- Location: Remote, with quarterly travel for adviser events and occasional meetings
- Hours: Full-time, permanent
- Salary: £35,000–£45,000 depending on experience, plus quarterly performance bonus
- OTE: £65k+
- Reports to: Managing Director
The Role
Active Mortgages is looking for a proactive, organised and commercially aware Head of Brokerage Operations to take ownership of the day-to-day operational running of the brokerage.
You will become the central point of coordination across the business, supporting our network of self-employed advisers, overseeing company-generated enquiries, maintaining operational standards and protecting the experience delivered to clients.
This role is suited to someone who enjoys bringing structure to a busy business, spotting problems before they escalate and making sure important actions do not fall through the cracks.
You will be trusted to work independently, make decisions within your remit and continually improve how the brokerage operates.
Success in this role is not measured by how busy you are.
It is measured by how smoothly the brokerage runs.
About Active Mortgages
Active Mortgages is an award-winning, directly authorised mortgage brokerage specialising in helping self-employed business owners, company directors and entrepreneurs secure the right mortgage solutions.
The business has more than 20 years of experience within the mortgage industry and has operated as a directly authorised firm for over 18 years.
Our network currently consists of nine self-employed advisers, with the long-term objective of growing to approximately 20.
Most advisers generate and manage their own enquiries while operating under the Active Mortgages brand and benefiting from our systems, operational support, compliance framework and infrastructure.
A smaller number of advisers also receive enquiries generated by Active Mortgages through the company website and existing client base.
This role is responsible for monitoring and managing company-generated enquiries only. Adviser-generated enquiries remain the responsibility of the individual adviser.
Alongside Active Mortgages, the Managing Director owns a coaching and consulting business that supports more than 60 mortgage and financial advice firms across the UK with systems, sales, operations and business growth.
Key Areas of Ownership
1. Adviser Support
You will become the primary operational point of contact for Active Mortgages advisers.
You will:
- Support advisers with day-to-day operational queries.
- Coordinate adviser communications and business updates.
- Ensure advisers understand and follow agreed systems, processes and service standards.
- Organise fortnightly CPD sessions with lenders, insurers and industry partners.
- Plan and coordinate quarterly adviser meetings and business planning events.
- Build positive working relationships while maintaining clear operational standards.
- Provide proactive support that allows advisers to focus on advising and managing client relationships.
- Identify recurring adviser issues and escalate them where appropriate.
2. Company-Generated Lead Management
You will take ownership of the operational management of enquiries generated by Active Mortgages.
You will:
- Allocate company-generated enquiries efficiently and fairly.
- Monitor each enquiry throughout the customer journey.
- Ensure enquiries are contacted within agreed service standards.
- Identify stalled leads and ensure the appropriate follow-up takes place.
- Check that advisers are updating the relevant systems accurately.
- Monitor lead progress across Active CRM and ACRE.
- Escalate concerns before they become larger operational or client-service problems.
- Ensure reporting accurately reflects the true position of each company-generated enquiry.
You will not be responsible for managing or monitoring enquiries generated independently by self-employed advisers.
3. Client Experience and Brand Protection
Every adviser represents the Active Mortgages brand.
You will help protect the reputation the business has built by ensuring clients receive a professional, consistent and positive experience.
You will:
- Monitor service standards across company-generated enquiries.
- Ensure Google review and Trustpilot review requests are made consistently.
- Conduct post-completion client feedback calls.
- Record and report client feedback.
- Monitor complaints and coordinate an appropriate response.
- Escalate complaints and sensitive matters to the Managing Director.
- Identify opportunities to improve the customer journey.
- Ensure communications and interactions reflect the values and standards of Active Mortgages.
4. Compliance Coordination
Active Mortgages works with Rockstone, an external specialist compliance firm.
Rockstone supports the company from an FCA and regulatory perspective and provides advisers with compliance guidance, file checking and monthly testing.
You will not act as the firm’s compliance officer.
You will:
- Act as the main operational contact between Active Mortgages and Rockstone.
- Coordinate compliance communications and requirements with advisers.
- Ensure monthly tests and other mandatory requirements are completed on time.
- Follow up on outstanding actions, file-checking points and adviser requirements.
- Ensure advisers know where to direct technical compliance questions.
- Monitor recurring compliance themes and bring them to the attention of the Managing Director.
- Escalate issues that require regulatory, management or specialist input.
- Support the consistent use of agreed systems and processes.
5. Business Operations
You will take ownership of a range of recurring operational responsibilities.
You will:
- Create client invoices within Xero when requested through the agreed adviser process.
- Monitor outstanding invoices each week.
- Provide advisers with a weekly report showing unpaid client invoices requiring follow-up.
- Liaise with the external bookkeeper regarding commission reconciliation and Xero queries.
- Assist with lender and insurer commission queries.
- Maintain effective relationships with lenders, insurers, solicitors and key business partners.
- Answer and coordinate operational enquiries received by the business.
- Ensure actions are passed to the right person and followed through.
- Support the organisation of quarterly adviser events and meetings.
6. Systems and Continuous Improvement
You will work regularly with Active CRM, ACRE, Xero and Microsoft 365.
You will:
- Maintain accurate operational records.
- Ensure systems reflect what is genuinely happening within the business.
- Review and improve operational processes.
- Create and maintain SOPs, checklists and recurring workflows.
- Identify inefficiencies and recommend practical improvements.
- Implement agreed operational changes.
- Take ownership of operational projects.
- Help ensure systems and processes continue to work as the adviser network grows.
- Make improvements that reduce unnecessary involvement from the Managing Director.
Professional Expectations
As the senior operational employee within Active Mortgages, you will be expected to demonstrate professionalism, discretion, sound judgement and ownership in everything you do.
