Head of Customer Experience

This role is field based and you will be required to travel to our villages across the country and offices based in London and Egham.

Audley Group has recently expanded through the merger with Elysian Residences, bringing together three distinctive retirement living brands: Audley Villages, Mayfield Villages and Elysian Villages. United by a shared commitment to quality, service and exceptional living, our brands offer luxury retirement experiences in unique and desirable locations across the UK.

Our villages are home to owners who permanently reside on site in their own private homes, supported by a wide range of services and facilities. We also welcome external customers to enjoy our restaurants, leisure facilities and services, and every role within Audley Group plays a vital part in delivering a first-class experience.

Role Purpose

The Head of Customer Experience is the key driver of customer excellence across the group, ensuring that every interaction reflects the company's values and commitment to outstanding hospitality. As a visible and passionate leader, this role sets the standard for best-in-class experiences by championing customer service quality, guiding teams to deliver consistently exceptional service, and acting as an ambassador for the organisation's brand promise. Responsible for overseeing the planning and execution of company-wide and site-level events and activities, the Head of Customer Experience ensures all initiatives are aligned with the brand identity and designed to enhance engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty.

Principal Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of customer experience strategies across all sites.
• Act as a champion of service excellence, embedding best practice and customer first standards across the business.
• Provide visible leadership to customer facing teams, ensuring staff are motivated, engaged, and equipped to deliver exceptional service.
• Oversee planning, coordination, and delivery of group wide and site specific events and activities that align with brand values.
• Monitor and evaluate customer satisfaction metrics, providing insight and recommendations to the executive team.
• Collaborate with operational leaders and General managers to ensure a consistent approach to service delivery across multiple locations.
• Work with marketing and communications teams to maintain consistent tone, identity, and brand alignment in customer messaging.
• Ensure all customer facing processes, policies, and systems are optimised to support a seamless experience.
• Act as the escalation point for complex customer issues, ensuring prompt and effective resolution.
• Represent the organisation at external events, stakeholder meetings, and industry forums as a brand ambassador.

Key Skills & Requirements: Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in Hospitality, Business Management, Marketing, or related discipline.
• Evidence of leadership/management training (desirable).

Experience

• Proven track record in a senior customer experience, hospitality, or service leadership role.
• Demonstrated success in implementing customer experience strategies that improved satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty.
• Experience leading large, dispersed customer service or operational teams.
• Strong background in planning and delivering high quality events or customer engagement initiatives.
• Evidence of working collaboratively with cross functional teams to achieve consistent standards.
• Experience in the hospitality, events, leisure, real estate, or senior living sectors (desirable).

Skills & Attributes

• Inspirational leadership with the ability to engage and motivate teams at all levels.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• A highly evolved design acumen and creative ability.
• Creative thinker with ability to innovate and design engaging customer experiences with a high attention to detail.
• Strong problem solving ability with a customer first mindset.
• Commercial awareness with the ability to balance customer needs and business objectives.
• High levels of personal visibility, professionalism, and credibility, with the ability to influence at senior levels.
• Creative and innovative approach to customer engagement and experience design.
• Resilient and adaptable, able to thrive in a dynamic, multi site environment.
• A genuine passion for hospitality, people, and delivering memorable experiences.

Benefits:

• Discretionary Bonus meeting KPI's
• Life Assurance (4 x Salary)
• Private Health Care Cash Plan
• 25 Days of Holidays

Audley Group is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. See also 'DE&I policy/statement'