Branch Manager - Ashbourne

£36,422 - £38,565 depending on experience per annum

Ashbourne

Full Time | 35 Hours Per Week | Permanent

The Organisation

At Leek Building Society, we pride ourselves on being a force for good. We exist to help our communities grow, so they can do great things today and even better things tomorrow.

Our colleagues are one of the communities we support. That's why we've created an inclusive, engaging workplace where people have the freedom to be themselves, develop their skills and build rewarding careers.

We're proud to be recognised as a Great Place to Work , based on feedback from our colleagues, and equally proud to have been recognised externally, winning Best Building Society and Best Specialist Mortgage Provider at the 2026 British Bank Awards.

As a mutual organisation, our members are at the heart of everything we do, and every colleague plays an important role in helping us deliver outstanding service to our customers and communities.

Why Join Us?

We believe great people deserve great benefits. That's why we offer:

• 35-hour working week
• 7.5% employer pension contribution
• Minimum 26 days' holiday plus bank holidays
• Holiday purchase and sale scheme
• Free health screening
• 24/7 GP access for you and your close family
• Comprehensive mental health support, including counselling and Mental Health First Aiders
• Enhanced sick pay and family leave from day one
• Up to 6 months' guaranteed sick pay for major illnesses
• Life assurance worth four times your annual salary
• Workplace savings account with a £100 bonus for regular savers
• Continuous learning and development opportunities
• Retail discounts and salary sacrifice schemes
• Onsite gym at our Head Office
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities

The Opportunity

We're looking for an inspiring and customer-focused Branch Manager to lead our Ashbourne branch.

You’ll take responsibility for leading and developing the branch team, creating an environment where colleagues feel empowered to perform at their best and ensuring the branch consistently delivers excellent customer experiences and outcomes.

Networking and relationship-building will be a key part of your role. You’ll be a visible ambassador for Leek Building Society, proactively developing connections with local businesses, schools, charities and community organisations. You’ll use these relationships to strengthen the Society’s local profile, identify opportunities for the branch to become involved in its community and help build lasting connections with the people and organisations we serve.

Through visible leadership, commercial awareness and a commitment to continuous improvement, you’ll help the branch achieve its objectives and contribute to the Society’s wider Corporate Plan.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading, developing and motivating a customer-facing branch team
• Setting clear objectives, providing timely feedback, recognising strong performance and addressing concerns appropriately
• Coaching colleagues through observation, feedback and development activity
• Planning branch resources and organising the team’s activities to ensure the branch operates effectively
• Leading daily branch meetings and setting clear expectations and priorities
• Ensuring customers receive excellent service and that their needs are identified effectively
• Supporting colleagues to promote appropriate Society products and services
• Managing customer complaints and feedback in accordance with the Society's processes
• Conducting customer interviews and serving customers to demonstrate what excellent service looks like
• Ensuring transactions and administrative duties are completed accurately and in line with Society procedures
• Maintaining effective cash, till, safety and security controls
• Embedding a positive risk culture and ensuring regulatory requirements are met
• Delivering against the branch balanced scorecard and encouraging a commercially focused approach
• Proactively networking with local businesses, schools, charities and community organisations to build meaningful relationships and strengthen the Society's local profile
• Identifying opportunities for the branch to support, collaborate with and become more visible within the local community
• Promoting volunteering and community activity, and monitoring the impact the branch makes within the communities it supports
• Collaborating with colleagues across the Branch Network and Head Office to improve customer experience and operational effectiveness

What We’re Looking For

Essential

• Experience of leading teams that develop customer relationships in a face-to-face environment
• Previous line management or team leadership experience
• Experience of working in a customer service environment
• Experience of working effectively as part of a team
• A passion for delivering exceptional customer service through others
• The ability to lead by example, coach colleagues and support their development
• Strong influencing and team leadership skills
• The confidence to address underperformance and challenge appropriately
• A good standard of numeracy and literacy
• A positive, resilient and proactive approach
• The ability to work independently, use your initiative and see the wider organisational picture
• Flexibility to work across different branch or office locations when required
• Willingness to work outside standard hours occasionally to support business or community events

Desirable

• Experience of working within financial services
• Knowledge of financial services products and the regulatory environment
• An understanding of different leadership approaches and how to positively influence, coach and develop others

Inclusion

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected, valued and able to succeed. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and communities and will provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process where required.

Pre-Employment Checks

As a regulated financial services organisation, all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory pre-employment screening.

Depending on the role, this may include:

• References
• Right to work verification
• Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Adverse credit check
• Financial sanctions screening
• Verification of qualifications and professional memberships, where applicable

Any offer of employment will be conditional upon the successful completion of the relevant checks.

Application Guidance

As a regulated financial services organisation, honesty and integrity are important to us. We recognise that candidates may use technology, including AI tools, to support the preparation of their application. However, all information submitted must be accurate and genuinely reflect your own skills, knowledge and experience. We may explore application content further during the recruitment process to verify and better understand the examples provided.

Interested in Finding Out More?

A full Job Description and Person Specification are available on our careers website.

If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please let us know and we'll be happy to discuss how we can support you.

Join an award-winning building society where people matter, communities matter, and your career can thrive. #J-18808-Ljbffr