Director of Customer Operations Delivery

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

We work with people in over 150 countries and reach over 700 million people.

We connect. We inspire.

Role Purpose

We are looking for a visionary, commercially driven and results-oriented Senior Leader to shape the future of global Customer Operations within Customer Sales & Service (CSS), driving exceptional customer experiences, operational excellence and sustainable growth across English & Exams (E&E).

As a key member of the CSS Senior Leadership Team, you will lead B2C Sales, Digital Services Delivery and Operations Delivery, driving customer acquisition, conversion, retention and revenue growth. You will shape and deliver a 3–5 year Customer Operations strategy, harnessing digital innovation, workforce optimisation and continuous improvement to strengthen global service delivery and business performance.

Working closely with the CSS Director, you will act as a trusted strategic adviser, influencing investment decisions, transformation priorities and the CSS Target Operating Model (TOM). This is an exciting opportunity to lead high-performing teams, drive meaningful change and make a lasting impact on customer experience and commercial success across our global operations.

Main Accountabilities

- Define and deliver the 3–5 year Customer Operations strategy, aligning with CSS and English & Exams priorities to achieve measurable outcomes.
- Drive commercial growth through customer acquisition, sales conversion, retention and customer lifetime value.
- Advise the CSS Director on strategic planning, investment and enterprise-wide transformation.
- Champion operational excellence, automation and data-driven innovation to enhance customer experience and business performance.
- Lead B2C Sales, Digital Services Delivery and Operations Delivery, with matrix oversight of Data & Analytics and Training & Quality.
- Develop high-performing leadership teams, strengthen succession planning and foster collaboration, accountability and innovation.
- Establish effective governance, performance management and accountability frameworks.
- Oversee global customer service, sales support and digital operations, ensuring delivery of KPIs, SLAs and service standards.
- Enhance customer experience through NPS, CSAT, CES and customer journey insights.
- Optimise workforce planning, productivity and resource allocation through automation, digital innovation and self-service.
- Maintain global standards for operational resilience, quality assurance and service governance.
- Build strategic partnerships across English & Exams, Marketing, Digital & Technology, Finance, Product and Market teams.
- Influence senior stakeholders and represent Customer Operations in strategic decision-making.
- Lead operational planning, budgeting and resource allocation to maximise efficiency and value for money.
- Manage operational expenditure and drive productivity to achieve financial and commercial targets.

Why Join Us?

- Make a Global Impact: Lead a diverse, internationally distributed Customer Operations function, influencing customer experience, commercial growth and service excellence across multiple markets.
- Shape the Future: Own and deliver a 3–5 year strategy, driving digital transformation, automation and innovative solutions that redefine how we engage with and serve our customers.
- Influence Strategic Decisions: Join the CSS Senior Leadership Team and work closely with senior stakeholders to shape organisational priorities, investment decisions and transformation initiatives.
- Lead and Inspire: Empower senior leaders, build high-performing teams and foster a culture of collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.
- Drive Meaningful Change: Play a pivotal role in delivering the CSS Target Operating Model (TOM), creating sustainable improvements in customer experience, operational efficiency and business performance.

Qualifications & Work Experience

Qualification

Essential: Degree level qualification or equivalent professional experience.

Desirables

- Operations Management qualification
- Leadership or Business Management qualification
- Customer Experience accreditation
- Service Excellence accreditation

Work Experience

Essentials

- Significant senior leadership experience in customer operations, service delivery, sales operations or contact centre environments.
- Experience leading large-scale operational organisations through senior leadership teams.
- Demonstrable experience delivering strategic transformation and organisational change.
- Proven success improving customer experience, operational performance and commercial outcomes.
- Strong commercial and financial management capability.
- Experience using customer insight, analytics and operational performance data to drive decision-making.
- Experience building leadership capability and developing succession pipelines.
- Experience operating successfully in complex matrix organisations.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing capability.
- Experience delivering sustainable performance improvement across multiple operational functions.

Desirables

- COPC certification or equivalent service excellence accreditation.
- International education, examinations or customer service experience.
- Experience of large-scale digital transformation programs.
- Experience implementing automation and AI-enabled service improvements.

Important Information

- UK-based role (hybrid / remote considered, with global collaboration)
- Senior leadership position within Customer Sales & Service
- Opportunity to work across international markets and teams
- Requires strong cross-cultural collaboration and influencing capability
- Right to work in the UK required (no visa sponsorship and relocation support provided)
- Annual salary (gross): From 78,572 GBP to 91,156 GBP
- Pension scheme: We offer membership of the Civil Service Pension Scheme to support your long-term financial wellbeing
- Closing date: Tuesday, 10 Oct 2026 (23.59 ICT – 16.59 GMT)

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 we 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 and 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]