Role Purpose
* Lead the successful delivery of CEM’s Retirement Living services in line with the company’s vision, values and strategic objectives.
* Champion a culture of customer excellence, ensuring residents receive responsive, high-quality and value-driven services.
* Create an engaging and supportive colleague experience that attracts, develops and retains high-performing teams.
* Drive operational efficiency, continuous improvement and robust governance to ensure service charges and operating costs remain fair, transparent and focused on owners’ cost of living.
* Support the expansion of new Retirement Living services and innovative business opportunities.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
* Provide inspiring leadership to a workforce of 300 colleagues, including 5 direct reports and their teams, setting clear expectations, coaching talent and creating a culture of accountability, engagement and continuous development.
* Ensure all services are delivered safely, compliantly and in accordance with all relevant legal, regulatory frameworks as well as fully maintaining the Health & Safety standards, with clear ownership, strong compliance and swift resolution of issues.
* Embed CEM’s values across all operations, creating a consistently high standard of customer service across every development.
* Use customer insight, colleague feedback and performance data to continuously improve service delivery and satisfaction.
* Lead the preparation of annual service charge budgets, ensuring strong financial discipline, transparency and value for money for leaseholders.
* Drive smarter, more efficient ways of working to help control costs and minimise financial pressures on owners.
Retirement Living – Growth & New Services
* Work closely with the Managing Director and SLT Colleagues to expand service delivery and support business growth.
* Oversee the mobilisation and commissioning of new developments, ensuring excellent customer journeys, operational readiness and delivery to time and budget.
* Build trusted relationships with partners, investors, RTM Directors and stakeholders to generate new business opportunities.
* Lead new and innovative business streams, ensuring scalable processes, effective contracts and sound governance.
* Partner with Churchill Living Sales teams to align services with company sales targets.
* Represent CEM externally with regulators, professional bodies, trade associations and at industry events.
* Lead the development and continuous review of operational policies, procedures and manuals to ensure best practice and consistency.
* Oversee the emergency call-out rota (evenings and weekends) and respond to urgent situations as required.
* Contribute strategically across the wider business, helping shape long-term plans, performance priorities and organisational effectiveness.
Skills & Experience
We are looking for a people-focused senior Operations Leader with a proven track record of leading dispersed teams and delivering excellent customer outcomes.
The ideal person will have:
* Strong experience leading large multi-site operational teams through engagement, coaching and performance management.
* Passion for customer excellence, service improvement and colleague satisfaction.
* Demonstrable success in driving operational efficiency, change programmes and continuous improvement.
* Commercially and financially astute, with experience managing complex budgets and service charge structures.
* Strong strategic thinker, able to balance long-term growth with day-to-day operational delivery.
* Excellent communication, stakeholder management and influencing skills.
* Highly organised, able to manage competing priorities and make sound decisions.
* Resilient, adaptable and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
* Strong IT and systems capability.
How You’ll Be Rewarded
* Company Car benefit
* 28 days holiday + Bank Holidays
* Day off on your birthday
* Excellent colleague benefits including Family BUPA Cover, Health Screening, Group Personal Pension Plan and Life Assurance
* Colleague wellbeing programmes and ambassadors
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