Customer Specialist Manager

Job Title: Customer Specialist Manager

Band: 4

Salary: £43,575 – £48,438

Location: Liverpool

Term: Permanent

Hours: Full time

Closing Date: 21/05/24

Do you wish to join the largest, most versatile procurement Public organisation in the UK? Do you enjoy maintaining ‘key’ customer relationships in the energy sector?

Job Summary

Following initial familiarisation, the successful candidate will be assigned circa 60 Public sector clients, each with an annual energy spend >£3M, where they will act as the primary point of contact for the CCS energy team.

The job holder will be responsible for retention of all customers and spend values (£’s) whilst having oversight of query management and resolution, customer reporting and administration of the customer’s meter portfolio supported by procurement colleagues specialising in supplier management.

The Commercial Directorate

Commercial is the largest directorate in CCS. We are responsible for the design, development, implementation and management of our commercial agreements, which are used by our customers across the public sector. Our customers rely on the deep category expertise of our specialist teams to design commercial agreements which allow them to access markets at pace while managing supply chain and regulatory risk. Our services also advise them on the best way to achieve value in complex markets. We have helped our customers:

spend more than £34 billion through the agreements we create
enjoy more than £3.5 billion in commercial benefits annually through our agreements

We use our deep knowledge and expertise of public sector suppliers, to create market and category strategies.

These strategies are used within CCS to create market leading commercial agreements that help shape how common goods and services are bought across the public sector.

Our skills are also used in carrying out commercial policy, development of new products and services and supplier relationship management.

Team Summary

The successful candidate will be joining the CCS Energy Specialist Service Team (ESST)responsible for more than 1,300 Public sector customer relationships via the CCS ‘Supply of Energy 2’ Framework.

The ESST team was established in 2018 to specifically manage CCS Energy customer growth and retention. The team of seven specialist energy managers has delivered 45% growth in customer numbers and spend values whilst maximising customer retention to more than 99% for each for the last three years. This is a dynamic, fast paced customer service area with a high-profile track record of success.

Key Responsibilities:

The Customer Specialist Manager will be accountable for:

In conjunction with the CCS Customer Service Centre and Customer Account Management teams, support the Customer Specialist Lead in the development of the Utilities and Fuels customer engagement and retention and growth strategy through the provision of product and customer knowledge and intelligence.
Supporting the Customer Specialist Lead in the delivery of specific customer engagement and retention strategies for each of the top 20 Utilities and Fuels strategic customers identified and agreed within the strategy.
Personal responsibility for the delivery of specific existing customer engagement strategies for a specific customer(s) or customer sector(s) identified and agreed within the strategy.
Engaging with potential new customers in order to provide appropriate guidance, advice and support in order to convert the opportunity.
Building personal knowledge of the whole CCS Utilities and Fuels offering, including contractual arrangements, in order to support existing and potential new customers and the Customer Service Centre and Customer Account Management teams through the provision of in-depth guidance, advice and knowledge transfer.
The maintenance of collaborative relationships with the CCS Customer Account Management, Strategic Category, Procurement Operations and Customer Service Centre teams in order to deliver agreed customer strategies.
The development of effective marketing and communications collateral based on data analysis and customer experience feedback.
The delivery of appropriate Utilities and Fuels knowledge share with customers and the Customer Service Centre and Customer Account Management teams.
Acting as a point of escalation in the resolution of customer enquiries within agreed SLAs.
The day to day line management and development of allocated members of the Utilities and Fuels Customer Service Specialist team.
Contribution to the production of Utilities and Fuels category strategies and best practice.

Essential Criteria (To be assessed at application stage):

An experienced customer service manager within the specific category area with a track record of delivering excellent customer satisfaction and value for money
Technical proficiency with specific category area; sufficient to act as an intelligent client in dealings with customers and sufficient to engage in meaningful, challenging conversations with stakeholders
Excellent communicator with the ability to engage, challenge and influence stakeholders
Ability to implement strategy. Able to translate strategy into practical implementation plans
Ability to present to senior stakeholders in a variety of forums ranging from exhibitions to one to one meetings either face to face or virtually

Desirable criteria:

Demonstrable experience in managing customer relationships within the energy sector including Consultative selling skills

In the event of a high number of applications, the desirable criteria will be used as a second sift.

Success profiles (To be assessed at interview stage):

You will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

Leadership
Changing and improving
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at pace
Seeing the Big Picture

And the following Technical skills:

Job related simulation – ‘role play’ for a customer interaction

(A link to the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework is provided below)

Success Profiles Framework

What we will offer you, here are some of the benefits you can expect:

Competitive salary
Generous pension scheme
A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus
Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location
Flexi time scheme (available for B1-B6)
Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays

Explore fully how we will reward your work.

Want to make a difference? Find out more about the rewarding work that we do in our candidate pack.

At CCS, we actively support, promote and celebrate our differences for the benefit of our employees, suppliers and customers. CCS is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. CCS believes that diversity and inclusion is critical to our success and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil ServiceD&I Strategy.

We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk

Working flexibly, delivering outcomes

CCS is a flexible business with a smarter working model where our colleagues benefit from a mix of home and office working. Successful candidates are expected to work from one of the office locations listed. Our current office attendance approach requires a minimum of 26 days per quarter (approx 2 days per week, which may be subject to change) in CCS office locations or off site meetings with suppliers, customers, partners, networking / industry events. This is pro rata for those who work part time. Our smarter working principles mean that our people have the advantage of both office and offsite based collaboration and learning, as well as working from home. This way of working allows us to honour our commitment to being a responsible business, offer flexibility and better work life balance as well as ensuring we deliver our business with confidence and in accordance with our CCS values.

Our Commercial department is transforming to become an even more flexible . Whilst this role will be initially deployed to the Energy team, candidates should be aware that there will be opportunities to flex into other category areas as required, either to meet business needs an/or for staff development.

Selection Process

Candidates who are successful at sift will be contacted as soon as possible following the closing date and advised of the interview process in more detail. The sift will commence WC 20th May and interviews will be held 11th & 12th June either at one of our offices or via video with interview times and dates to be confirmed. (Subject to change)

To find out more about our recruitment process please click here

Please note: Applicants can make use of artificial intelligence but the information presented at application must be factual.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

Complaints procedure

Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@crowncommercial.gov.uk in the first instance.

If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk