Head of Customer Experience

Babergh; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 125,000 - GBP 150,000; Full time

Job description

• Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils
• Address: Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX
• Hours: Full Time, 37 hours per week
• Contract: Fixed Term Contract or Secondment Opportunity for 2 years
• Salary: £64,269 - £78,039 per annum (pro rata for part time)

Job Description

This role is open to full time, part time, and job share applications, all of which will be assessed equally.

Join our team

We are looking for a Head of Customer Experience to lead our Customer Services, website/Digital Services, Corporate Complaints and approach to the Cost of Living and Digital Inclusion.

This is a rare opportunity to shape how thousands of residents interact with the councils every year, ensuring our services are accessible, modern, compassionate and high performing. You will play a central role in improving outcomes for our communities, supporting those facing hardship, and driving a culture where customer voice shapes everything we do.

If you share our values and are motivated to make a difference for our residents, clients, and communities, we would love to hear from you.

About The Role

Reporting to the Director - Customers, Vulnerabilities and Governance, you will lead the continued transformation of our customer offer, embedding high‑quality service delivery and digital innovation across both councils.

You will lead on:

Customer Services and Digital Transformation

Lead and develop all corporate customer service delivery teams to deliver high‑quality, consistent services across in‑person, telephony and digital channels. Drive digital transformation by improving online access, streamlining customer journeys and embedding a modern, customer‑first approach across the organisation.

Corporate Complaints and Feedback

Lead the Councils’ corporate complaints process, ensuring complaints and feedback are managed professionally, consistently and with empathy. Use data, insight and learning from customer feedback to drive service improvement, strengthen early resolution and improve overall customer satisfaction.

Cost of Living and Digital Inclusion

Coordinate the Councils’ response to the cost of living challenges, working across services and with external partners to ensure residents can access timely advice, support and early help. Lead digital inclusion initiatives to reduce the risk of digital exclusion and improve access to online services, particularly for vulnerable or hard‑to‑reach customers.

About You

We are seeking a customer centric leader who is passionate about customer experience, service transformation, and supporting communities.

You will bring:

• strong leadership experience across multi-channel customer service environments
• proven success in customer transformation and digital improvement
• experience leading effective complaints handling and turning insight into action
• excellent communication, able to work confidently with senior leaders, Members and partners
• a collaborative, inclusive and values‑led leadership style
• a strong understanding of the challenges facing residents during the cost of living crisis, and experience designing or delivering support for those in financial hardship
• strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, using data to inform improvement
• commitment to continuous learning, openness, integrity and putting customers first

About Us

At Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils we are passionate about building communities that people want to live, work, visit and invest in.

We serve around 200,000 residents across our two districts and are well known for our collaboration and partnership working across public, private and voluntary sectors.

We believe that the heart of Suffolk is an incredibly special place to live and work, with:

• 60 conservation areas
• two National Landscapes
• many picturesque market towns.

It is no surprise we are ranked among the top 50 places to live in the UK.

Employee Benefits

• Generous leave entitlement (26 days a year, rising to 31 days after 5 years)
• Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme
• Wellbeing Support and Employee Assistance Programs
• Private Health Care Options
• Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• Paid volunteering days
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements (Business needs permitting)
• Great learning and development opportunities.

For more information, visit our Employee Benefits page.

Our working culture

We believe work is what we do, not just where we go.

We work in a hybrid way, with a mix of office, home, and remote based working (Business need permitting). Our hybrid working arrangements support flexibility and collaboration, helping our teams to thrive.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, providing opportunity and ambition for all, supporting and enabling our people to deliver the best possible services for our residents.

For more information

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Samantha Lake, Director – Customers, Vulnerabilities and Governance by either calling 01449 745177 or emailing [e-mail].

Please read the Job Description and Person Specification.pdf before applying for this job opportunity.

Closing date

11.55pm, 1 March 2026.

How To Apply

• your application form is fully completed, including employment and education history
• your supporting statement clearly addresses how you meet the criteria in the Person Specification

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

About The Team

• Step 1 - read the advert and the Job Description and Person Specification (JD and PS).
• Step 2 - complete the Supporting Statement template
• Step 3 - complete the online application and upload your statement.
• Your statement needs to indicate how you meet the criteria in the ‘Person specification ’ section of the (JD and PS)

• Be no more than 2 sides of A4
• use the template provided (other formats will not be accepted)
• be uploaded on your online application, as without this, your interest will not be progressed.