Customer Insight Specialist (Housing Needs)

Salary range: Grade 9 £43,449 - £45,123p.a. plus fantastic benefits

Contract: Fixed Term/Secondment

Hours of work: 36 hours per week

Location: Croydon

About the Role

We're looking for an experienced, customer-focused Customer Insight Specialist to join our Housing Needs service. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in improving services for some of our most vulnerable residents by ensuring complaints are handled effectively, fairly, and in line with best practice.

You will lead on complex complaints, support learning from customer feedback, liaise with the Housing Ombudsman and Local Government Ombudsman, and help drive service improvements across Housing Needs. Working closely with managers, directors and operational teams, you'll use insight from complaints to improve resident experiences and service outcomes.

What You'll Be Doing

• Investigate and respond to complex Housing Needs complaints, including Stage One, Stage Two and Ombudsman cases
• Provide expert advice and guidance on complaints handling across the Housing Needs service
• Coordinate responses involving multiple teams to ensure residents receive joined-up outcomes
• Identify trends, root causes and learning opportunities from complaints and customer feedback
• Support the delivery and monitoring of service improvement and action plans
• Ensure compliance with complaints legislation, guidance, and Ombudsman requirements
• Manage responses to enquiries from the Local Government Ombudsman and Housing Ombudsman
• Respond to enquiries and correspondence from MPs, Councillors and the Mayor on behalf of the service
• Deliver coaching, guidance and training to managers and officers on effective complaints handling
• Monitor complaint performance, standards and timescales across Housing Needs
• Build positive working relationships with residents, councillors, MPs, partner organisations and external agencies
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement and learning from complaints
• Support the implementation of recommendations arising from Ombudsman investigations and service reviews

About You

You will be a skilled investigator and communicator who is passionate about improving services and achieving positive outcomes for residents. You'll have excellent judgement, strong analytical skills, and the confidence to challenge constructively when needed.

Essential Experience

• Complaints handling experience or the ability to demonstrate highly transferable skills
• Experience working within Housing Needs, homelessness, temporary accommodation, allocations or a related housing service
• Experience working with customers in sensitive or challenging circumstances
• Experience building productive relationships with stakeholders at all levels
• Experience managing complex cases and competing priorities simultaneously

Skills & Knowledge

• Excellent understanding of Housing Needs services and the challenges faced by residents
• Strong knowledge of complaints handling principles and best practice
• Excellent written communication skills, able to explain complex issues clearly and without jargon
• Strong analytical and root cause analysis skills
• Ability to identify service improvements from customer feedback and complaint trends
• Excellent customer service skills, with empathy and professionalism
• Ability to influence, advise and support managers and colleagues
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to make sound decisions and manage sensitive situations confidently
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, guidance and regulatory expectations relating to complaints handling and Housing Needs services

To view the Customer Insight Specialist (Housing Needs) role profile please Click here

Apply early

This vacancy may close without notice if a sufficient number of applications are received. Early application is therefore encouraged.

Why Join Us?

At Croydon Council, we put customers first and are committed to improving outcomes for residents through learning, accountability and continuous improvement.

You'll join a supportive and collaborative team where your expertise will directly influence service quality, resident experience and organisational learning. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference while developing your career within a forward-thinking local authority.

Apply Now

If you're passionate about customer experience, complaints resolution, service improvement and ensuring residents' voices are heard, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us and help shape better outcomes for Housing Needs residents across Croydon.

Croydon Council's Priorities

Croydon Council is committed to maintaining a sustainable financial position, listening to residents, and delivering high-quality, sustainable services.

Croydon Council is focused on:

• Creating a cleaner and safer Croydon.
• Supporting a thriving town centre and local high streets.
• Delivering a fair deal for residents.
• Improving roads and journeys across the borough.
• Creating places people are proud to call home.
• Backing families, children, young people and adults.

Equal Opportunities Statement

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Subject to business needs, we are pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby employees attend the workplace for part of their working week and work remotely for the remainder.

Croydon Council is a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant. We guarantee an interview to eligible current and former members of the UK Armed Forces who meet the essential criteria for the role.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the advertised role.

Croydon Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees to share this commitment.

The successful candidate will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where the role requires one.