Strategic Relationship Manager

Green Electricity didn't exist in the world back in 1996. When we offered it for the first time, we became not just Britain’s but the world’s first Green Electricity Company – and kick-started the now global Green Electricity movement. Our mission was and remains to change the way electricity is made and used in Britain.

We operate a unique model. We use our customers’ energy bills to fund the building of new sources of Green Energy. We like to refer to this as turning ‘Bills into Mills’ – energy bills into energy mills, whether that’s wind, sun, sea or gas. And we’re a not-for-dividend company – the money we make goes back into our mission.

About the Role…

This role is currently being offered on a 12 month Fixed Term Contract. The role of the Strategic Relationship Manager is to be the day-to-day contact at Ecotricity for our most high value, and strategic business customers.

Previous leadership experience is a must for the role, as you’ll manage a small team of Customer Relationship Mangers and their customers too. We want you to draw on your experiences to help coach and develop your direct reports to be the best Relationship Managers they can be

You’ll build great relationships with the key contacts of all accounts within your remit & do what you say you’ll do, in a timely manner. It’s about making them feel valued & offering a service that sets us apart from the rest

You and your team will not only provide a ‘best in class’ service, but you’ll also deliver to tight deadlines. You’ll provide outputs to measure service levels & update the business on how we are performing for each of your teams customers. You’ll act as the voice of your customer, helping us make decisions that nurture the relationship.

You’ll work closely with our Business Sales team and people across the business, so strong stakeholder management is a must. You are part of the Business Service Leadership team & will work alongside your peers to deliver department & company initiatives, as well as side projects.

This is a very varied role in a fast paced environment, perfect for someone with a passion for customer service, people management and Ecotricity’s mission

Core Responsibilities:

Point of contact for key customers. Delivers all tasks within the customer journey in B2B, from point of registration to billing & all things Metering. Proactively monitoring & managing cases to minimize any resolution delays.

Lead a team of Customer Relationship Managers delivering the day to day workload & also any project initiatives

Work with IT and MI teams to improve reporting and root cause analysis of issues affecting key accounts

Manages Dashboards in Ecosystem & any Trackers outside of Ecosystem, maximizing resolution in a timely manner & keeping the customer informed.

Support Business Sales to maintain strong relationships with key existing customers, including preparing service updates for face to face meetings, KPI tracking, complaint handling and service management. Attending customer meetings where necessary.

Monitors accounts at a granular level to ensure the performance at MPAN level is as accurate as possible particularly from a metering, billing & settlement perspective. Enabling achievement of internal performance measures, account performance objectives and customers’ expectations.

Proactively identifies where processes may be failing for their customers & put plans in place to resolve

Proactively assesses, clarifies, and validates customer needs on an ongoing basis

Liaise with external service providers to maximize resolution on account base- verbally & via industry flows.

Work with Debt to reduce values on aligned account base. Minimise outstanding cases as barriers to payment & support cash collection by leveraging key contacts at the account.

Assisting business sales in new business pitches by supporting onboarding of new customers & apply a project management monitoring approach to Go Live- gaining supply details and responsibility for the effective registration of new clients

About you…

You’ll have a strong track record of relationship management, with proven experience in handling the smooth with the rough. You’ll be an expert at managing stakeholders at all levels, both internally and externally, and you’ll be experienced in complaint management.

You’ll have proven expertise in the energy industry[EG5] [KJ6] [KJ7] &/or Client or 3rd Party Management and possess a thirst to broaden your skills & knowledge further.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about providing excellent customer service for our most important business customers, whilst managing the processes that sit behind the front end service, to help achieve that ‘best in class’ delivery.

You’ll want to define what ‘excellent’ looks like, overall & for your specific customers as well as lead your direct reports to do the same.

Whilst you may have to conform to industry procedures & processes, you’ll have the ability to think bigger for resolution options.

You’ll have experience in project management and will be a superb communicator, who is able to influence and coach both our internal and external customers.

You’ll get a real kick from seeing your direct reports excel in their role, and you’ll love playing a key part in their development. You’ll be a natural people leader, with bags of experience.

You’ll get to know your customers & maintain a long term relationship with your contacts.

Specific Knowledge Required/Desired:

Supervisor or Team Leader level (desirable but not compulsory)

Project/Account Management (desirable)

Working knowledge of Junifer & Salesforce

Good computer literacy including Microsoft Office Packages

Experience of working within the B2B energy industry (desirable)

Utility industry knowledge & experience. (Including Billing & Metering)

Experience of Customer Relationship Management Systems

Experience of client/3rd party management (desirable)

Experience of leading individuals as a line manager (desirable)

Experience delivering customer focused solutions to a demanding customer base.

Proven track record of driving successful performance.

TPI Knowledge (desirable, not essential)

Skill Set Required:

Strong communication with ability to communicate to stakeholders (internal & external)

Effectively manage relationships with both external and internal customers (including the setting accurate customer expectations).

Leadership

Comfortable managing upwards when support is required & resolution is not easily forthcoming.

Ability to develop relationships and leverage added value from them

High level of numeracy and problem solving ability

Analytical ability to assess and interpret data and identify opportunities and solutions

Excellent time management & personal organisational skills

Ability to think strategically and contribute to the overall B2B strategy (including specific channel strategies- e.g. TPI/Direct)

Strong commercial acumen in relation large business

Attributes:

High levels of passion, enthusiasm & a willingness to learn.

Self-driven and results orientated

Manages peer to peer relationships effectively both internally and externally

Demonstrates Leadership

Influences outcomes using effective negotiation

Treats customers the way we like to be treated ourselves

Solutions focused and resourceful.

Tenacious.

Committed to continual improvement

Engaging and motivating attitude and style

Methodical and organised, managing own work

Is receptive to feedback and acts accordingly

Exceptional team player who builds open and supportive relationships

Creative and innovative

Staff & Budgetary Responsibility

Manage a team of Customer Relationship Managers.

What's in it for you...

Healthcare plan, life assurance and generous pension contribution

Volunteering day

Hybrid working

Various company discounts (including shops, gym, days out and events)

Holiday of 25 days (plus bank holidays) & ability to buy/sell days

Cycle to work scheme, car pooling and onsite parking available

As a valued member of the team you will be supporting the Group Environmental policy and its associated targets to make the Green Britain Group net carbon neutral by 2025

Flexibility statement

The fast moving nature of the company's business means that from time to time you may be asked to perform duties or tasks outside of your original job description on an ad hoc basis. This allows the company to use it's people in the best possible way at all times and helps the employees to make make their contribution in a changing environment.

Ecotricity is Britain's greenest energy company. When we started back in 1995, we were the first company in the world to provide a new kind of electricity- the green kind.

Our mission was, and remains, to change the way energy is made and used in Britain- by replacing fossil fuels with clean, renewable energy.

We don't just supply green energy, we use the money from our customers' bills to make it ourselves too- we build windmills and sun parks in Britain. We call this 'bills in to mills'. In 2021, we started work on building two new solar parks, and now, in 2023, we're bringing geothermal energy to our customers' fuel mix, a first in the UK. We're also developing green gas mills which will generate 100% green gas from a source that we will never run out of- grass.

We don't just focus on energy though- we built Electric Highways, Britain's leading network of electric vehicle charging points, we helped Forest Green Rovers become the greenest football club in the world, and, in partnership with RSPB, we launched Britain's greenest mobile phone service, Ecotalk.

Ecotricity is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to providing equality for all.