Location
London Borough of Hackney

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£86,121 per annum

About the Role
This is a rare opportunity to lead one of Hackney Council’s most important resident-facing services and help redefine how residents access support, navigate the Council and get their needs resolved. You will bring together customer operations, resident resolution, digital access, the Council’s web platform and content, customer insight, knowledge management and continuous improvement within a single integrated service.

This role goes beyond traditional customer services. You will lead a large, multidisciplinary workforce and be accountable for maintaining high-quality operational services while transforming the systems and journeys that create demand. Your challenge will be to improve access, increase successful self-service, reduce avoidable and repeat contact, strengthen first-contact resolution and ensure appropriate support remains available to residents who need additional help.

You will lead the continued development of Hackney’s Resolution Centre, creating clearer case ownership and coordinated support for residents with complex or cross-cutting needs. Using operational evidence, resident insight, complaints and performance information, you will identify underlying problems and secure lasting improvements across the Council.

As a visible, engaging and resilient leader, you will bring colleagues with you through significant organisational and cultural change. You will set clear expectations, develop leadership capability and create an inclusive culture where colleagues feel informed, valued and empowered to improve services.

Working in a complex and politically accountable organisation, you will build trusted relationships with senior leaders, elected Members, Trade Unions, community organisations, partners and suppliers. You will provide constructive challenge, navigate competing priorities and turn strategic ambition into measurable delivery.

You will join Hackney at an important point in its transformation, shaping a new service, influencing change across the whole Council and making a visible difference to residents’ everyday experience.

Success in the First 12 Months
- Establish a clear resident experience and resolution model, with effective triage, case ownership and accountability for resolving complex or cross-cutting issues.
- Deliver measurable improvements to priority resident journeys, expanding accessible digital self-service while ensuring effective support remains available for residents who need additional help.
- Introduce a robust performance framework that reduces avoidable contact, repeat demand and unresolved cases while improving satisfaction, accessibility and service outcomes.
- Lead and engage colleagues through change, building the skills, culture and ways of working needed to deliver a consistent and high-quality resident experience.

Experience
- Leading large, complex customer or resident-facing operations.
- Delivering major service, organisational and cultural change while maintaining operational performance.
- Engaging colleagues openly and effectively through uncertainty and change.
- Introducing innovative digital, operational or service-design solutions that have improved customer outcomes.
- Using insight, performance data and frontline knowledge to redesign services and reduce avoidable demand.
- Delivering measurable efficiencies, productivity improvements, savings or increased income.
- Influencing politicians, senior leaders, partners and stakeholders in a complex environment.
- Building high-performing, inclusive and accountable leadership teams.

About you
You are an ambitious and values-led leader who can combine operational grip with innovation, empathy and the ability to deliver complex change. You are visible, engaging and resilient, able to bring colleagues with you through significant organisational and cultural change. You set clear expectations, develop leadership capability and create an inclusive culture where colleagues feel informed, valued and empowered.

You are confident in building trusted relationships with senior leaders, elected Members, Trade Unions, community organisations, partners and suppliers. You provide constructive challenge, navigate competing priorities and turn strategic ambition into measurable delivery.

Qualifications
Not explicitly stated, but a strong record of leadership and relevant experience in customer or resident-facing operations and service transformation is essential.