Team Leader

About us: We are one of the top three automotive retailers in the UK, proudly representing 32 manufacturer brands, selling a huge range of new and used vehicles from over 150 dealerships across the UK and Ireland.  

We believe our people are our greatest asset, and we’re committed to recognising the valuable contribution each person makes. That’s why we continue to invest in a leading rewards and benefits package designed to support your career, wellbeing, and life outside of work.

Team Leader – Contact Centre

Location: Newcastle Business Park
Reporting to: Contact Centre Manager
Contract: [Full-time]

Role Purpose

We are seeking an experienced and driven Team Leader to lead, support, and coordinate a high-performing Contact Centre team. You will be responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of daily operations, driving performance against KPIs, and fostering a positive, accountable team culture. Acting as a key communication link between advisors, management, and stakeholders, you will play a vital role in service delivery and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Provide day-to-day leadership, direction, and support to the team.
• Allocate tasks effectively, monitor progress, and ensure deadlines and quality standards are met.
• Coach, mentor, and develop team members through regular feedback and performance management.
• Lead team meetings and promote open, effective communication.
• Identify, resolve, and escalate performance or operational issues proactively.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and accountability.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and health & safety standards.
• Consistently achieve and exceed KPIs; failure to do so will be considered poor performance.
• Complete tasks beyond the role profile when required to support the wider division.
• Always act with integrity and escalate concerns to the CCC Manager when appropriate.

Operational & Strategic Delivery

• Ensure daily performance reporting for all advisors is accurate and consistently distributed.
• Identify potential performance or resourcing risks early and escalate appropriately.
• Provide phone cover when required to maintain service levels.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Identify and implement operational efficiencies and service enhancements.
• Encourage innovation and best practice across the team.
• Support the Assistant Contact Centre Manager with strategic projects and business initiatives.
• Deliver accurate, insightful reporting to inform business decisions.

Performance & Compliance

• Manage performance and employee relations matters in line with HR frameworks.
• Confidently and assertively address underperformance and lead difficult conversations.
• Maintain focus on achievable operational delivery without overpromising.
• Ensure regular performance reviews, 1:1s, quality assurance, and development plans are completed and documented.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Proven experience in a supervisory or leadership role.
• Strong understanding of sales and aftersales processes and customer expectations.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.
• Confident presenting and influencing at all levels of the business.
• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure.
• Demonstrated experience in people development, coaching, and team motivation.
• Confident handling escalations, complaints, and performance management.
• Proficient in MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and CRM/contact centre systems.

Personal Attributes

• Self-aware, adaptable, and conscientious.
• Assertive with integrity and comfortable holding others accountable.
• Strong attention to detail with strategic and operational awareness.
• Results-driven with a passion for team and customer experience.
• Solutions-focused with a growth mindset.
• Comfortable travelling and working in a fast-paced, changing environment.

Core Benefits:

• Competitive salaries with structured pay scales and progression as you grow within the business
• Generous annual leave that increases with your length of service
• Enhanced family leave, including 6 months’ full pay for maternity and adoption leave, and 2 weeks’ full pay for paternity leave
• Access to Techscheme for discounted technology purchases with flexible payments

Health & Wellbeing:

• Eyecare vouchers to help cover vision care needs
• Smart Health – 24/7 access to GP services to support your mental and physical wellbeing
• Dental insurance for everyday dental care and unexpected treatments
• Critical illness cover for peace of mind during life's most challenging moments

Financial Wellbeing:

• MyView PayNow – access a portion of your pay as you earn, with features to stream, save, and track your money through a user-friendly app
• Free will writing services to help plan for the future
• Flexible life assurance options and partner life assurance for added protection

Leisure & Lifestyle:

• Discounted gym memberships to support an active lifestyle
• Travel insurance to help you explore with confidence
• Access to home and technology vouchers
• bYond card and a wide range of exclusive retail and lifestyle discounts

We strongly believe in nurturing and providing our people with specific manufacturer brand and management training to enhance career development opportunities. We have a great bunch of people, and we like to celebrate and encourage success at all levels.

Lookers and Charles Hurst are an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to a working environment that is free from discrimination, is inclusive, and empowers our people to bring their whole self to work and reach their full potential. 

If your application is successful, we will conduct relevant employment checks prior to you commencing employment with us. These will include verifying your recent employment, address, credit history and a standard criminal record check. For roles that require you to drive, a driving licence check will also be carried out. Please note, all offers of employment are made subject to a 6 month probation period commencing from your start date.

We take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and are committed to upholding and respecting your privacy rights. Information about how we will process your data including the types of data we collect, the purposes for which we use it, who we may share it with and how long we keep it are set out in our privacy notice. It also includes information about your individual privacy rights. Please make sure you read our Privacy Notice so that you understand how we may collect and use your data.