National Head of Branch Network

National Head of Branch Network
Wills & LPAs | 10 Branches | c.55 FTE
Salary Negotiable + Bonus Scheme | Permanent

SF Partners are working exclusively with a high-growth legal services business specialising in Wills, LPAs, Probate and Estate Planning to recruit a National Head of Branch Network.

This is a senior national leadership role responsible for leading a 10-branch network (c.55 FTE), including 8 Branch Managers and 35+ Legal Advisors. The function sits at the heart of the organisation's revenue engine, with full accountability for branch performance, conversion, customer outcomes, and operational delivery.

Reporting into the Operations Director / COO, this role replaces a previous regional structure and creates a single point of ownership for the entire branch network. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving commercial performance, embedding operational discipline, and building a high-performing leadership layer across all sites.

The Opportunity

This is a high-impact leadership role combining commercial ownership, multi-site operational management, and people leadership at scale.

The National Head of Branch Network will be responsible for building a consistent, high-performing branch model that delivers strong conversion from appointment to instruction, excellent customer outcomes, and efficient cost-to-serve across all locations.

This is a field-based role requiring a highly visible leader who spends significant time in branches, coaching managers, solving operational issues, and driving performance through direct engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Performance & Network Leadership
Own the performance of the national branch network across revenue, conversion, customer satisfaction, and cost-to-serve
Deliver and manage branch-level scorecards aligned to commercial and quality outcomes
Drive key commercial levers including appointment-to-instruction conversion, advisor productivity, and cross-sell performance
Report monthly performance against EBITDA and network KPIs to the COO and executive team
Leadership of Branch Managers
Lead, coach, and develop 8 Branch Managers as accountable site leaders
Recruit and onboard missing Branch Managers as a priority deliverable
Establish a structured performance cadence including 1:1s, monthly reviews, and quarterly talent planning
Build a strong leadership pipeline and succession plan across the branch network
Set clear expectations for performance, standards, and accountability
Operating Model & Customer Experience
Define and embed a consistent branch operating model across all sites
Oversee customer journey standards, appointment handling, and service delivery
Maintain the balance between branch-based and home appointments
Drive local market performance and support branch-level growth initiatives
Ensure high-quality customer experience and compliance with regulatory standards
Capacity Planning & Call Centre Partnership
Work in close partnership with the Head of Lead Generation Call Centre
Co-own the "Booked : Instruct" metric across the organisation
Align appointment demand with advisor capacity across all branches
Participate in weekly forecasting and capacity planning reviews
Ensure efficient scheduling and utilisation of Legal Advisor capacity
Estate, Growth & Operational Development
Own branch estate strategy including openings, closures, relocations, and acquisitions
Support the launch and performance of flagship and new sites (including Manchester)
Oversee integration of acquired will-banks and customer portfolios
Work with Property, Finance, and Operations teams on expansion strategy
Drive continuous improvement across the operating model
Compliance & Governance Partnership
Operate within the regulatory framework set by Supervision, Compliance, and Complaints teams
Ensure consistent adherence to data protection, safeguarding, and regulatory standards
Embed compliance as part of day-to-day branch performance and leadership behaviour
Maintain high standards of audit readiness and operational discipline
About You

We are keen to speak with candidates who have:

Proven experience leading a multi-site branch or regional network (ideally 8+ locations)
Strong track record of managing managers and leading through a leadership layer
Commercially driven mindset with clear P&L or EBITDA accountability
Experience delivering sales or conversion growth across a distributed network
Strong coaching and leadership capability with a focus on performance improvement
Experience in regulated, customer-facing environments such as legal services, financial services, insurance, funeral planning, or similar sectors
Willingness to be highly field-based and spend significant time in branches
Package

Salary: Negotiable
Performance-related bonus scheme (EBITDA and balanced scorecard based)
Indicative OTE available subject to structure
Senior national leadership role with strategic influence
Field-based position (UK-wide, HQ Derby)

Apply

For a confidential discussion regarding this opportunity, please contact SF Partners directly