Operational People Manager

City, London
Adecco

Job Title: Operational People Manager
Salary: 62,525 pa
Location: London (hybrid working, 4 days across a fortnight in the office)
Contract Type: Full Time, Fixed Term Contract, until 31st March 2027
Closing Date: 7th December 2025
Start date: 23rd February 2026

Are you a passionate people leader?

If you’re ready to make a real impact for the public good, the Financial Ombudsman Service has the perfect opportunity for you! We’re on the lookout for two Operational People Managers to join our dynamic team in London on fixed-term contracts to 31 March 2027. Come be a part of something meaningful!

In this role, you’ll be at the centre of a large team of skilled casework Investigators, leading, inspiring, and guiding their growth and success. You’ll manage a group of up to 20 talented individuals, helping them thrive to their potential through coaching, meaningful feedback, and performance management. Your leadership will truly make a difference!

Why This Role?

At the Financial Ombudsman Service, we resolve thousands of financial disputes each year, bringing a fair and impartial answer to sensitive, challenging and sometimes life-changing issues. You’ll play a key part in this mission, ensuring your team delivers top-quality service with empathy, pace and precision.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary
• Generous pension contributions
• Life Insurance, Private Medical Insurance, and Income Protection
• Critical illness cover
• Opportunities for professional development and growth
• A supportive work environment that promotes diversity and inclusion
• Innovative well-being programs and benefits
• Flexible hybrid working arrangements

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 15-20 Investigators, driving individual and team performance to exceed expectations, building a culture of excellence and pace
• Set challenging, realistic goals and hold your team accountable
• Provide regular, constructive feedback and guidance to support continuous improvement
• Identify and close performance gaps through both formal and informal coaching methods and performance management
• Dive into data and casework analysis to spot performance trends and intervene as needed
• Ensure our customers are treated fairly, their complaints thoroughly investigated and that communication is always clear and timely
• Handle service complaints promptly and professionally, always striving for positive outcomes
• Foster and motivate a positive work environment that encourages skill-building and career development
• Collaborate with casework leaders and peers across the organisation to gather and share insights, mentor, and inspire one another
• Help your team build resilience and support their wellbeing, while developing their empathy for our customers
• Align your team’s efforts with the Financial Ombudsman Service’s mission of delivering fair, timely, and impartial resolutions

What You’ll Bring

• Proven experience of leading 12+ professionals in roles of a similar scale focused on high performance, people development, strong team engagement, and leading through change.
• Strong people manager with excellent customer service skills
• Previous working experience in a fast-paced and changing environment
• A champion mindset for diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Ability to foster empathy and resilience
• Strong analytical skills to analyse performance data and improve service delivery
• Previous experience in coaching, providing feedback, and collaborative problem-solving

Desirable Skills

• Knowledge of the financial services industry
• Experience in handling customer service complaints
• Familiarity with performance management systems

Please note: This role is subject to a DBS and credit check.

Ready to make an impact?

Apply today and take the next step in your leadership journey with the Financial Ombudsman Service!

FOS is a disability-confident employer who believes in running an inclusive and accessible recruitment process to support candidates of all backgrounds and all abilities to apply. FOS is committed to building a supportive environment for candidates to explore the next steps in their career. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know and we will be happy to support you.

The Financial Ombudsman Service has appointed Adecco to carry out the recruitment for the advertised vacancy. In accordance with UK GDPR, The Financial Ombudsman Service is the controller of your personal data and Adecco is our processor. For information on how Financial Ombudsman Service collect, use and retain your personal data as controller, please see our Candidate privacy notice – (url removed)>