (attendance includes President and Exec members), the main governance vehicle for overseeing the programme.
3. The introduction of customer journey management – the structure through which all customer experience will ultimately be managed.
4. The establishment of an agile approach to change management in support of customer journeys.
5. The creation of the NGED customer strategy for ED2 and ED3 and the related vision to be shared with colleagues.
6. Delivery of an enduring colleague engagement programme through which to explain the vision and its purpose, report on progress and facilitate the deliver of a customer-oriented change to our culture.
7. Facilitation of changes to leadership behaviours in support of the strategy and culture change.
8. Delivery of IT and technical changes in support of modernisation of the contact centres and transformation of NGED’s customer experiences to become more digital.
9. Establishment of a unified approach to test and learn and continuous improvement as mechanisms through which to execute sustained change in NGED.
10. Transformation of our approach to complaints management ensuring that we stay out of penalty throughout ED2.
11. Definition of the programme through which to provide operational measures of customer experience, sufficient to understand progress, support test and learn capabilities and manage change.
12. The role holder will need to ensure that all programme elements are delivered in a consistent and coherent way, that blockers are cleared, priority calls made, business cases created and delivered, progress measured and performance reported upon.
13. The role holder will also need to coordinate and ensure alignment with other significant NGED programmes – e.g. efficiency programme, delivery of our ED3 responses, HR activities to address training deficits or culture change.
14. To challenge the pace of change, recognising the urgency of the transformation and the multi-year nature of the programme.

About you

1. Significant experience of managing major, multi element transformation programmes in a complex corporate environment.
2. Passionate belief in the importance of the delivery of excellent customer experience.
3. Understanding of what makes a good customer experience and of the elements that are necessary to create a transformation programme to ensure these are delivered.
4. Strong intellect and ability to structure complex problems in a pragmatic and communicable fashion.
5. Outstanding influencing skills to persuade, motivate and influence programme teams and senior executives across multiple MUs.
6. Strong diplomacy skills to ensure ability to react sensitively to the different situations and contexts in different MUs and the flexibility to adapt solutions accordingly.
7. Comfortable with ambiguity, and able to lead effectively in such situations – effectively shaping and framing problems to facilitate effective resolution.
8. Robust strategic thinker.
9. Ability to switch effectively (as needed) between higher level strategic work and low level operational process and detail.
10. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
11. Gravitas to operate at the highest level.
12. Drive, enthusiasm and determination.
13. Graduate calibre.
14. Significant experience of working within the energy industry is desirable.

What we can offer you

A competitive salary of £90,000 dependent on experience.

1. An electric company car or car cash allowance.
2. Up to 20% Annual Bonus (based on personal and company performance).
3. 28 days annual leave, plus eight statutory days in addition to the option to buy additional or sell holiday days every year.
4. Private medical insurance.
5. A generous contributory pension scheme – we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%.
6. Life Insurance 10 x base salary.
7. Financial support to help cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions.
8. Family care benefits including a back-up care service for when your usual care arrangements fall through (six paid days each year as standard with the option to purchase further days).
9. Access to apps which support health, fitness, and wellbeing.
10. Career development, ongoing training and support, career progression and plenty of opportunity to progress!

Further information

This role closes on 11 March 2025 at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary.

National Grid’s recruitment periods can and may vary. We reserve the right to remove this advert or close it to further applications at any point during the recruitment process.

About us

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) is the regional electricity distribution division of National Grid.

We are the largest UK Electricity Distribution company, providing services and energy to over 25 million customers, through 8 million connections in our four regions across South Wales, the South-West, West Midlands, and East Midlands. Over the next five years we need to invest in over £7.5bn of infrastructure to fulfil the UK’s ambition, enabling capacity for more than 1.5 million Electric Vehicles and 600,000 heat pumps and ensuring our customers can connect to our network when they want and how they want.

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.

Our goal is to drive, develop and operate our business in a way that results in a more inclusive culture. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, the innovation from diverse teams & perspectives and business need. We are committed to building a workforce so we can represent the communities we serve and have a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

More Information

1. This is a Band C role.
2. Location: The team are based in Castle Donington but we can be flexible on location.
3. Role closes: 11 March 2025.
4. Manager: Emma Pamplin.
5. Recruiter: Stacey Carrington.

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