At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to deliver exceptional customer service and drive operational excellence.
- Company: Join Newcastle Building Society Group, a community-focused financial services provider.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible working, and generous leave policies.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by fostering a people-first culture and enhancing customer experiences.
- Qualifications: Experience in customer service and operational management, with strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 41668 - 57542 £ per year.
About the Role
Reporting directly to the Head of Customer Operations, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operational management of a defined area within our Customer Operations function. Your focus will be to ensure the consistent delivery of high-quality service to customers holding savings accounts with Newcastle Building Society Group and our Strategic Solutions clients.
You will maintain strong awareness of both current and planned activity across Customer Operations, taking proactive action to ensure optimal service delivery, efficiency, and performance at all times. Leading a team of Team Leaders, you will play a key role in developing and supporting your colleagues, driving performance through effective leadership and coaching. You will have overall accountability for achieving operational objectives, delivering exceptional customer outcomes, and ensuring your teams are aligned to our purpose and values.
You will be responsible for ensuring all quality standards, key performance indicators, and contractual Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are consistently met or exceeded. Working closely with operational support teams—including Resource Planning, Risk, Complaints, and Quality Assurance—you will use insight and feedback to identify improvement opportunities and drive enhanced customer experiences.
A core part of the role will be to foster a culture of continuous improvement, identifying opportunities to enhance processes, standardise activity across clients, and improve efficiency across the Customer Service Centre. You will also play an active role in creating an engaging and inclusive workplace where colleagues feel supported, recognised, and empowered to succeed.
About You
You will bring proven experience in Customer Service and Operational Management, ideally within a Financial Services or Contact Centre environment. With a strong track record of leading leaders, you will have demonstrable experience in managing and developing supervisors or Team Leaders, with a passion for building high-performing teams.
You are an engaging and motivated leader, with the ability to inspire, influence, and develop others. Your resilience, adaptability, and drive to succeed enable you to effectively manage changing priorities while maintaining a strong focus on delivering results.
You will have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the confidence to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels. Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to collaborate across multiple functions will be key to your success in this role.
You will be committed to creating a “people-first” culture—ensuring colleagues receive regular feedback, the right training and development opportunities, and clear performance expectations to support continuous growth and high performance.
About Us
The Newcastle Building Society Group comprises of Newcastle Building Society, Manchester Building Society, Newcastle Financial Advisers and Newcastle Strategic Solutions. Our purpose, connecting our communities with a better financial future inspires and directs our activities. The Group provides traditional financial services, helping people own their own home, plan and manage their finances and operate a 32-branch network across the North-East, North-West, Cumbria and Yorkshire. Our Strategic Solutions subsidiary owns the UK’s leading savings management platform and provides managed technology services to new challenger banks and other established providers.
As an inclusive employer and member owned mutual, we aim to reflect the diverse communities we serve and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We believe everyone should feel valued, respected, and celebrated for who they are, we want colleagues to feel this is a place they belong. A place to be you.
What do you get in return?
- Financial
- Corporate bonus scheme (on target 10%, up to a maximum 15%)
- Pension scheme (up to 9% employer contribution)
- Annual performance related pay reviews
- Colleague mortgage scheme
- Electric car salary sacrifice scheme
- Life assurance (4x salary) and income protection
- Access to our financial advisers
- Access to a range of high street and online discounts
- Work/Life Balance
- A 35-hour weekly contract - We are happy to talk flexible working and welcome discussions
- 30 days’ annual leave + bank holidays
- The option to buy and sell up to 5 days’ holiday
- Hybrid working (typically 3 days’ home based)
- Above statutory family leave entitlement - 3 months full pay, 3 months half pay, regardless of gender or route to parenthood
- Health and Wellbeing
- Private medical insurance
- Access to a health cash plan through a Medicash scheme
- Access to an employee assistance programme
- Free onsite gym at our Cobalt head office and access to discounted gyms
- Two paid volunteering days each year
- Cycle to work scheme
Recognising there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to recruitment, we’re committed to ensuring every candidate has the opportunity to showcase their full potential throughout the recruitment process. We strive to make our processes as accessible as possible, if there are any ways in which we can provide support or make adjustments, we would love to discuss this with you, you can contact your Recruiter for this vacancy at charlie.mcelhinney@newcastle.co.uk
Customer Operations Manager - 12 months fixed term employer: Newcastle Building Society
Newcastle Strategic Solutions Limited is an exceptional employer that prioritises a people-first culture, offering a supportive and inclusive work environment where employees are encouraged to thrive. With competitive salaries, generous benefits including flexible working arrangements, extensive leave options, and a commitment to professional development, this role as Customer Operations Manager provides a unique opportunity to lead a high-performing team while contributing to the financial well-being of the communities we serve in the North-East and beyond.
