Customer Operations Manager - EV
Salary: Competitive Plus Benefits
Location: London Store Support Centre - Field Based and Home, London, EC1M 6HA
Contract type: Permanent
Business area: Finance & Business Development
Closing date: 21 January 2026
Requisition ID: 400045354
We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. For a FTSE business, we move incredibly fast. When we’re not handling projects, we’re helping all corners of the wider group with what they’re trying to achieve. And around here, you can see the results of your work as soon as you walk into a store, which gives you a real sense of purpose and responsibility. Better still, the team around you will listen to your ideas and opinions, and you’ll have every chance to try something new. The sheer scale and complexity of our set-up means there’s always something else around the corner, and we’ll help and support you every step of the way. We’re trusted to get on with it. So get ready to make things happen here.
Why join us
Smart Charge is a customer‑first start‑up that launched only two years ago – and it’s already making serious waves in the EV charging industry. Award‑winning, powered by Sainsbury’s, and fuelled by 100% renewable energy, Smart Charge is on a mission to remove one of the biggest frustrations in electric vehicle ownership: charging away from home. We’re building a network that’s simple, reliable and genuinely customer‑first - and we’re doing it fast.
This is a chance to step into a scale‑up at a pivotal moment and play a defining role in shaping how thousands of customers experience Smart Charge every day. As Customer Operations Manager, you’ll sit at the heart of the business, owning the end‑to‑end customer operation and acting as the true voice of the customer across Smart Charge.
What you'll do
You’ll lead customer support day‑to‑day, setting direction, driving quality, and embedding a proactive, accountable mindset in partnership with our outsourced front-line customer support function. You’ll spot patterns before problems escalate, take ownership of issues end‑to‑end and work cross‑functionally to remove friction from the customer journey, often moving at pace and without a playbook. This is a hands‑on role, combining strategic ownership with real‑world insight. You’ll influence strategy, improve critical customer metrics, and help shape what “exceptional” looks like in a rapidly evolving category.
You’ll spend time office‑based and working from home, but you’ll also regularly visit Smart Charge hubs and sites across the network. Being present on the ground matters - engaging with colleagues, understanding how our chargers are used in the real world, and seeing first‑hand how our customers experience Smart Charge.
Smart Charge operates 24/7, 365 days a year. While this is not a shift‑based role and your core working hours will be Monday to Friday, there will be occasions where customer issues require visibility, decision‑making or leadership outside of standard business hours. You’ll be trusted to use good judgement, step in when it really matters, and help keep things moving for both customers and colleagues.
Who you are
You are a dynamic and customer-centric leader with a proven track record in managing customer support functions and driving operational excellence with an empathetic leadership style and proactive approach to problem-solving. This role is for someone who thrives on responsibility, brings energy and initiative, and can deliver meaningful change. If you’re motivated by making impact, and are passionate about delivering brilliant customer experiences, this is a rare opportunity to help build the future of EV charging.
Essential Criteria
- Demonstrable experience leading customer support operations, including driving improvements to customer metrics.
- Proven ability to identify patterns and risks early, escalating and resolving operational issues before they impact the customer experience.
- Evidence of working cross‑functionally to remove friction from customer journeys, contributing to service improvements in a fast‑moving environment.
- Experience representing the customer voice to influence strategy and operational priorities, including providing insights from on‑site visits and real‑world customer interactions.
- Ability to make informed operational decisions outside standard business hours when required, ensuring continuity of service in a 24/7 operation.
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We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new — whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them: Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to save 10% on your shopping online and instore at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat, and we regularly increase the discount to 15% at points during the year. We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You'll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform. Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy up to an additional week's holiday, and we provide private healthcare. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, salary advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme. Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave. Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).
