**Director, Customer Service – Drive Customer Experience and Operational Excellence at blithequark**

Are you a seasoned leader with a passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences and driving operational excellence? Do you thrive in a dynamic environment where innovation and collaboration meet? If so, we invite you to join blithequark, a leading nonprofit biological resources and standards organization, as our Director of Customer Service. At blithequark, we're committed to shaping the future of science and global health by providing trusted, authenticated biological materials to the scientific community. As a key member of our team, you'll play a vital role in promoting a high-performance culture, driving process improvements, and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations. With a flexible hybrid work arrangement, you'll have the opportunity to work from either Manassas, VA or Gaithersburg, MD, two days a week, while enjoying the benefits of a dynamic and mission-driven organization. **About the Role** As our Director of Customer Service, you'll be responsible for leading a team of 30+ employees operating across all US time zones. Your primary focus will be on driving continuous process improvement and change management through the successful implementation of technology and IT solutions during an ERP implementation. You'll oversee the operational objectives of our Customer Service function, promoting a high-performance culture, developing budgets, and planning for organizational growth. In addition to customer experience, this role will oversee the team providing technical/scientific troubleshooting on product questions from blithequark customers. Your expertise in customer retention strategies and customer relationship management (CRM) will enable you to resolve customer concerns effectively and develop a customer contact strategy that drives long-term loyalty. **Responsibilities** * **Strategic Leadership and Customer Retention**: Provide strategic direction for sales services and customer support, ensuring high-quality service delivery. Direct all facets of customer retention, including resolving customer concerns and developing a customer contact strategy. * **Performance Management and Continuous Improvement**: Establish and monitor performance metrics to ensure customer service standards are met, taking corrective action when necessary. Lead the continuous development of the customer service function, emphasizing product knowledge, proactive selling, and overall customer satisfaction. * **Cross-functional Collaboration and Data-Driven Decision Making**: Maintain strategic ties with other business units to ensure services meet customer and operational needs. Leverage data to identify performance gaps and coordinate actions across the leadership team to deliver improved results. **Qualifications** * **Education and Experience**: Bachelor's degree and 12 or more years' experience, including 6 or more years' supervisory experience or equivalent experience. * **Leadership Experience**: Proven experience in leading and managing a customer service team, with a strong track record of driving high performance and achieving operational objectives. * **Customer Retention Strategies**: Expertise in customer retention strategies and customer relationship management (CRM), with the ability to resolve customer concerns effectively. * **Process Improvement**: Demonstrated prior success leading process improvement initiatives and enhancing the overall customer experience through proactive selling and product knowledge. * **Communication and Collaboration**: Strong ability to interact with and maintain strategic relationships with other business units to ensure customer and operational needs are met. * **Data-Driven Decision Making**: Proficiency in leveraging data to identify performance gaps and coordinate actions across the leadership team to deliver improved results. * **Budgeting and Planning**: Experience in developing budgets, long-term planning, and implementing strategic policies to achieve organizational growth and future needs. * **Coaching and Counseling**: Skilled in coaching and counseling managers and supervisors, including goal setting, personnel management, and leadership development. **Benefits** * **Competitive Salary**: The expected salary range for this position is $140,000 to $155,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience and qualifications as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. * **Incentive Compensation**: This role may be eligible for additional incentive compensation, including regular merit increases and the corporate bonus program. * **Comprehensive Benefits Package**: Health & Wellness, Comprehensive medical coverage and company-paid Life Insurance, Disability Insurance & AD&D, Work life balance with Paid Holidays and PTO, Fitness and cell phone subsidies, and additional benefits such as Aflac, legal services, and pet insurance. * **Employee Assistance Program**: Offering around-the-clock counseling. * **Financial Security**: 401(a) (6% employer contribution) and 403(b) (2% match) retirement plans, Exceptional career advancement opportunities, recognition, and rewards, Corporate bonus program. * **Mission Focused**: Join a non-profit organization supporting critical life science research, contributing to community involvement and social responsibility. **Join blithequark** At blithequark, we're committed to fueling your success, well-being, and development. As a mission-focused non-profit Equal Opportunity Employer, we champion diversity and inclusivity. When you work at blithequark, you become a part of that mission, one we've committed to for almost 100 years. Shape the future of science with us. **Equal Opportunity Employer** blithequark is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. **Apply Now** Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level and drive customer experience and operational excellence at blithequark? Apply now and join our team of dedicated professionals who are shaping the future of science and global health. Apply for this job