Contact Details:
Newcastle Building Society Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Customer Operations Manager - 12 months fixed term
✨Get Social with Customer Support Communities
Join customer support groups on platforms like Facebook or Reddit. They often share job openings or temp opportunities. Engaging with these communities can help you learn more about the specific skills and experiences employers are looking for, plus you'll meet folks who might know about openings at companies like Newcastle Building Society.
✨Leverage Seasonal Hiring Trends
Since customer support roles can spike during busy seasons (think holidays and sales periods), keep an eye out for timelines when companies ramp up hiring. Make sure to apply early and stay active; sending a quick follow-up a week after applying can show your enthusiasm for the role.
✨Flex Your Communication Skills
In customer support, communication is key! Prepare for hypothetical scenarios that test your problem-solving and customer interaction skills. Practising answers to common role-play questions can really help you shine in interviews—trust us, it makes a difference!
✨Make the Most of Job Boards
Use industry-specific job boards like Glassdoor or Indeed to find temporary roles. Don’t forget to set up alerts for customer support positions at companies like Newcastle Building Society. The earlier you apply, the better your chances, so keep your finger on the pulse!
We think you need these skills to ace Customer Operations Manager - 12 months fixed term
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Communication Skills:In customer support, top-notch communication is key. Make sure your CV showcases any previous experience where you’ve had to clearly convey information or resolve issues. If you’ve handled customer queries via email or chat, mention it! Let’s see those strong verbal and written skills shine through.
Showcase Problem-Solving Experience:Employers love to see how you've handled tricky situations. Include examples in your application where you’ve tackled customer concerns or had to think on your feet. It's all about proving you can keep cool under pressure and find solutions—something super important in a temporary customer support role!
Tailor Your Approach for Temporary Roles:Since this is a temporary gig, make sure your cover letter emphasises your flexibility and eagerness to dive right in. Mention that you're ready to hit the ground running and are adaptable to new tools or systems—this shows that you understand the urgency often needed in temporary positions.
Proof of Customer Satisfaction:If you’ve got any quantifiable achievements from past customer support roles, like improved customer satisfaction scores or successful project completions, make sure to include them. Numbers speak volumes! This not only shows your capability but also gives us a reason to believe you'll bring that same success to Newcastle Building Society.
How to prepare for a job interview at Newcastle Building Society
✨Master the Customer Interaction Game
In customer support, we need to showcase our people skills. Prepare for role-playing scenarios where you'll demonstrate how to handle difficult customers or resolve complaints. Think about the types of issues common in Newcastle Building Society's industry and how you can respond empathetically and effectively!
✨Know Your Products Inside Out
For a temporary role, it's crucial to familiarize yourself with the products or services Newcastle Building Society offers. Brush up on key features, common issues, and FAQs. This knowledge will enable you to respond quickly and confidently to customer queries, showing you’re ready to jump in at a moment’s notice!
✨Flexibility is Key - Emphasise Your Adaptability!
Since this is a temporary role, we're looking to convey how quickly we can adapt to new systems or processes. Be ready to share examples of how you've quickly learned new tools or adjusted to changing environments in past roles. Show them you're the go-to person when the pressure's on!
✨Prepare for Quick Conversational Q&A
You might face a rapid-fire round of questions about customer service principles or how you'd handle specific situations. To ace this, think through different customer scenarios ahead of time, and practice your responses to ensure they're concise and impactful. The aim is to demonstrate your quick thinking and problem-solving skills!
