Financial Services Recoveries Operations Manager




Department: Debt Recovery




Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time




Location: Leeds




Description



We are looking for an experienced operational leader to take overall responsibility for our Financial Services Recoveries litigation operation and to provide direct line management to the Customer Engagement Team Leader. This is a broad leadership role bringing together litigation delivery, first-line operational control, people management and oversight of customer engagement activity.



The successful candidate will be accountable for maintaining safe, controlled and commercially effective delivery across the litigation function. The role will directly line manage 12 Paralegals as well as the Customer Engagement Team Leader, ensuring clear accountability for litigation delivery and for customer contact, telephony, complaints, vulnerability and associated reporting activities.




Key Responsibilities




Litigation operations and service delivery

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of the Financial Services Recoveries litigation team, including work allocation, workflow management, capacity planning and case progression.


• Own delivery against client and internal service levels, ensuring files are opened, progressed, reviewed and closed accurately and on time.


• Oversee litigation workflows including pre-action activity, possession and enforcement processes, end-of-term matters, payment arrangement controls, specialist case processes and operational hand-offs.


• Maintain effective controls over high-risk activity, including eviction, repossession, cancellations, customer welfare issues and unusual or contentious matters.


• Ensure operational issues, defects and emerging risks are identified early, remediated locally where appropriate and escalated through the correct governance route.

Leadership and line management

• Provide visible, hands-on leadership to the litigation operation, with direct line management responsibility for 12 Paralegals and clear priorities, standards and expectations for their delivery.


• Directly line manage the Customer Engagement Team Leader and 12 Paralegals, providing clear objectives, regular one-to-ones, coaching, constructive challenge and performance oversight.


• Hold the Customer Engagement Team Leader accountable for delivery of her responsibilities across customer engagement, telephony, complaints, vulnerability controls, quality follow-up, training evidence and management information.


• Build effective succession and cover arrangements across the 12-Paralegal litigation team and the customer engagement operation.


• Manage performance, attendance, conduct, wellbeing, development and recognition consistently and in line with firm policies.


• Create a culture of ownership in which colleagues raise concerns, correct problems and follow actions through to completion.

First-line controls, quality and risk

• Own first-line operational risk within the litigation function, ensuring controls are understood, completed and evidenced.


• Run an effective rhythm of daily operational reviews, weekly service and risk reviews, monthly performance discussions and continuous improvement activity.


• Use quality findings, complaints, rework, audit outcomes and management information to identify root causes and drive sustainable improvement.


• Work closely with Litigation Assurance and the Authorised Person governance structure, responding promptly to defects and ensuring required remedial and training actions are completed.


• Ensure operational adoption of approved procedures, templates, controls and change requirements.

Client delivery, reporting and continuous improvement

• Work closely with the Head of Debt Services and senior operational colleagues to support strong client outcomes and resolve material service issues.


• Provide accurate operational inputs for client reporting, management information, balanced scorecards, audit evidence and performance reviews.


• Ensure client communications and escalations are timely, professional, accurate and appropriately governed.


• Lead operational implementation of approved change, including impact assessment, user acceptance testing, communications, training and post-implementation review.


• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, colleague capability, customer outcomes, control effectiveness and commercial performance.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise



You will:

• An experienced operational leader with a strong track record of managing regulated, legal, financial services, recoveries or similarly controlled operations.


• Practical knowledge of litigation workflows and the ability to understand, challenge and improve end-to-end operational delivery.


• Credible people leadership skills, including the confidence to line manage an established team leader and create clear accountability through others.


• A strong control mindset with experience of service levels, operational risk, quality assurance, complaints, vulnerable customer considerations and audit evidence.


• The ability to interpret management information, identify emerging risks and convert insight into owned actions and measurable improvements.


• Clear, concise and professional communication skills, with the confidence to engage senior leaders, clients and specialist colleagues.


• Good judgement under pressure, particularly where customer welfare, legal process, client obligations or reputational risk may be affected.


• A commercially focused approach which balances customer outcomes, compliance, colleague capability, productivity and financial performance.

Benefits



What we offer?

• Competitive salary


• Bonus potential


• Great working environment at our Leeds offices


• Career development opportunities


• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays


• Options to buy & sell 1 week's holiday


• 1 week's holiday carry over


• Extra day off for your birthday


• Staff card discount scheme for local shops


• Social days and evenings on the firm


• Staff discounts on legal services