Customer Service Team Manager

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire

Role Purpose: 
Lead and develop a team of Customer Service Representatives to deliver a consistently high-quality customer experience across all service channels, ensuring excellent service delivery, operational efficiency and compliance with British Council standards and policies.

The role is responsible for managing day-to-day customer service operations, monitoring performance against key service and business metrics, and coaching team members to achieve individual and team objectives. Through effective leadership, workforce planning and performance management, the postholder creates a customer-focused, inclusive and high-performing team culture.

The Customer Service Team Manager drives continuous improvement by using customer feedback, operational insights and performance data to enhance service quality and efficiency. The role also supports business growth by ensuring opportunities to promote relevant products and services are maximised, while maintaining strong safeguarding, financial and compliance standards. Through excellent frontline leadership, the role contributes to customer satisfaction, loyalty and the British Council’s mission of building trust and understanding worldwide.

Main Accountabilities:  
Team Leadership & Engagement
The role is responsible for leading and managing a team of Customer Service Representatives to deliver an exceptional customer experience across all customer contact channels, including face-to-face interactions, telephone, email, web chat, and social media. The postholder creates a positive and inclusive working environment that promotes engagement, collaboration, wellbeing, and high performance. The role oversees the recruitment, onboarding, development, and retention of team members, ensuring the team has the capability, capacity, and skills required to meet business objectives and customer expectations.
The postholder provides ongoing coaching, guidance, and performance support through regular feedback, development conversations, and performance reviews, fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional growth. The role proactively identifies performance challenges and implements appropriate support, development plans, or formal performance management actions where necessary to ensure individuals can perform to the required standards. Through strong leadership and engagement, the postholder motivates teams to deliver excellent service while supporting organisational values and objectives.
Performance Management & Operations
The role is accountable for monitoring and managing team performance against agreed service, quality, customer satisfaction, complaint resolution, and operational key performance indicators. The postholder analyses performance data, identifies trends and areas for improvement, and implements actions that drive service excellence, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
The role supports sales and customer retention objectives by ensuring team members effectively identify customer needs and promote relevant British Council products and services where appropriate. The postholder manages day-to-day operational activities, including workforce planning, scheduling, workload distribution, and resource allocation, ensuring effective coverage and business continuity during peak periods and changing operational demands.
The role prepares and delivers accurate reports, insights, and recommendations on performance, operational risks, and emerging trends for Cluster Managers and Regional stakeholders, supporting informed decision-making and continuous operational improvement.
Compliance & Risk Management
The role ensures that all customer service activities are delivered in accordance with British Council policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. The postholder promotes a culture of accountability, accuracy, and compliance, ensuring adherence to safeguarding standards, data protection requirements, financial controls, information security practices, and other relevant governance frameworks. The role identifies and mitigates operational risks, ensuring robust controls are in place to protect customers, colleagues, and the organisation.
Customer Insight & Continuous Improvement
The role is responsible for gathering, analysing, and sharing customer insights to support service enhancement and business improvement initiatives. The postholder monitors customer behaviours, feedback, service trends, and recurring issues, providing actionable recommendations that contribute to Voice of the Customer programmes and continuous improvement activities.
Working collaboratively with stakeholders across the organisation, the role identifies opportunities to improve processes, systems, customer journeys, and service delivery standards. The postholder champions a customer-focused culture that uses insight and evidence to drive better outcomes, enhance customer satisfaction, and support the achievement of organisational objectives.

Knowledge and Experience  
Minimum/essential  
•    Experience of leading a customer service team in a multi-channel environment (e.g. face to-face, phone, email, chat, social media). 
•    Demonstrated ability to manage performance against KPIs, service standards, and quality frameworks. 
•    Proven experience of coaching, developing, and motivating staff to deliver consistently high levels of service. 
•    Excellent emotional intelligence, communication and interpersonal skills 
Desirable  
•    Experience of managing customer services in the education or training sector. 
•    Understanding of Voice of the Customer methodologies and continuous improvement processes. 
•    Experience of handling escalated complaints and service recovery. 
•    Knowledge of British Council products and services, particularly English teaching and exams. 
•    Experience of working in an international or multi-cultural organisation.
•    Strong cultural awareness and ability to champion equality, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring inclusive engagement with diverse teams and customers.

Qualifications
•    Relevant qualifications or relevant experience

Languages
Essential:
•    English level at C1 speaking and writing

Closing Date: Applications will close at 21:59 UK time on Tuesday, 20 October 2026

You must have the legal right to work in UK at the time of application.

Important Information:

Business unit:  English & Exams

Pay Band: 7

Contract Type:  Fixed Term Contract  (2 years)

Country/Location: UK - London, Cardiff, Edinburgh or Manchester (100% remote working)

Salary: £32,381 gross per annum

Contract Hours:  Full time - 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Benefits for the UK include, but are not limited to:

- 32 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays
- 3 days volunteering leave
- Career average defined benefit pension scheme
- An unrivalled opportunity for you to get to use all the experience you’ve built up working in and/or leading global organisations to support us in building trust across the world.

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email [email protected]