You will:
- Act in the best interests of Active Mortgages at all times.
- Maintain complete confidentiality regarding business, adviser, client and employee matters.
- Escalate sensitive concerns directly to the Managing Director.
- Support agreed business decisions professionally, even where you may personally hold a different view.
- Lead by example in following company systems, processes and standards.
- Remain solution-focused when problems arise.
- Communicate clearly and professionally.
- Foster positive relationships across the adviser network.
- Represent the Active Mortgages brand with integrity.
- Take responsibility for following actions through to completion.
- Raise concerns early rather than allowing issues to drift.
- Avoid discussing confidential management matters with advisers, colleagues or third parties.
Decision-Making and Professional Judgement
This role requires a high level of trust and discretion.
You will be expected to make sensible day-to-day operational decisions within the scope of your role without requiring constant direction.
You must also recognise when an issue requires management involvement.
Matters involving confidential information, employment issues, contracts, adviser conduct, commission disputes, complaints, disciplinary concerns, regulatory risk or significant business decisions must be escalated directly to the Managing Director before action is taken.
You will be expected to use sound judgement, gather the relevant facts and present issues clearly, together with your recommended next step where appropriate.
Key Performance Indicators
Your performance will be measured through a combination of operational standards, adviser support, client experience and consistent execution.
Operational Excellence
- Active CRM and ACRE records are accurate and current.
- Company-generated enquiries are allocated within agreed service levels.
- Stalled enquiries are identified and followed up.
- Operational reports are completed accurately and on time.
- Recurring processes are completed without unnecessary management intervention.
- Operational risks are identified and escalated early.
Adviser Support
- Adviser communications are delivered consistently.
- Operational questions are handled or directed efficiently.
- Fortnightly CPD sessions are coordinated.
- Quarterly adviser meetings and events are organised successfully.
- Advisers receive clear, reliable and professional operational support.
- Agreed processes and standards are followed consistently.
Client Experience
- Google review requests are completed consistently.
- Trustpilot review requests are completed consistently.
- Post-completion feedback calls are carried out.
- Client feedback is recorded and reported.
- Complaints are handled promptly and escalated appropriately.
- The customer experience remains professional and consistent.
Business Operations
- Weekly operational reports are submitted.
- Client invoices are raised accurately.
- Outstanding invoices are monitored each week.
- Advisers receive clear reports showing unpaid invoices.
- Compliance requirements are coordinated with Rockstone.
- Agreed operational improvements are implemented throughout the year.
What Success Looks Like After Six Months
After six months:
- Advisers know exactly where to go for operational support.
- Company-generated enquiries are managed consistently and professionally.
- Active CRM and ACRE accurately reflect the status of leads and clients.
- Adviser communications are clear and dependable.
- Quarterly events and CPD sessions run smoothly.
- Compliance requirements are completed on time.
- Invoices and outstanding payments are monitored consistently.
- Operational issues are identified before they become serious problems.
- Clients receive a consistently professional experience.
- The Managing Director is no longer required to manage routine day-to-day operational matters.
- The brokerage operates with greater consistency, control and accountability.
The Person We Are Looking For
You will ideally have experience within mortgage operations, financial services, practice management or the day-to-day running of a professional services business.
You may currently work as a:
- Mortgage Operations Manager
- Brokerage Manager
- Practice Manager
- Senior Mortgage Administrator
- Senior Case Manager
- Compliance and Operations Coordinator
- Experienced Mortgage Adviser looking to move into an operational role
Mortgage industry experience is strongly preferred because you will need to understand how advisers, lenders, insurers, compliance partners and clients interact.
Experience within a directly authorised mortgage firm would be particularly valuable.
You Are Likely to Thrive in This Role If You:
- Naturally take ownership.
- Do not wait to be told about every action.
- Enjoy creating order and structure.
- Notice the things other people miss.
- Follow through on commitments.
- Communicate professionally and confidently.
- Are comfortable holding people accountable.
- Remain calm when multiple issues arise.
- Enjoy improving systems and processes.
- Are confident using technology.
- Can balance relationships with clear standards.
- Understand the importance of confidentiality.
- Know when to make a decision and when to escalate.
- Take pride in helping a business operate properly.
Essential Skills and Experience
- Experience in an operational role within mortgages, financial services or a similar professional environment.
- Strong understanding of business operations and recurring workflows.
- Excellent organisation and time-management skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication.
- High attention to detail.
- Confidence working independently.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Strong professional judgement.
- Experience using CRM or case-management systems.
- Confidence working with data, reports and task lists.
- Ability to travel quarterly for adviser events and occasionally for business meetings.
Desirable Experience
- Experience within a directly authorised mortgage brokerage.
- Previous mortgage advice or administration experience.
- Experience using ACRE.
- Experience using Xero.
- Experience working with self-employed advisers.
- Experience coordinating CPD, meetings or business events.
- Experience liaising with external compliance providers.
- Experience creating and maintaining SOPs and checklists.
What We Offer
- Salary of £35,000–£45,000 depending on experience.
- Quarterly performance bonus.
- Full-time, permanent employment.
- Remote working with quarterly travel and occasional meetings.
- Direct access to the Managing Director.
- A high level of trust and operational ownership.
- Exposure to systems and business practices used across more than 60 mortgage and financial advice firms.
- The opportunity to shape and improve how the brokerage operates.
- A role with clear responsibility, autonomy and long-term importance to the business.
How to Apply
Please apply with your CV and a short covering note explaining:
- Your experience within mortgage, financial services or business operations.
- Why this role appeals to you.
- An example of an operational process or business system you have improved.
- Your current salary and notice period.
Pay: Up to £50,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Work from home
Experience:
- Management: 3 years (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Chelmsford CM2 6XW
