At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead operational excellence and support for our award-winning contact centre.
- Company: Join a tech-driven insurance company empowering small businesses.
- Benefits: Flexible work options, generous leave, and competitive salary with bonuses.
- Other info: Inclusive culture that values diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on customer experience and team development.
- Qualifications: Expertise in contact centre operations and strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
Who Are We? We insure small businesses and enable big dreams – not just for our customers, but for our people and communities too. With over 1,000,000 active insurance policies, we protect builders, bakers, landlords and more than 1,200 other trades. We’re a technology company as well as one that sells insurance. That means we build, we fail, we learn and we improve. Through our global social impact strategy, called ‘The Big Dreams Project’, we're working to help 10,000 small businesses start or grow by 2030.
What Is the Opportunity? Stepping into this crucial 12-month maternity cover, you will oversee the commercial performance, customer experience, and people leadership of our operational excellence and support proposition. Your primary focus will be steering the frameworks that keep our UK Contact Centre thriving – specifically across operational excellence, quality assurance, resource planning, onboarding and training. Unlike typical operational roles, this isn't just about hitting metrics; it's about leading an award-winning environment recently named the best large contact centre of the year.
As our Head of Operational Excellence & Support, you’ll:
- Lead, guide, and create meaningful development plans for the leaders in your business area
- Directly steer our operational excellence, resource planning, quality assurance, and onboarding frameworks to ensure optimal personnel levels and roadmaps for commercial success
- Partner with leaders across Product, Commercial, Finance, and People teams to collaborate effectively on new and established initiatives
- Drive the achievement of KPIs and OKRs to meet significant growth targets and improve operational effectiveness across New Business Sales, Renewals and Customer Service
- Obsess over results, providing clear insights and commentary to the wider Operation and Simply Business leadership
- Step into an established operation, quickly building trust to maintain stability and drive performance against targets from early on
We’re Looking For Someone Who Is:
- An expert in contact centre support, bringing deep operational knowledge in at least two of the following: resource planning, quality assurance, or onboarding and training
- A proven leader with a strong track record of motivating and developing high-performing support teams in a contact centre environment
- Highly analytical and strategically minded – capable of bringing the "outside in" by acting as a window to the wider industry, translating external market shifts, competitor insights, and emerging trends into actionable internal strategies
- An excellent communicator and presenter who can effectively interact with stakeholders at all levels to execute change management
- Passionate about understanding customer behaviours and acting on those insights to drive revenue growth and service targets
- Adaptable, pragmatic, and able to effectively balance competing priorities both within and outside the UK Operation
(We know it’s tough, but please try to avoid the confidence gap. You don’t have to match all the bullet points above to be considered for this role.) We encourage people of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive, supportive place for you to be you and do your very best work.
What Are The Benefits Of Working At Simply Business:
- Great work‑life balance with manageable workloads and flexible hybrid work options
- 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) with the option to buy five additional days via our flexible benefits
- Flexible parental leave with up to six months full pay for the primary caregiver and four weeks full pay for the secondary caregiver
- Life‑event leave – an extra days leave every two years for major life events such as moving house or birthdays, plus a two‑week paid sabbatical after five years of service and four weeks after ten years
- Private medical insurance through BUPA covering pre‑existing conditions and a health cash plan for everyday medical expenses
- Competitive salary based on experience and market, with potential annual bonus tied to performance
- Access to a dedicated learning platform and mental‑health support via counselling
- Employer pension match up to five per cent and tax‑free life assurance policy (four times basic salary, up to ten times with flexible benefits)
- Salary‑sacrifice car scheme enabling a brand‑new fully insured car for a fixed monthly amount, after six months of service
- Flexible benefits allocation for critical illness, dental, travel, gym, etc.
Ready to join us and drive our success as a high‑performing team? Apply today.
Employment Practices: Simply Business is committed to providing equality and opportunities for all employees and candidates considering a career with us. We offer a workplace where colleagues are treated with respect and dignity. We do not discriminate directly or indirectly on the grounds of race, colour, religion, belief, political opinion, disability, nationality, ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation or relationship status at any stage of the hiring process or during the course of your employment.
Head of Operational Excellence & Support in Northampton employer: Simply Business
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StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Operational Excellence & Support in Northampton
✨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 Simply Business.
✨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 Simply Business. The earlier you apply, the better your chances, so keep your finger on the pulse!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Operational Excellence & Support in Northampton
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 Simply Business.
How to prepare for a job interview at Simply Business
✨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 Simply Business'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 Simply Business 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!
