Senior Customer Improvement Specialist

We’re First Central Insurance & Technology Group (First Central for short), an innovative, market-leading insurance company. We protect the things customers love so they can get on with what matters to them in life. 

Data drives us. It fuels our outstanding distribution, finance, technology and legal services. Our underwriting skills are built on data expertise; it creates the insights we need to give the right cover to the right customers at the right price. But, it’s the people inside and outside our business that power us. They make us stand out, help us succeed. We’re ambitious. We’re growing. We’ve won awards.  

Ready to make a difference? Join our friendly Customer Improvement Team as a Senior Customer Improvement Specialist, you’ll be part of a skilled group dedicated to supporting customers and First Central stakeholders, ensuring our processes run smoothly and effectively.

You’ll lead by example—sharing knowledge, answering questions, and helping out with team management whenever needed. You'll be the go-to person for handling key areas like New Business, Renewals, Cancellations, MTA’s, and Premium Finance controls, keeping things on track and spotting opportunities for improvement.

With your expertise on the Focus platform, you’ll dive into data, suggest smart improvements, and team up with Product Owners to bring them to life. Plus, you’ll contribute to new projects, help with impact assessments, and perform pre- and post-launch reviews to ensure customers always get the best experience.

Core skills we’re looking for to succeed in the role:

• Lean six sigma: You’ll combines lean manufacturing principles with Six Sigma techniques to improve processes and eliminate defects in continuous improvement.
• Communication: Keep all stakeholders informed and engaged throughout any improvement process changes.
• Project management: Planning, executing, and overseeing projects to ensure they meet objectives and deadlines is key.
• Root cause analysis: You’ll identify the underlying causes of problems to prevent recurrence.

Looking for a flexible role within a commutable distance to Haywards Heath, West Sussex? As a Senior Customer Improvement Specialist, you’ll kick off with the first couple of weeks in the office for training and support. After that, we’ll switch to a hybrid setup—2 to 3 days in the office and the rest working from home. Prefer to be in the office more often? That works for us too!

Join a friendly team that’s all about supporting our customers and stakeholders while keeping a great work-life balance.

What’s involved:

• Assist the completion essential monthly/weekly/daily production monitoring through control checks across required core processes and take appropriate action as necessary
• Provide advice, guidance and support to the team in implementing technical change and work with the management team to identify operational risks and implement the correct post live checking control
• Support continuous improvement technical change, working with the management team to identify operational risks, provide input to root cause analysis and implement the correct post live checking control
• Support a culture of continuous improvement within the team and wider business, through a growth mindset and behaviours using data to identify solutions and outcomes
• Provide all required management information to ensure departmental monthly management reporting is completed in a timely manner
• Ensure all customer impacts are clearly communicated and tailored to the Contact Centre, using feedback tools such as the Agent Feedback tool and eGain.
• Develop your understanding of exception reporting within the Premium Finance Controls (BACS) and Renewals process, to identify issues. Take ownership and work with the wider Customer Management team to create awareness of daily repetitive issues and propose changes to the relevant Product Owner for consideration. Work all daybooks related to the BACS and Renewals processes
• In collaboration with the team, ensure that all refunds are processed within SLA and in accordance with the AML policy. Identify issues and recommend improvement opportunities 
• Respond to enquiries and maintain all email inboxes within agreed SLAs
• Undertake data analysis, identify process improvements and assess change impacts and working with the product owner provide requirements to initiatives and the small change backlog as appropriate
• Ensure issues are communicated clearly and confidently to stakeholders, supported by data analysis and follow the escalation processes as appropriate
• Actively engage in cross training to gain a wider understanding of the Chargeback, Direct Debit Indemnity and BAC’s processes to ensure we are adhering to First Central and Barclays SLA’s and procedures.
• Process all chargebacks, DDIC’s/BACS accurately and within agreed SLAs level 3 4
• Represent the Customer Improvement Team at project meetings and ad hoc meetings when required and work collaboratively with stakeholders across the business. 
• Able to hold team hubs and deputise when the Team Leader is absent
• Comply with the requirements, and act in accordance with, the Group Code of Conduct and Fitness and Propriety policies at all times
• Ensure compliance with Company Policies, Values and guidelines and other relevant standards/ regulations at all times

Experience & knowledge:

• Excellent understanding of the Focus platform (Focus Agent, Finance and Accounting) and the operational functions within the business
• Experience of taking a lead role within projects and implementing business initiatives requiring process change
• Well-developed interpersonal communication skills and experience in dealing with customers/users
• Experience of managing competing priorities and deadlines 
• An understanding of how to resolve live defects, their impact on the customer and the operational business risk posed
• An awareness of working within the Operation Excellence Framework
• Ensure compliance with Company Policies, Values and guidelines and other relevant standards/ regulations at all times,
• Knowledge of FCA requirements, specifically around operational risk management
• Experience of data gathering, analysis using Excel/Visio
• Experience of process definition and mapping (desirable)
• Experience of data gathering and analysis (desirable)
• Experience of working within a customer improvement environment (desirable)
• Experience of managing and implementing change and an awareness of operational first line risk management (desirable)

Skills & qualifications:

• Advanced communication skills, both verbal and written
• Good time management and organisation skills
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft applications, particularly Excel and Visio
• Ability to work independently and own work items and deliverables
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, ability to identify root causes and solutions
• Qualified to Yellow belt Lean or Six Sigma (desirable)

Behaviours:

• Self-motivated and enthusiastic
• An organised, agile and proactive approach
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Strives to drive business improvements to contribute to the success of the business
• A willingness to develop skills and knowledge around operational excellence procedures and continuous improvement methodology
• An organised, agile and proactive approach (particularly in relation to identifying and recommending continuous system or service improvements)
• A flexible approach to work and adopts a positive attitude, embracing, embedding and incorporating the Company values
• Ability to positively influence and communicate with key stakeholders
• Customer focused and passionate about achieving the right customer outcomes
• Emphasis on attention to detail and accuracy

What can we do for you?

People first. Always. We’re passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so that’s what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic, inspirational, supportive. To get a taste of the advantages you’ll enjoy, take a look at all our perks in full here. 

Intrigued? Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what we’re offering, so feel free to get in touch.