Head of Customer Experience

Closing Date

Job Title: Head of Customer Experience

Location: Hybrid working between our head office in Durrington (Worthing) c2-3 days pw and home.

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week Monday - Friday

Salary: Competitive salary commensurate with experience 500 monthly car allowance bonus up to 20% and PMI.

About the role

Were looking for an exceptional leader to shape the future of Customer Experience at Southern Water. This is one of the most influential senior roles within our Customer Directorate responsible for setting the strategic direction of customer journeys across our business and ensuring we deliver consistently excellent outcomes for our customers.

As Head of Customer Experience youll establish clear journey ownership build a highperforming CX organisation and lead the redesign of how we listen to customers understand rootcause issues and improve service. Joining us at a pivotal moment with major transformation underway youll play a central role in designing a modern efficient customercentred operation that drives satisfaction reduces cost to serve and improves commercial performance.

This role reports directly to the Chief Customer Officer and offers significant visibility across our Executive and wider business with real scope to influence strategic decisions and shape longlasting change!

What youll be responsible for:

• Establishing clear ownership of endtoend customer journeys and embedding a structured performance framework with measurable KPIs.
• Cross-collaborating customer insight programmes (VOC complaints insight operational data sentiment analysis) and ensuring insight drives action.
• Overseeing enterpriselevel CX analytics and using data to prioritise improvements and influence investment decisions.
• Applying humancentred design and service design methodologies to transform priority digital assisted and operational journeys.
• Sponsoring organisationwide simplification and modernisation of customer processes systems and interactions.
• Driving continuous improvement and a culture of accountability for customer outcomes across the business.
• Owning CX governance frameworks dashboards and reporting used by senior leadership and the Board.
• Ensuring journeys meet regulatory expectations for customer outcomes fairness accessibility and protection of vulnerable customers.
• Leading and developing a highperforming CX function of c.15 FTE with scope for future growth.
• Building strong partnerships across Technology Operations Marketing HR Risk and Compliance.

Please note that all our Senior Leaders are required to take part in a standby rota typically 1 week in 8. More details can be provided at interview.

What youll bring to the role:

Essential

• Demonstrable experience leading largescale customer experience journey transformation or service redesign in complex organisations.
• Strong strategic capability with a proven ability to translate insight into measurable CX cost and commercial improvements.
• Expertise in journey management customer insight humancentred design service design and CX measurement frameworks.
• Executivelevel credibility with the ability to influence and challenge senior leaders.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary CX teams and building specialist capability.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen including prioritisation and value realisation.
• Datadriven mindset and ability to interpret complex insight to guide action.

Desirable

• Experience navigating regulatory environments such as utilities financial services or telecoms and ensuring compliant customer outcomes.
• Familiarity with emerging digital automation and AIenabled customer experience technologies.
• Professional training or accreditation in humancentred design service design Lean Six Sigma or similar continuous improvement methodologies.

About Southern Water

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britains water industry investing significantly to enhance resilience sustainability and service excellence. With 7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30 this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

You will be joining at a time of significant change working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact influence major strategic decisions and drive long-term value creation.

Our mission is to protect and enhance life through water and we need passionate people to help us achieve it. If youre inspired by our purpose and believe you can contribute apply today. You dont need to meet every criterion; what matters most is your drive to make a difference.

If this role isnt quite what youre looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at Southern Water you can register your details here: Introduce Yourself (- Introduce Yourself)

Our Commitment to Diversity

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds identities and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race ethnicity gender sexual orientation age disability religion or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process please let us know.

Additional information

In line with Southern Waters security requirements successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity eligibility to work in the UK criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all preemployment checks including security vetting.

Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting which may involve providing additional documentation.