Head of Operations – Contact Centres

Head of Operations – Contact Centres

£71,353 to £88,296 per annum

Bristol / Rotherham | Full-time | Permanent

Hybrid working – 3 days on site

Are you an experienced contact centre or client access leader with a strong track record of improving operational performance, developing high-performing teams and delivering meaningful change?

A leading UK healthcare organisation is partnering with Compass Associates to appoint a Head of Operations to lead its client access and contact centre division.

This is a senior operational leadership role overseeing a two-hub operation across Bristol and Rotherham. Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will lead through a Divisional General Manager, setting direction across service performance, workforce, productivity, client experience and financial sustainability.

The Opportunity

The Head of Operations will have overall responsibility for client access across telephone and digital channels, including service levels, demand management, conversion, care coordination and the wider client journey.

A key priority will be creating consistent processes, standards and ways of working across both sites, while improving performance, workforce planning and operational efficiency.

The organisation is also investing in technology, automation and digital channels. You will be responsible for ensuring these tools are effectively adopted and deliver measurable improvements in productivity and client experience.

This is a strategic but highly operational role, requiring a visible leader who can set direction while maintaining a strong understanding of day-to-day performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the two-hub contact centre and client access operation across Bristol and Rotherham.
• Lead and develop the Divisional General Manager and wider leadership team.
• Take accountability for service levels, responsiveness, demand, conversion and client experience.
• Drive workforce planning, productivity and financial performance.
• Establish consistent processes, standards and governance across both hubs.
• Use data and insight to improve operational performance and decision-making.
• Lead digital, automation and process improvement initiatives.
• Improve colleague engagement, attendance, retention and leadership capability.
• Provide assurance around quality, safeguarding, operational risk and business continuity.
• Work collaboratively with clinical, digital, quality, people and finance teams.
• Maintain a visible leadership presence across both locations.

Essential Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience within a high-volume contact centre, customer operations, client access, care coordination or similar environment.
• Proven experience leading multi-site operations through senior managers.
• Accountability for service performance, workforce, productivity, budgets and customer/client outcomes.
• Strong experience of demand forecasting, capacity planning and workforce optimisation.
• A track record of improving operational performance and delivering sustainable change.
• Experience of digital transformation, automation, self-service or process improvement.
• Strong commercial and financial awareness.
• Experience working within a regulated or highly accountable environment.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• A visible, credible and hands-on leadership style.

Healthcare experience is desirable but not essential. Candidates from other complex, regulated or high-volume customer environments will be considered where they can demonstrate strong operational leadership and measurable performance improvement.

Location & Working Arrangements

The role is hybrid, with an expectation of three days on site each week, split according to operational need across:

West Hub – Bristol
East Hub – Rotherham

Regular travel between both locations will be required, alongside attendance at wider organisational meetings, principally in Birmingham or London. Occasional travel to other locations and overnight stays may also be required.

Candidates must be comfortable with regular travel and maintaining a visible presence across both hubs.

Interested? For a confidential discussion or to apply, please apply today or contact Hannah Watkins on 02394 211144 or [email protected].

Referrals: We offer a £500 voucher for every successful recommendation or referral