Manager, Customer Service and Support (Broad)

This role focuses on customer service, with the primary goal of ensuring customer satisfaction and driving business growth through operational excellence. Key responsibilities include establishing and maintaining service standards, managing resources and workflows, and resolving customer issues effectively. The role also involves improving processes, managing vendor relationships, and supporting commercial and financial goals. A significant part of the job is leading and developing the customer service team to foster a culture of continuous improvement and service excellence.

• Customer Service Operations Management
• - Establish internal operational standards for customer service operations in line with agreed customer Service Level Agreements and APLL Operational
• Excellence standards
• - Drive work and resource allocation for various customer accounts based on volumes, seasonality and criticality of shipments
• - Manage peak/off peak resource allocation and drive inter-departmental workflow efficiencies
• - Oversee shipment planning operations across various customer accounts by holding service teams accountable for key operational metrics and customer
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
• - Drive effective problem solving for major customer service issues to ensure restoration of service levels and customer satisfaction
• - Escalate issues with non-standard complexity, larger than approved cost impact, or compliance threats
• - Review and report periodically on operations dashboard comprising key performance and service compliance metrics to provide end-to-end visibility for the assigned LOBs' operations

Operational Excellence
- Engage local vendors, suppliers and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for resolving customer issues and/or adding value to customer service
- Participate in business reviews with customers to assess performance, deliver operational excellence and drive business growth
- Continuously identify service gaps, make recommendations and implement solutions to enhance customer satisfaction
- Review performance and productivity metrics of service teams to evaluate efficiencies, justify resource allocation and identify and address reasons for low productivity
- Lead Kaizen program and initiatives to drive continuous improvement within customer service operations; hold service teams accountable for continuous improvements in the operational processes
- Drive operations excellence and sustainable productivity growth through oversight of the Center of Excellence for Customer Service, aimed at adopting and sharing best practices in customer service and identifying productivity synergies
- Collaborate with technology teams to identify solutions for process issues and inefficiencies where required
- Collaborate with key stakeholders to execute BCP in times of crisis
- Drive compliance of customer service operations to applicable regulatory and compliance guidelines, including APLL governance standards, local regulations etc.
- Support internal and external audit processes and lead and close any audit issues identified
Vendor Management
- Build relationships with local vendors and suppliers to drive improvements in customer service outcomes and hold and suppliers vendors accountable for agreed performance criteria
- Manage costs arising out of vendor issues as per contractual agreements
- Collaborate with vendors and suppliers to drive greater process efficiencies through resolving process issues, optimizing workflows
 

Commercial and Financial Support
- Develop and drive Vendor Logistics Program to identify and execute opportunities for local business growth
- Build upselling skills within customer services team through training and work assignments; motivate staff to achieve greater commercial outcomes through upselling
 

Relationship Management
- Build relationships and communication channels with key customer representatives to ensure collaboration, clarity of expectations and responsive and effective resolution of customer issues
- Build relationships with Buyers/KAM, Vendors, Carriers, nominated forwarders to enable Operational Excellence and drive volume growth
 

• Team and People Management
• - Manage budgets, workforce size and allocation for the customer service team to ensure team is optimally staffed
• - Lead goal setting, periodic performance feedback, and effective performance management and rewards for the team
• - Drive continuous learning and upskilling through providing learning and development opportunities and holding staff accountable for their learning and development
• - Build a culture of service excellence, continuous improvement, flexibility and cost consciousness within the customer service team
• - Drive build-up off talent pipeline to ensure adequate succession planning for key staff

EDUCATION
- University Degree or equivalent, with a minimum 8-10 years working experience in the logistics industry and proven track record in Customer Service/ Operations.
- In depth knowledge and experience of local Carrier, Forwarder, CFS and Documentation procedures and International Supply Chain flows.
- In depth knowledge local regulatory, regional practices, cultural differences.
 

Experience

General Experience
- Minimum 8 to 10 years working experience in the logistics industry and proven track record in Customer Service/Operations, with in depth knowledge and experience of local Carrier, Forwarder, CFS and Documentation procedures and International Supply Chain flows, and a strong track record in managing large accounts (complex business rules) and engaging MNC stakeholders.
 

• Managerial Experience
• - Experience leading Customer Service teams in the logistics sector.
• - Track record in managing large accounts (complex business rules) and engaging MNC stakeholders.
• - Highly data-driven and process-minded leader, who has led large teams.
• - Able to articulate complex supply chain topics, meaningfully engage senior stakeholders and seek solutions in an ambiguous environment.
• - Able to leverage technology or mobilize suitable stakeholders to implement solutions.
• - Cross functional experience is highly preferred.
• - International work experience is advantageous.