Job Title: Customer Operations Leader

Location: Leeds

REPORTS TO: Customer Experience Manager

JOB PURPOSE

The key purpose of the role is to drive improvements in the overall experience our Customers perceive when they work with Unilever, aligned to our ambition of becoming the #1 Supplier in our industry.

The Customer Operations Leader owns the relationship with the management level contacts within the Customer’s Commercial and Supply Chain teams and leverages these relationship to identify and work on value added projects. They seek to build joint improvement plans with Customer Commercial and Supply Chain teams, with the aim of driving end to end value for both Unilever and our Customers. An important element in this is differentiating Unilever from our competitors so as to elevate the perception of Unilever.

The Customer Operations Leader plays a pivotal role within their Customer Experience team, being the first point of escalation for the Customer Experience Specialists and Customer Account Managers, helping to drive forward solutions for the Customer and seeking to put permanent fixes in place to prevent reoccurrence of issues. The role acts as the deputy to the Customer Experience Manager both internally and externally.

The Customer Operations Leader monitors the Customer experience metrics across Finance, Supply Chain and Commercial, and is highly effective at prioritising so as to focus on the elements that matter most for our Customers.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Relationship development of the management level contacts within the Customer Commercial and Supply Chain teams.

• Agreeing joint improvement plans with Customer Commercial and Supply Chain teams.

• Drive the agenda to enable Unilever to become the #1 Supplier, as measured by the Advantage Group Survey, including mastering what is important for your customer and how this translates into the specific questions asked within the survey.

• Monitor total Customer Experience and drive improvement in underlying service performance (for example, but not limited to, Logistics on-time performance, or Invoice Accuracy).

• As an experienced and skilled member of the team, the Customer Operations Leader will handle sensitive matters with Customers, within the Unilever Code of Business Principles.

• Handle first level escalations from Customer Experience Specialists and Customer Account Managers and seek to resolve.

• Provide advice and guidance to the team on managing difficult situations with Customers.

• Deputise for the Customer Experience Manager internally and externally.

• Be a key contact point for the for the Customer Development Team.

• Work with the Customer Experience Director, Customer Experience Leadership Team, and Subject Matter Experts to identify and deliver opportunities to improve the Customer Experience.

• Highlight to the Subject Matter Experts where continuous improvement opportunities exist and support them in implementing improvements within your Customer team.

ALL ABOUT YOU

Successful candidates would have worked in a similar Fast Moving Consumer Goods environment, either customer or supplier, and have some experience managing customer or external relationships at mid to senior level. Candidates should have experience of delivering high levels of customer service and be capable of managing and maintaining a customer relationship independently. Ideally, candidates would also have some experience in managing direct reports.

Supply Chain Mastery – A clear understanding of end-to-end Supply Chain operations, and data up and down the Supply Chain. Seeks to provide Supply Chain expertise to help create business value and achieve desired business goals.

Commercial Business Understanding – understands the Customer P&L and how the end-to-end Order to Cash cycle operates. Able to identify process improvement opportunities within the Order to Cash cycle.

Relationship Building, Partnering, and Influencing – Ability to partner and build trust with a range of stakeholders both internally and externally, using effective communication and influencing skills.

Externally Orientated & Proactive in Identifying Risk / Opportunities – reading the external context within the market and the pressures impacting our Customers, using this to clearly articulate to others what the growth opportunities and risks are for Unilever and driving others to plan ahead.

Personal & Team Leadership - is highly motivated to make the best contribution that they can and bring out the best in others. Is able to flex their style, adjust messages and how they are delivered based on the audience and the situation. Demonstrates empathy, emotional intelligence and is able to make connections between different pieces of information. Is able to nurture and build talent.

Lifelong Learner – is committed to constantly developing themselves, regularly evaluating their knowledge / skills gaps and taking action to continue to develop in these areas. As a leader they also encourage others to have the attitude of a lifelong learner.

Process Driven – sees the value in getting things right first time, and organises ways of working to make this happen in a repeatable way.

Analytical Skills – Uses data to drive insight, quickly able to identify to identify problems, root causes, and solutions. Effective at prioritising these for maximum return on time spent.

Technology Advocate – embraces new technology, seeks to understand how it works in depth and leads for the use of standardised tools within their team.

Key Interactions

Senior Customer Contacts (ensuring your team is covering all key contacts within the Customer), Customer Development Leadership Team.

Logistics Managers and Director, Partner Organisation (e.g., Genpact) Leadership Team, Planning Managers and Director, Customer Experience Director, other Customer Experience Managers.

NOTES

About Unilever

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, Tresemme, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze and Pot Noodle.

Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’

What We Offer

Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. We want to push boundaries, and have the flexibility needed to keep adapting in an ever-changing, more dynamic world. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

As part of your hiring journey, we are happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments, to improve your recruitment experience.

To find out more, including more information about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here.

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How is Unilever tackling this?

Many of Unilever’s recruitment sites publish a warning to candidates about recruitment fraud. The Cyber Security team also proactively scan for signs of people setting up fake Unilever sites and act to close them down.

What can I do?

If you become aware of potential recruitment fraud, spot fake Unilever recruitment adverts or fake LinkedIn profiles, report them via Una Live Chat.

Unilever does not accept responsibility or liability for any candidates who are financially impacted by recruitment fraud. Your vigilance is key!