Customer Operations Team Leader (12m FTC) in Sunderland

We’re Pentland Brands, a global family business behind some of the world’s most iconic active and lifestyle brands. We bring integrity, energy and ambition to our work, setting high standards and striving to deliver great outcomes without ego. Shape the work behind some of the world’s most loved sport, outdoor and lifestyle brands. At Pentland Brands, every role helps move our brands forward. Whether you’re supporting our people, improving our systems, growing our commercial performance, strengthening operations or shaping better ways of working, your impact reaches across a portfolio of iconic brands used by consumers around the world.

This role is responsible for managing a team of Customer Operations Executives to service a portfolio of accounts and brand(s) within the relevant channel whilst ensuring that an optimal level of support is given to internal stakeholders and our customers. This role will also provide support to the Customer Operations Manager in managing daily team management duties where required.

What you’ll be doing:

• As part of the Customer Operations Team lead community, lead by example in driving best in class service for Pentland Brands and our customers.
• Own, lead and represent your area within the Team lead community.
• Customer & Commercial engagement, working closely with our most Strategic International Partners in your portfolio.
• Lead by example & manage a team of Customer Operations Executives and provide cover for a portfolio of customer accounts with responsibility for order placement, orderbook management, stock allocation, logistics and distribution, VAS requirements, reporting and customer communications.
• Order placement and delivery against customer orderbook, using and promoting exception report across your team and channels.
• Organising, tracking, and satisfying in season order requests.
• Stock allocation and logistics.
• Responsibility for reporting and customer communications.
• Process cancellations, credits, debits, returns of non-faulty goods, VAS and DC requirements.
• Responsibility for export documentation and compliance for global logistics.
• Order management and administration of business processes related to orders for goods or services.
• Managing the key activities and actions involved in processing an order to the satisfaction of the customer.
• Provide constantly updated sales and order book information, a record of customer returns, debits and credits and general and order processing activity.
• Making and communicating the necessary changes made to the customer’s order book in line with the business and customers’ requirements.
• Identify potential problems and solutions required to manage Customer OTIF.
• Working cross functionally with the Asia merchandising and shipping team to manage the aspect of delivering direct delivery export to market if required.
• Understanding of export and internal direct delivery processes.
• Produce regular data analysis on order book and Supply Chain using internal and external sources.
• Ability to interrogate and source information from SAP.
• A key stakeholder in driving Salesforce and Pentland Connect alignment across the teams.
• Constant review of COPS Annual Game Plan and work streams supporting this.
• Team PDR & Pentland Principles alignment towards your individual team members personal development.

What you’ll bring:

• Excellent communication skills with a range of stakeholders.
• Experience leading a team or previous high performer within operational function.
• Advance Excel skills.
• High attention to detail.
• Reporting and analytical skills.
• Experience in a customer focused role.
• Experience in administrative duties to raise cancellations, credits, debits, invoicing, and orders.
• Stock management and orderbook management skills.
• Experience of interpreting large amounts of data and confidence in reporting procedures.
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills across all levels of the business.
• Management experience of/exposure to global accounts, multinational distributors, and retailers.
• Previous customer service/key account sales support experience and/or sales environment, preferable international exposure.
• Knowledge of export procedures and documentation preferable.
• Language preference in need of specific roles - French speaker primary/ German secondary.
• Knowledge and management of on-line retailer/distribution is desirable.
• Working knowledge of SAP or similar systems knowledge is advantageous.
• Team player.
• Ability to work to deadlines.

Why Pentland Brands?

Pentland Brands is the name behind some of the world’s best-known sport, outdoor and lifestyle brands, including Speedo, Berghaus, Canterbury, Endura, Ellesse, Kickers and Mitre. We are a global family business with a clear purpose: pioneering brands that make life better. Across our teams, functions and locations, we work together to create products, experiences and partnerships that help people live more active, confident and positive lives. Joining Pentland Brands means becoming part of a business where your work can have real reach, across multiple brands, markets, teams and disciplines. It is a place for people who want to contribute, collaborate, improve how things are done and help build the future of brands with heritage, ambition and global impact.

Perks & Benefits

We offer a competitive salary, discretionary bonus, hybrid working, flexible start and finish times, generous holiday allowance, product discounts, sample sales, enhanced family‑friendly policies, healthcare support, gym and fitness discounts, cycle to work scheme and electric car scheme. You can find full details of our benefits and perks on our UK Benefits page.

The Interview Process

We want our interview process to feel clear, straightforward, and supportive. If your experience and expectations look like a strong match for the role, here’s what you can expect next:

• Talent Team Intro Call - A 30-minute video call with our Talent Team to get to know each other, talk through the role and your experience, and answer any questions you have.
• Experience Interview - A more in-depth interview (usually online) with the hiring manager to explore your skills, experience and approach, and how these align with the role, our principles, and our ways of working.
• Final Interview - A final in-person interview at our office, focused on deeper discussion and practical application, giving you the chance to meet more of the team and see Pentland Brands in action.