Customer Service Lead

Salary: Up to £35,000
Location: Hybrid working from Natara’s Seaham site

About Natara

Natara Global is a global manufacturer of flavour and fragrance ingredients, supplying customers across international markets. With UK operations including Seaham, Hartlepool and Billingham, the business brings together specialist manufacturing expertise and a strong focus on quality, reliability and customer service.

Natara is looking for a Customer Service Lead to help deliver an excellent customer experience, support the wider team and improve how the function operates.

Role Overview

Reporting to the Global Customer Excellence Manager, you will manage customer accounts and the end-to-end order process, ensuring customers receive accurate information, timely updates and proactive support.

Alongside your own accounts, you will provide day-to-day guidance on customer service processes, act as an escalation point and support reporting and continuous improvement. You will work closely with Sales, Planning, Operations, Quality and Shipping to resolve issues and keep orders moving.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage customer orders from receipt through to delivery, ensuring accurate processing and order confirmation within 48 hours.
• Build strong customer relationships, keeping customers informed of order progress, amendments and potential delays.
• Act as the first point of escalation for customer queries, complaints and account issues.
• Work with Sales and Planning to support customer forecasts and inventory requirements.
• Maintain accurate customer records, order information and system data.
• Produce KPI reports and analyse customer service and supply chain performance, including on-time, in-full delivery.
• Lead or contribute to customer service and supply chain calls, helping colleagues resolve issues and agree actions.
• Identify and implement improvements to processes, systems and ways of working.
• Support team coordination, including office rotas and absence cover.
• Provide support and cover for the Global Customer Excellence Manager when required.

Qualifications and Experience

• A strong customer service background, ideally within manufacturing, supply chain or a similar business-to-business environment.
• Experience managing multiple customer accounts and a busy order book.
• Confidence handling escalations, resolving problems and taking ownership of customer issues.
• Experience using ERP systems such as SAP or Oracle.
• Strong attention to detail and confidence working with data, reporting and performance measures.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build relationships across different departments.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• A proactive, commercially aware approach and an interest in improving processes.
• The confidence to work independently while supporting colleagues and sharing knowledge.

This opportunity would suit an experienced customer service professional ready to take on broader responsibility, or an existing lead looking for a hands‑on role with scope to improve customer service delivery.

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