Job title: Team Leader

Salary: SO2 £37,280 - £39,152

Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Location: Merrion House, 110 Merrion Way, Leeds, LS2 8BB

The Contact Centre for Leeds City Council is recruiting an experienced and motivated Team Leader to join our management team. We are looking for someone with strong leadership skills to help shape and deliver a high quality service for the residents of Leeds.

As one of our Team Leaders, you will play a key role managing a team of front line Customer Service Officers supporting service management in delivering and improving a crucial local service via multiple channels.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About You

As a Team Leader you will bring to the role:

Experience of working to service targets in a customer focused Contact Centre.
Experience in dealing with members of the public in a Contact Centre environment.
Experience of leading a team, ensuring it meets targets and delivers a responsive service.
Experience of managing and improving below target performance.
An understanding of difference and the ability to ensure equality for all, working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding the equality and diversity of Leeds City Council

About the Role

As our next Team Leader you will join a strong, established management team providing day to day leadership, informing and motivating staff, and working positively with all colleagues dealing sensitively with a wide range of escalated customer enquiries directly as circumstances require. The successful candidate will develop their own and their team’s competency in digital skills to actively encourage customer to use self-service wherever possible. You will lead, appraise and empower team members to deliver excellent front-line services so that performance targets and high levels of customer satisfaction are achieved. Includes effective coaching to help individuals achieve their potential in dealing with customers

For a full description of the responsibilities, essential requirements, behavioural and other characteristics, please read the job description in detail.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role, please email Hannah Compton, Resource Lead – hannah.compton@leeds.gov.uk

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

To supervise the delivery and contribute to development of front line services, via multiple channels.
This is a key role managing front line staff and supporting service management delivering and improving a crucial local service.
To lead, motivate, appraise and empower team members to deliver excellent front line services so that performance targets and high levels of customer satisfaction are achieved. Includes effective coaching to help individuals achieve their potential in dealing with customers.
To inform, develop and motivate staff and work positively with all colleagues and to deal sensitively with a wide range of escalated customer enquiries, and to handle customer enquiries directly, as circumstances require.
To develop own and team’s competency in digital skills to actively encourage customers to use self-service wherever possible.

Responsibilities

To develop and maintain a caring, efficient and welcoming customer service function that responds to customers’ needs.
To work with colleagues, teams and other council services to support LCC business and help achieve shared outcomes for the benefit of customers. Be helpful by sharing information appropriately and positively contribute to cross-council work, so that together success is jointly achieved.
To ensure that staff maintain a polite and professional manner when dealing with customers and seek to deal with, and resolve, the whole enquiry wherever possible at first point of contact.
To clearly explain complicated or sensitive information to a range of people and adapting the approach so that they understand and are persuaded to adopt a particular course of action where applicable.
To ensure all attendance management and other HR policies are adhered to.
To assist staff members with difficult situations and be polite and professional in providing a first point of contact for a customer where there has been a service failure and all escalation processes have been exhausted or for those asking to speak to a supervisor/manager. To take a corporate complaint from a customer if required.
To maintain a professional approach in line with your position as a manager when occasionally dealing with people or situations that could be upsetting and give rise to emotional pressure.
To work with other Team Leaders and Operations Managers to ensure operational effectiveness and a consistent of approach.

To maintain concentration for long periods, despite the interruptions and conflicting demands that give rise to high levels of work related pressure.
To ensure that all administrative procedures within the contact centre are undertaken and completed in an efficient and timely manner. Produce reports that are accurate, but which will be checked before being progressed to a senior level.
To be responsible for monitoring team performance levels against agreed SLA’s.
To undertake day to day supervision and management of staff. It is anticipated that this will include, as a minimum, the following elements:
Apply well developed training, presentation leadership and motivational skills to get the most out of the team
Identify staff development needs, ensuring each team member is able to full their potential.
Monitor and support performance improvement and use a coaching approach to develop team members and maximise their contribution. Support staff to achieve their potential, adapting to individual needs, whilst complying with the council’s people management principles and policies
Review staff performance and progress, including undertaking staff appraisal meetings and completing personal development plans.
Agree, set and monitor personal and team objectives.
Ensure the effectiveness of regular team briefings, keeping staff up to date with developments and issues affecting the service.
The welfare and counselling of staff.
To ensure all customer contact is appropriately recorded on recognised systems.
Apply sound judgement and analytical skills to the complex situations and information presented, so you resolve difficult problems or come up with new ideas. Where problems cannot be fixed immediately develop a plan to address them.
To assist in the development, implementation, and promotion of new and existing systems to improve the running of the contact centre. Use feedback from customers, team members, senior managers and other sources to identify where change is needed and suggest how an improvement can be made. Consider the impact of change on your team and the part of the service for which you are responsible before changing anything.
To undertake risk assessments and ensure that the Council’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing policy is fully implemented throughout the Contact Centre.
To be aware of all Council Services and related community services and to advise or direct customer or staff enquires appropriately.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and appropriate CPD programmes.
Work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g., child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality, and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, and promoting the values, standards, and equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.
The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.
Totally committed to excellent customer care and putting the customer at the heart of everything you do.
Ability to deal sensitively with a wide range of enquiries. You take ownership, solve and respond to problems but know when to escalate issues to a more senior level.
The ability to work to customer care standards.
Ability to provide leadership that supports, enables and develops staff to achieve results in a Contact Centre environment. Your solutions and ideas produce the best possible outcomes, and you can explain them when required to do so.
Ability to monitor and manage performance of their team effectively, and to set objectives for that team and review on a regular basis.
Ability to undertake day to day supervision of staff, including carrying out appraisals, coaching and development functions, and taking responsibility for the welfare and counselling of staff.
Ability to inspire and enthuse team members to achieve their full potential, using team building to ensure effective team working.
Ability to work effectively as part of the management team.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally in a pleasant, tactful and polite manner.
Ability to lead team meetings and briefings.
Ability to demonstrate organisational skills. You remain focused and finish tasks to a high standard despite the pressure, distractions and competing demands that come with your role.
An understanding of the “Customer Service Excellence” and/or other customer service accreditation schemes.
Experience of working to service targets in a customer focused Contact Centre.
Experience in dealing with members of the public in a Contact Centre environment.
Experience of leading a team, ensuring it meets targets and delivers a responsive service.
Experience of managing and improving below target performance.
Experience of providing support to enable development of staff through coaching and mentoring.
Experience of working to tight deadlines, and with competing priorities.
Experience of operating computerised systems and equipment.
Experience of working with several computer packages.
Experience of DSE assessing or a willingness to undertake such training.

Essential behavioural and other characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council values and behaviours and codes of conduct
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities, and a resilient sustainable city
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures
Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality and diversity of Leeds City Council
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters