Canada Life UK looks after the retirement, investment and protection needs of individuals, families and companies. We help to build better futures for our customers, our intermediaries and our employees by operating as a modern, agile and welcoming organisation.

Part of our parent company Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life UK has operated in the United Kingdom since 1903. We have hundreds of respected and supported employees committed to doing the right thing for our customers and colleagues.

Canada Life UK is transforming to create a more customer-focused business by providing our customers with expertise on financial and tax planning, offering home finance and annuities propositions, and providing collective fund solutions to third party customers.

Customer Service Team Leader (6 month FTC)

Key responsibilities:

• To recruit, lead & motivate a customer service team across single/multiple product lines as required, ensuring service level targets are fully understood and met, quality standards are maintained and expenses in line with budget.
• A strong, confident communicator who can positively engage our people. Able to share the goals and objectives which demonstrates the role their team play in the overall Customer Services structure.
• To ensure that they put the customer at the heart of everything we do in line with our Company values.
• A strong team player who works together to gain consensus in any situation. Develops & improve the skills of their team members by coaching, mentoring & providing development opportunities.
• Embeds a culture of professionalism and ensures that legislative and Company requirements/standards are met.

What you'll do

• Leads team (recruit/develop/coach/support) with confidence & self-belief. Encourages empowerment and innovation. Supports change. A proactive approach to staff development bringing out the best in their people. Addresses performance issues and treats all colleagues fairly. Meets the requirements of the T & C Scheme.
• Champions voice of Customer across their team. Educates their team on the importance of Customer Experience ensuring the Customer is at the heart of everything we do in line with our Company values. Ensure team meet agreed KPI’s which are reported in a timely manner.
• To manage and ensure flexible resource levels (people, skills and availability) are always maintained, in order for the business to adapt quickly and effectively to peaks in volumes, ensuring service standards are achieved.
• Able to plan & prioritise tasks with successful outcomes. Ability to identify and support process improvements in partnership with the Performance & Oversight function. A positive persona that always exudes someone in complete control.
• Builds collaborative relationships, both within the team & wider business lines/shared service functions. Works together to gain consensus. Competent & confident in the use of any mode of communication deciding when to use in any given situation. Able to support ad hoc project work when required.
• Able to resolve complex issues/complaints in line with regulatory complaint procedures working with others to achieve the right outcome. Ensures agreed controls are in place and risk events appropriately captured. Sound product and end-to-end process knowledge. Takes accountability for resolving issues that arise within their team. Uses insight and knowledge to make commercial and timely decisions, ensuring the best outcome.

• Excellent people management / team coaching and leadership skills
• “Can Do”, positive attitude
• Confident to deputise in the Manager’s absence
• Ability to operate in a fast paced, dynamic environment and able to work under pressure
• Resource Management to identify tasks in most need of attention
• Data and Mi production & analysis
• Prioritisation to enable sound commercial decisions
• Organisational skills so that service is managed at all times
• Strong verbal/written skills to enable clear communication to customer/team
• Good listening skills to ensure areas of confusion are addressed
• Ability to Influence individuals to ensure they understand reasons for decision/change

Knowledge

• Knowledge of relevant insurance products & policy conditions
• Capable in managing high volume, single/multi product customer service tasks
• Knowledge of customer service management within a shared services environment
• Risk and Control management
• Knowledge of Insurance sector
• Knowledge of Data Protection and handling personal sensitive information
• Knowledge of regulatory complaint handing process

Experience

• Working in customer service environment or a customer focussed role
• Managing a team in highly regulated environment
• Experience of successfully working in ad hoc project / change initiative
• Oversight of quality control and other key controls associated to customer service function
• Team communication and upwards communication to senior management
• Complaint handling, preferably in an FCA regulated environment

• Minimum 5 A* - C / 9 – 4 Grade GCSEs (including English and Maths) or equivalent – essential
• Financial Planning Qualification - desirable