Head of Customer Relations

Job Description

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. Job Summary The Head of Customer Relations plays a pivotal role in driving exceptional customer experience. You will lead, inspire and empower our dedicated teams responsible for customer contact, complaints and claims (in our retirement, wealth and individual protectionbusinesses). The purpose of the role is to champion excellence in customer experience with a relentless commitment to delivering value and quality to our customers through a focus on first contact resolution and minimising hand offs while maintaining operationalrigour. As part of the Customer Services senior leadership team your vision and energy will help design, set and deliver our service strategy, collaborating closely with members of the Canada Life leadership and executive teams. What Youll Do • Lead, mentor and develop high performing customer contact teams, fostering an outcome-based culture of swift and informed responses to enquiries, requests, and concerns, with a focus on first contact resolution. • Lead, mentor and develop a high performing complaints team to pro-actively and effectively handle customer complaints in line with regulatory requirements and relevant company policies. • Lead, mentor and develop high performing claims teams, striving towards straight-through processing whilst setting and managing the right expectations to enhance customer satisfaction • Ensure that all teams appropriately manage their regulatory and risk management obligations, particularly in respect of customer outcomes, outsource responsibilities, conduct and operational risk. • Utilise MI and data analytics to gain insights into customer feedback, complaints, and claims patterns, using this information to drive service and process improvements. • Collaborate with cross-functional Business, COO and Second Line leaders to align customer relations activities with broader company goals. • Promote a customer-centric culture within the organisation, advocating for customer needs and championing initiatives that enhance customer outcomes. Who You Are • Visionary and energised, leading by example with a relentless commitment to self and team improvement. Disciplined in delivering plans and actions. Thrives as part of a team, delivers excellence under own initiative. • Strong industry knowledge of UK and Offshore financial services and underlying product and service rationales, technologies and regulatory environments. • Extensive experience in senior stakeholder management with exceptional Executive and Board level report writing and presentation skills. • Leading teams through periods of innovation and change, role modelling and developing new ways of working. • Experience in developing and leading high performing contact centre teams with a first contact resolution philosophy. • Strong analytical skills to interpret data and MI and translate into solid plans and actions with clear outcomes and benefits. • Forward looking view with a focus on forecasting and capacity planning • Operational team leadership of transactions carrying high financial risk within tightly controlled deadlines and service levels. Qualifications• Professional qualifications relating to leadership, change, strategy, financial services (regulations, risk, operations) are desirable but not mandatory. Benefits of working at Canada LifeWe believe in recognising and rewarding our people, so we offer a competitive salary and benefits package thats regularly reviewed. As a Canada Life UK colleague, youll receive a competitive salary and comprehensive reward package including a generous pensionand bonus scheme, along with, income protection, private medical insurance and life assurance. We have a fantastic number of other benefits and support services as well as regular personal and professional development. How we work at Canada LifeOur culture is unique and incredibly important to us. We care about doing the right thing for our people, customers and community and helping others to build better futures. Our blueprint behaviours shape and influence how we work, and are central to the relationshipswe have with others. Every day we are encouraged to be more curious, own the outcome, face into things together and find a way forward. We want colleagues to have rewarding careers with us so we invest in the development of our people, technology and workplaces. Thats why we offer a range of training, flexible working and opportunities to grow and develop. Diversity and inclusionBuilding an inclusive workplace with a diverse workforce where everyone can feel they belong and achieve their potential regardless of gender, ethnicity or any other characteristic is a key commitment for us. We are proud of the progress were making in DEI,and we continue for it to be a significant focus. "At Canada Life we believe in the power of great people from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives coming together to build better futures. Emerging talent is crucial to our growth and creating an environment that continues to inspire us all."Nick Harding, Chief People Officer, Canada Life UK We appreciate that everyone has different work and life responsibilities. Were happy to discuss flexible working arrangements, including part time, for any of our roles should this be a requirement for.