Customer Service Centre Client Lead

Job Introduction

Job Introduction

An exciting opportunity is available due to internal promotion to join a growing contract management function in the Council’s Commercial Team.

Are you an experienced contract manager with a passion for delivering outstanding customer service? Do you have the commercial acumen and business relationship skills to oversee a large-scale, strategically important contact centre contract? If so, Lincolnshire County Council is looking for a Customer Service Centre Client Lead to join a growing contract management team to provide leadership, scrutiny and direction for our 120-seat Customer Service Centre, commissioned to our partner, Serco.

About the Role

As the Customer Service Centre Client Lead, you will be responsible for ensuring the effective management and performance of the Council’s Customer Service Centre. You will act as the principal interface between the Council and Serco, overseeing contract performance, driving service improvements, and ensuring that the Customer Service Centre delivers high-quality, efficient, and customer-focused services.

This is a visible role across the Council that requires the ability to manage a high-profile contract, build strong relationships with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders, and make sound commercial and strategic decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Contract Management: Oversee the performance of the commissioned service with Serco, ensuring that service levels, KPIs and contractual obligations are met or exceeded.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with a range of stakeholders, including Council officers, senior leaders, Serco representatives, service area leads, and contacts in other Council’s.
• Financial & Commercial Management: Manage budgets and cost forecasts, assess financial performance, and ensure value for money within the Customer Service Centre operations.
• Strategic Oversight: Provide leadership and direction for the Customer Service Centre, ensuring alignment with the Council’s strategic priorities, and acting as a point of knowledge for the contact centre market.
• Performance & Service Improvement: Drive continuous improvement initiatives, using data and customer feedback to enhance service delivery, providing bespoke reporting on a number of initiatives as required.
• Risk & Issue Management: Identify and mitigate risks, ensuring that appropriate contingency plans are in place.

About You

The ideal candidate will have:

• Proven leadership experience in contract management and/or a contact centre management role.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to manage budgets and assess financial performance, interrogate and validate data and finance costs.
• Excellent judgement and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess complex situations and drive effective solutions, often where there is little to no precedence to refer to. You will need to be able to see and balance decisions against both a short-term and a longer-term impact.
• A strong track record in contract management, particularly within an outsourced or partnership environment.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• A passion for customer service excellence, with a drive to improve processes and outcomes for service users.

Why Join Us?

This is an excellent opportunity to be a prominent figure on a high-profile commissioned service that makes a real difference to the residents of Lincolnshire. In return, we offer:

• A Contributory pension
• Comprehensive benefits package including excellent discount schemes and cycle to work
• Sodexo Discounts and Benefits Scheme
• Flexible working policies
• Career progression opportunities
• A generous leave entitlement with the option to buy more

Further details can be found in our rewards and benefits brochure

If you are ready for a new challenge and have the skills and experience to excel in this role, we would love to hear from you!

Smarter Working

Joining a small team on a growing function we have embraced new ways of working. Working to the Council’s Smarter Working Policy, hybrid working will be a feature of this role, which will be predominantly homeworking but with time connecting in the office each week. You will be required to work within these arrangements but individual circumstances can be discussed and will be considered.

Our technology platform and equipment is very good enabling you to connect and collaborate remotely. We require that you have in place good broadband connectivity, and we will discuss during the recruitment process if support with this is needed.

Next Steps

If this role appeals to you, then please read through the attached Job Description prior to applying to ensure you meet the required criteria for the role and to help you with your application. Please ensure that your supporting statement articulates why you have applied and how you feel you meet the required criteria.

Internal secondments of 12+ months will also be considered in addition to a permanent role.

Applications close at 23:57 on Tue 8 April 2025.

If you are shortlisted for an interview then this is expected to take place on 24th or 25th April. As part of the interview process you will be asked to complete a short written exercise prior to your interview. No prior preparation is required for the exercise.

Lead Contact

If you would like an open and informal discussion regarding the role please contact daniel.taylor@lincolnshire.gov.uk