Chief Operating Officer

“Legal Ombudsman needs to shape up” 

This recent headline in the Times highlighted the fact that it has been a challenging few years for the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) and the article outlined the critical operational performance issues facing the scheme. While we are proud to report some good progress through our modernisation programme and other key initiatives, we are keenly aware there is still much to be done. 

As an independent body, LeO’s role is to provide consumers with a service that is modern, responsive, and efficient. At the heart of this is the need to give people confidence in the services they use at the most significant points in their life - buying a new house, dealing with a separation and access to children, dealing with employment disputes. Our work is varied, and we deliver our services in a multi-faceted and rapidly changing external landscape through our team of 250 staff at a single site and with a total budget expenditure of 13 million.  

It is a time of considerable change and opportunity for LeO. Our current Chief Ombudsman, Rebecca Marsh is leaving to become the Property Ombudsman, so in response to this and to enable us to fully address the operational performance issues facing the scheme, the LeO senior leadership team has been restructured to strengthen leadership and capability. This includes creating the new position of Chief Operating Officer to work closely with the new Chief Ombudsman to shape and deliver change and improvement. 

With a high level of autonomy and authority, our new COO will run the ‘engine room’ of the scheme, leading and delivering its advice, support, and resolution service, as well IT and HR support functions. This is a muscular operational delivery role, responsible for roughly 90% of our budgeted expenditure, and leading around 220 of our 250 staff. It also, however, requires a strategic mindset and approach, as the appointee will be expected to collaborate with the Chief Ombudsman in setting and driving our organisational vision, operational strategy, and customer service culture.  

The post requires senior leadership team-level experience, running a complex operations, and an impressive history effectively and consistently leading the change, improvement and delivery of high-volume, transactional services, such as casework, complaints management, investigations and applications management, ideally gained in a regulated environment. You are an inspiring leader of people, and can point to a track record building, leading, motivating and developing high-performing multi-disciplinary teams, creating cultures of inclusion, customer focus, and continuous improvement.

 Your approach is collegiate, and your communication skills are excellent; these will stand you in good stead establishing and maintaining credibility with our Board and commanding their trust and confidence. It would be helpful if you also had prior experience in the public, regulatory, legal, or financial services sectors, but this is not essential.

This will be a demanding role, and you will need to demonstrate high levels of personal resilience in managing competing pressures, which will be underpinned by strong programme and project management skills. 

You can demonstrate clear commitment to high standards of public service delivery, and are able to engage and inspire confidence at all levels of a complex organisation, qualities you will harness to help lead LeO through the next critical stage in its development. 

To apply and for further details please click on ‘Apply’

For a confidential discussion, please contact Matt Malone on 0113 205 6063 or at matt.malone@gatenbysanderson.com