This senior operational leadership role oversees the national helpline (9am–9pm, Mon–Fri), serving as the first point of contact for renters facing tenancy issues or at risk of homelessness, and leads a team of two Inbound Lead roles with 8–14 FTE advisors. You'll balance service quality with operational efficiency, resolving queries at the first point of contact where possible and escalating complex cases to the case work team, while designing workflows with case and representation management to deliver the "best outcome with earliest resolution" and judiciously managing full representations with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The role collaborates with Threshold's senior operations to drive service improvements and impact, and will lead the adoption of a new telephony and customer contact system (Amazon Connect) featuring real-time transcription and advisor decision support, requiring comfort with IT systems and a proactive approach to using technology to enhance service delivery. The ideal candidate will have strong people leadership of multi-channel frontline teams, experience in housing, tenancy support, or social services, and the ability to design efficient workflows, balance quality with throughput, and navigate escalation pathways, all in service of Threshold's mission to prevent homelessness and advocate for a fairer housing system in Ireland.
Key Responsibilities
The National Inbound Manager's responsibilities encompass team leadership, service delivery, quality assurance, and strategic alignment, tailored to the specific demands of Threshold's helpline. These include but are not limited to:
Team Leadership and Management
* Lead and manage a team of two Inbound Leads and 8-14 FTE senior advisors and advisors, fostering a culture of excellence, empathy, and efficiency that recognises individual strengths.
* Recruit, train, coach and develop the Inbound Leads, senior advisors and advisors, including overseeing any coaching provided by the Inbound Leads, third party coaching provided to Senior Advisors and Advisors, to ensure all staff on the Inbound team are proficient in handling housing-related queries, including notices of termination, deposit retention, rent arrears, and housing options.
Service Delivery and Operational Oversight
* Oversee the helpline's operations, ensuring it serves as an effective FPOC for renters, resolving queries related to tenancy issues and homelessness prevention at the earliest opportunity.
* Manage the helpline's operating hours (9am-9pm, Monday to Friday) and ensure seamless handling of inbound calls, the website, and emails, maintaining accessibility and responsiveness.
* Implement processes to resolve queries at FPOC whenever possible, training advisors to listen carefully for deeper concerns and open cases only when necessary, avoiding unnecessary escalations.
* Ensure cases requiring further action are accurately passed to the case work team, maintaining clear communication and documentation.
* Collaborate with the case work and representation teams to design efficient workflows that align with Threshold's "best outcome with earliest resolution" strategy, ensuring full RTB representations are used only when essential to minimise operational costs.
* Manage the helpline's technical infrastructure, including telephony systems, platforms, and email systems, ensuring reliability and compliance with data protection regulations.
Quality Assurance and Metrics
* Monitor and enhance service quality through regular call transcription analysis, customer feedback surveys, and performance reviews, ensuring advisors provide accurate and empathetic advice.
* Track, report, and react to key performance indicators (KPIs), including Service Levels, First Contact Resolution, Service Quality, Complaints and Average Handle Time (AHT).
* Proactively analyse metrics to identify trends, address performance gaps, and implement improvements in service delivery and team efficiency.
* Design and implement a metrics-driven culture.
Strategic Contribution
* Working as a senior member of the Threshold Operations Team and the Senior Management Team, contribute to strategic initiatives, relationship management (e.g., funders), to enhance the helpline's services, such as adopting new technologies (e.g., real-time transcription & suggestions), improving access for underserved communities, or developing specialised training programs.
* Provide frontline insights from helpline data and case studies, to support Threshold's advocacy and fundraising efforts.
* Align helpline operations with Threshold's mandate, as defined by the Chief Operating Officer (COO), ensuring intelligent implementation of organisational goals.
* Participate in the senior operational team, collaborating with case work and representation management to optimise workflows and ensure seamless service delivery across departments.
Decision-Making and Judgment
* Exercise sound judgment in operational decisions, balancing service quality with efficiency to meet Threshold's goals.
* Make informed decisions about when to resolve queries at FPOC versus opening cases, ensuring alignment with the organisation's efficiency and client-focused objectives.
* Show strategic judgment in workflow design, ensuring the helpline supports Threshold's "best outcome with earliest resolution" strategy while respecting the diverse needs and capabilities of clients and staff.
The above is not an exhaustive list. The National Inbound Manager will also be required to carry out other duties as delegated to them.
Required Skills and Experience
Experience
* Minimum of 5 years proven experience managing a helpline, call centre, or similar service-oriented team, preferably in a non-profit or social services context.
* Minimum of 5 years proven ability to lead and develop diverse teams.
* Experience in quality assurance, performance management, and operational oversight in a service delivery environment, with a focus on metrics-driven improvement.
Knowledge
* Understanding of the Irish housing system, including tenancy laws, Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) processes, Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), and other housing supports.
* Familiarity with common renter challenges, such as deposit retention, illegal evictions, rent arrears, maintenance issues, and housing options.
Skills
* Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate, coach, and develop staff in a hybrid working environment.
* Excellent communication skills with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information empathetically.
* Proficiency in helpline technologies (e.g., telephony systems, webchat platforms) and performance metrics (e.g., service levels, FCR, AHT).
* Strong organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to changing demands.
* Expertise in designing and implementing metrics-driven cultures that balance service quality with efficiency.
Personal Attributes
* A strong commitment to Threshold's mission of preventing homelessness and advocating for housing rights.
* Empathy, integrity, and respect for clients, staff, and stakeholders, aligning with Threshold's values of dignity, care, and respect.
* Adaptability and resilience in a high-pressure environment, with the ability to remain calm and solution-focused during peak demand or outages.
* Recognition of inherent human differences, adapting leadership approaches to leverage diverse capabilities and personality traits to foster an inclusive and effective team.