Customer Service Lead

Location: Torquay, UK
Department: Customer Services

Reporting to: Customer Service Manager

Join a Global Hi-Tech Business Where Customer Experience Matters

G&H is a global leader in optical design, testing and manufacturing. For more than 75 years, we’ve been at the forefront of photonics innovation - designing and delivering optical systems, assemblies and components for the world’s most demanding applications. Our technologies are trusted everywhere from the deepest oceans to space.  

At our Torquay site, you’ll be part of the Torbay Hi-Tech Cluster; a vibrant community of photonics and microelectronics companies driving breakthrough innovation in the South Devon region. This is where world-class engineering meets real-world impact.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Customer Service professional looking to build on their career within a fast-paced, technology-driven manufacturing environment. You'll become a key voice of the customer within the business, working closely with colleagues across Sales, Operations, Production, Planning and Product Management to ensure customers receive outstanding support throughout the order lifecycle.

The Opportunity

As a Customer Service Lead, you'll take ownership of customer orders from receipt through to fulfilment, ensuring orders are processed accurately, customer expectations are managed effectively and any issues are resolved with urgency and professionalism.

Working with customers across international markets, you'll handle a range of enquiries, delivery requests, complex customer cases and after-sales support activities. You'll play a vital role in ensuring customer satisfaction, advocating for customer needs internally while collaborating with multiple teams to deliver solutions.

This role offers excellent exposure across the business and is well suited to someone who enjoys building relationships, solving problems and continuously improving the customer experience.

What You'll Be Doing

• Managing the complete order processing lifecycle, including order entry, scheduling, acknowledgements and updates
• Taking ownership of customer communications relating to order acceptance, delivery schedules and after-sales support
• Handling customer enquiries, complaints and complex service issues, ensuring timely and effective resolution
• Acting as a key advocate for the customer within the business, ensuring customer requirements are understood and met
• Building strong working relationships with Sales Managers, Product Line Managers, Planning, Manufacturing and other internal stakeholders
• Proactively identifying and addressing issues that could impact delivery performance or customer satisfaction
• Coordinating and processing Return Merchandise Authorisations (RMAs)
• Ensuring customers receive accurate, clear and timely information throughout the customer journey
• Supporting compliance with customer-specific requirements and contractual commitments
• Using business systems including Salesforce and Syspro to maintain accurate records and manage customer activities
• Supporting colleagues across other customer service value streams as required
• Participating in customer meetings where appropriate
• Championing excellent customer service standards across the Torquay site

What You'll Bring

• Proven experience in a customer service, customer operations or order management role
• Experience within a manufacturing, engineering, industrial or technical environment
• Confidence supporting customers in a global or international business environment
• Experience handling customer complaints, escalations and complex service-related issues
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• A proactive and solutions-focused approach to problem solving
• Ability to work effectively under pressure while maintaining excellent attention to detail
• Experience working across cross-functional or matrix organisations
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications
• Experience using ERP and CRM systems such as Syspro and Salesforce would be advantageous

Why Join G&H?

• Be part of a globally recognised technology business delivering innovative solutions to customers worldwide
• Work within a collaborative environment where customer focus, teamwork and continuous improvement are highly valued
• Gain exposure to a diverse international customer base and a wide range of advanced products and technologies
• Develop your career within a growing organisation that actively supports professional development
• Join a business where your ideas, initiative and customer advocacy can make a genuine impact
• Contribute to the success of a company operating at the forefront of photonics and advanced manufacturing technologies 

Our Values

We expect all employees to demonstrate and promote our company values:

• Customer Focus – placing customer needs at the centre of everything we do
• Passion – taking pride in delivering excellence
• Unity – working collaboratively across teams and functions
• Precision – maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and quality

G&H Benefits

• 25 days - rising up to 30 days annual leave (phased with long service)
• Corporate Cash Plan
• Company bonus scheme
• Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme
• Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme

Notes: This job description is not intended to be exhaustive in every respect, but rather to clearly define the fundamental purpose, responsibilities and dimensions for the role. Therefore, this job description does not describe any individual role holder. In addition to the contents of this job description, employees are expected to undertake any and all other reasonable and related tasks allocated by their line manager.

The Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunity or practices on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by national laws under which the Company operates.

Potential candidates should be aware that many of the employment roles at Gooch & Housego are subject to government security and export control restrictions.  These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities that you may have previously held and your place of birth, could restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation.

All UK applicants must, as a minimum, be able to successfully complete security vetting to the UK government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard, which includes a criminal record check being performed. Many roles may also require higher levels of security vetting to be completed, where applicants must typically have been continuously resident within the UK for the past five to ten years.