Customer Service Manager

Customer Service Manager

Sheffield, UK

Salary: Up to £32,500

Role Purpose

The Customer Service Manager is accountable for the day-to-day leadership and performance of an unsecured lending collections team. The role ensures the delivery of fair, sustainable customer outcomes while maintaining full compliance with FCA regulation, Consumer Duty, and internal policies. Positioned within the defined career pathway, the Team Leader provides a critical link between front-line delivery and operational management, developing people capability, managing risk, and supporting continuous improvement.

Key Accountabilities

• People Leadership and Team Performance
• Provide effective line management to Collections Agents and Senior Collections Agents, including performance management, coaching, and development planning.
• Set clear expectations aligned to customer outcomes, quality, productivity, and conduct standards.
• Conduct regular one-to-ones, performance reviews, and quality feedback sessions.
• Support colleague wellbeing, engagement, and attendance in line with organisational policies.
• Identify and develop talent, supporting progression within the collections career pathway.

Customer Outcomes and Operational Delivery

• Ensure customer interactions and arrears management activities deliver fair, proportionate, and sustainable outcomes.
• Monitor team activity across unsecured lending portfolios, including early, mid, and late-stage arrears.
• Balance operational performance with customer fairness, ensuring no detriment to customer outcomes.
• Oversee the handling of complex cases, complaints, and vulnerable customer situations, providing guidance and challenge where required.
• Act as an escalation point beyond Senior Collections Agents for customer or decision-related issues.

Regulatory Compliance and Conduct Risk

• Maintain oversight of FCA compliance within the team, including CONC, Consumer Duty, and Treating Customers Fairly requirements.
• Ensure colleagues operate within delegated authority and follow internal policies and procedures.
• Monitor quality assurance outcomes, conduct risk indicators, and complaints to identify trends and risks.
• Address conduct, quality, or compliance issues promptly and effectively.
• Support audits, assurance activity, and regulatory requests as required.
• Leadership of Senior Collections Agents
• Provide day-to-day leadership and direction to Senior Collections Agents in their junior management role.
• Ensure Senior Collections Agents are effectively supporting new starters, managing escalations, and coaching colleagues.
• Delegate responsibilities appropriately, including acting-up duties and project support.
• Assess readiness of Senior Collections Agents for progression within the management pathway.