Senior Complaints Operations Manager

Role Overview

As the Senior Complaints Operations Manager, you will hold a pivotal leadership position reporting to the Director of Complaints, Fraud and Financial Crime. You will be at the heart of our mission to make consumer finance faster, cheaper, and friendlier. By championing the benefits of learning from complaint outcomes across the business, you will lead the strategic direction of our complaints department across multiple product lines.

This is more than a management role; it is a mandate to build a high-performance environment that balances rigorous FCA regulatory compliance with the innovative, technology-driven agility of a leading fintech unicorn. You will be responsible for resolving complex issues, identifying systemic root causes, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement to deliver exceptional customer outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Team Development

• Set the strategic direction and objectives for the team, ensuring quality is maintained across all service lines.

• Identify and develop future leaders through coaching and support, ensuring promotion is limited only by ability and ambition.

• Oversee a high-performance team with a relentless focus on productivity, efficiency, and consistency.

• Build and manage strategic partnerships across the business and champion the function at key meetings, including the Risk Committee.

Operational Excellence & Innovation

• Continually review and optimise complaints processes to ensure they remain scalable and offer the best possible customer journey.

• Lead all aspects of Root Cause and Remediation activity resulting from complaints to identify systemic failures and drive long-term business improvements.

• Confidently interpret performance data and reporting to highlight areas for change and realise cost efficiencies.

• Leverage in-house technology, machine learning, and AI to automate heavy lifting and enhance resolution speed.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Act as the primary relationship holder with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and ensure all reporting to the FOS or the FCA meets DISP requirements.

• Continuously redesign and re-engineer procedures to adapt to product growth and customer demand, ensuring full adherence to FCA regulations.

• Proactively identify, monitor, and control conduct risk to prevent customer detriment.

• Take full responsibility for complaints data accuracy and reporting to the regulator and white-label partners.

• Ensure any identified risks are mitigated, actions are owned and delivered to plan, and drive accountability to promote a well-controlled function.

Required Qualifications

• Significant experience leading teams within the financial services sector.

• Deep, practical knowledge of FCA regulatory requirements and DISP rules.

• Proven ability to manage and influence key influencers and decision-makers.

• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.

• A track record of prioritising and delivering in a fast-moving, high-growth environment.

• A self-starter who is willing to dive into the details of the team's work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in the motor industry or handling automotive finance complaints is highly desirable.

• Previous experience in a "unicorn" or rapidly scaling fintech environment.

• Fluency in modern digital tools and an interest in AI-driven operational solutions.