Head of UK Service

Reporting to                      Operations Director

Location                             Hybrid – frequent travel around UK – plus 2 days per week in Poole, Dorset

Working Hours                  40 hours per week, Monday – Friday

Benefits                              Competitive salary, car and bonus

Description

At DDC, we are industry leaders in infection control solutions, delivering cutting-edge technology and outstanding service to the healthcare and care sectors. With over 30 years of experience, our mission is to support organisations in maintaining the highest hygiene standards, helping to protect patients, residents, and staff from the risks of infection.

Our purpose is clear: Protecting Lives Through Smarter, Safer Healthcare.

Position Purpose

Drive operational excellence, accountability, and profitable growth across the Field Service team. Direct, manage, and continuously improve service operations to deliver outstanding customer experience, maximise team performance, and expand market share across owned and competitor equipment. Ensure readiness for organic growth across the Service department.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Performance Management:

• Build, coach, and lead a high-performing, scalable team, focused on KPIs: first-time fix rate, SLA compliance, service revenue growth, and customer satisfaction.
• Conduct regular performance reviews. Hold individuals and teams accountable for results. Rapidly address underperformance.
• Create a continuous improvement culture by implementing structured development plans, field audits, technical training programs, and customer feedback loops.
• Promote a performance-driven, collaborative, and professional service culture at all organisational levels.

 Operational Excellence:

• Own day-to-day service operations including call-out management, service scheduling, and escalation processes.
• Establish and monitor key operational metrics; actively intervene to prevent service level breaches and maximise productivity.
• Own First time fix, Improvement recommendations, and SLA KPIs
• Oversee inventory management of engineer van stocks, tooling, and competitor spares to minimise downtime and maximise first time fix.
• Implement robust service quality assurance programs, including field inspections and service reporting audits.
• Review and improve scheduling processes to maximise time on tools, and chargeable labour hours.

Commercial Development:

• Help drive service contract sales growth and retention through high quality service responses and customer interactions, cross-selling initiatives, and competitor capture strategies.
• Work closely with Sales and Customer Service teams to identify new revenue opportunities and ensure seamless customer onboarding and lifecycle support.
• Working with Customer Services and Sales leveraging technical service data to build compelling business cases for customer upgrades or replacements.
• To be the point of contact for customer escalations, ensuring a swift and proactive response to customers, keeping Account Managers, and Customer Services in the loop.

Strategic Execution:

• Lead the expansion of the service business into future projects and offerings, identifying technical and operational gaps and closing them through rapid execution, working closely with the Technical Support Manager.
• Prepare the service division for organic growth while maintaining efficiencies.

Risk, Compliance, and Financial Controls:

• Ensure adherence to health and safety protocols across all service activities.
• Manage departmental budget targets related to labour efficiency, service profitability, and asset utilisation.

Skills and Experience

·           5+ years of experience as a Service Manager, preferably within a technical or engineering sector

·           Strong leadership and coaching skills across multidisciplinary teams

·       Experience conducting performance reviews, managing underperformance and fostering a continuous improvement culture.

·           Proven experience managing service contracts and customer relationships

·           Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

·           Strong organisational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities

·           Ability to influence and challenge the status quo

·           Experience of using SAP B1 would be an advantage

·           Committed to safety and operational excellence

·          Full UK driving licence and able to travel around the UK and spend on average two days a week at Head Office in Poole, Dorset

Remuneration and Benefits

·          Competitive salary

·          Company car

·          Performance related bonus paid annually on achievement of KPI’s

·          25 days Holiday (increasing to 26 after 2 years, 27 after 4 years and 28 after 5 years)

·          Private Medical Cover

·          Employee Assistance Program

·          Company Pension

·          Birthday Love2Shop Vouchers

·          Health Cash Back Plan which includes gym membership discounts

·          Life Assurance

·          Cycle to work scheme

·          Employee Volunteering Day

·          On site parking