Exclusive candidate · Ref 37438
Senior Operations Leader – Customer & Field Operations
Transformation-focused leader from a regulated, customer-facing sector
Salary c. £80,000Based WorcestershireWill travel up to 1 hourNotice 3 months
Why she’s worth a conversation
A proven senior operations leader who has run a sizeable customer contact and field operation end to end – people, budget, clients and regulators. She doesn’t just keep the lights on: she has rebuilt quality, cut cost, lifted productivity and kept complaints exceptionally low in a tightly regulated environment.
Results she has delivered
+30 pts
Call quality scores, comfortably beating target on compliance and vulnerability measures
−75%+
Abandoned calls, by redesigning how customer contacts are handled
+33%
Value of successful customer outcomes
+25%
Productivity (approx.) from a performance scheme she designed
−20%
Cost-to-income ratio, ahead of target
2x+
Average length of staff service – retention more than doubled
Current role
Head of Operations (long-serving)
Specialist customer operations business · regulated sector
- Executive responsibility for operational strategy, financial performance, service delivery, workforce, client relationships and regulatory compliance.
- Leads a 100+ strong team across office-based, field and support functions – workforce planning, recruitment, employee relations and performance.
- Sets the KPI framework and reporting, directing corrective action and resources to drive productivity and service.
- Leads contract mobilisation and client onboarding, and manages senior client relationships through reviews, weekly calls and face-to-face meetings.
More of what she has achieved
- Turned round a failing KPI within two months – and sustained the gain.
- Kept customer complaints very low through quality management, continuous improvement and root-cause analysis.
- Built a dedicated quality assurance function and a new field team structure.
- Played a key part in winning several major national contracts.
- Implemented a new operating system supporting both telephony and field operations.
- Led readiness for regulatory audits and new industry codes of practice.
Earlier career
Earlier client-facing and operational management roles, including leading a specialist team and reporting to board level – plus a grounding in planning and process discipline from a manufacturing environment.
The kind of role she’s looking for
After a long and successful tenure, she’s ready for a fresh challenge and a business with room to grow. She would bring the same drive to Head of Operations, Operations Director or Head of Customer Operations roles in her own sector – or in a new one, where her skills transfer directly to any customer-facing, KPI-driven operation.
What she enjoys most is performance management, leading people and managing client relationships – equally at home in a board review, a client meeting or on the contact centre floor.
At a glance
| Reference | 37438 |
| Level | Head of / Director |
| Salary | c. £80,000 |
| Location | Worcestershire |
| Commute | Up to 1 hour |
| Team size | 100+ |
| Notice | 3 months |
Core expertise
Operational strategy · Transformation · P&L & budget · Contact centre · Field operations · KPI & SLA management · Process improvement · Quality assurance · Complaints & root cause · Customer vulnerability · Regulatory compliance · Contract mobilisation · Client partnerships · People leadership · Change programmes
Qualifications
- Business management qualification
- ILM leadership & management
- Regulatory compliance training
- Quality auditing
Arden’s view
One of the strongest operations leaders we’ve met this year – commercially sharp, people-focused and genuinely calm under regulatory pressure.
Interested in meeting her?
We can arrange an initial conversation at short notice. Quote Ref 37438 and speak to Nicki or Lissa.
Redditch 01527 911700Alcester 01789 532220Email us
Candidate details are confidential and supplied subject to Arden Personnel’s Terms of Business. An introduction fee applies if this candidate is engaged directly or indirectly following this introduction.