Services Manager

Our client is one of the largest manufacturers of paperboard and paper-based packaging for some of the world’s most recognized brands of food, beverage, foodservice, household, personal care, and pet products. The team is collaborative, diverse, and innovative, creating inspired packaging while giving back to the community.

Reporting to:

Sales Director

Position Summary:

The Services Manager is responsible for strategic management and tactical coordination for the eastern Canada sheetfed customer service team. This is a key position within the Canadian regional leadership team. The Services Manager provides a critical point of contact for both external customers and internal operations and is tasked with leading world class customer service.

The Services Manager is a skilled leader capable of providing direction to a team of employees consistent with the company’s values: ensuring team compliance with all standard work practices and processes. The Services Manager promotes an environment dedicated to exceeding customer expectations while at the same time fully aligned with the business, financial, and operational objectives of the company.

Position Responsibilities:

• Effective leadership of customer service teams ensuring high levels of coordination between team members.
• Partner with site leadership teams to ensure front-end order entry and customer communication standards are met or exceeded.
• Train, develop, and evaluate customer service teams using company performance management process.
• Develop succession planning framework for long-term consistency of department.
• Monitor and manage the workload of the customer service teams.
• Manage responsiveness and relationships with all internal and external customers.
• Ensure compliance with all company policies, procedures and processes.
• Oversee the timely arrival of input materials required to process orders in a timely fashion.
• Communicate production improvements to production control.
• Coordinate and manage finished goods inventories to ensure all financial commitments are balanced against service needs.
• Maintain positive relationships between Customer Service, Operations Mgt., Sales, Suppliers, and the Customer.
• Initiate/lead/manage projects that improve customer satisfaction and/or reduce costs.
• Maximize daily order entry throughput.
• Review and communicate customer commitments to shipping and other department to meet customer needs.
• Monitor raw materials ordering process with purchasing to ensure raw materials are timely ordered to meet delivery dates.
• Maintain inventory records.
• Prepare reports, as needed, by management.
• Travel as required…less than 30%.

Required Competencies:

• • Customer Focus – Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.
  • Composure/Diplomacy – Can negotiate skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups; can settle differences with minimal noise. Win consensus without damaging relationships, can be both direct and forceful as well as diplomatic. Gains trust quickly of other parties to the negotiations and has a good sense of timing.
  • Integrity and Trust – Is widely trusted. Is seen as direct, truthful individual. Can present the unvarnished truth in an appropriate and helpful manner. Keeps confidences. Admits mistakes. Doesn’t misrepresent him/herself for personal gain.
  • Action Oriented – Enjoys working hard; is action oriented and full of energy for the things he/she sees as challenging; not fearful of acting with a minimum of planning; seizes more opportunities than others.
  • Time Management – Uses his/her time effectively and efficiently. Has a strong value on time of others. Concentrates his/her efforts on the more important priorities and gets more done in less time than others. Can attend to a broader range of activities.
  • Microsoft Excel – Proficient in Excel using pivot table, complex spreadsheets, and other formulas.
  • Written Communication – Is able to write clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication styles and settings. Can get messages across that have the desired effect.
  • Team Player – Focuses on solving conflict; not blame; maintains confidentiality; listens without interrupting; keeps emotions under control; remains open to others’ ideas and tries new things.
  • Business Acumen - Understands business implications of decisions; displays orientation to profitability.
  • Hands-on – Willing to be hands on as required in ERP systems.

Experience & Education Requirements:

• 10+ years customer service management experience.
• 5+ years of proven experience effectively leading diverse teams to exceed goals.
• Strong level of understanding and experience using ERP business applications.
• Bachelor’s degree in related field.
• Experience and/or certification in Lean Six Sigma, 5S, Kaizen, and value stream mapping.
• Bilingual English and French (asset).