Customer Service Team Lead Job

The Customer Service Team Lead position reports to the Supply Chain Manager. This position has 3 Customer Service direct reports – at current, Customer Account Representative, Account Specialists and International Account Specialist.  

Position responsible for the Sales Order Management process, customer satisfaction and support, account reconciliation, and supporting the revenue stream of Arkema, Inc. for a Team of Customer Service professionals  Leading a customer service team of 3 people, interfacing with 5 plants/shipping locations, Logistics, Credit, Accounts Receivable, Regulatory, and other Arkema departments, and reporting to the Supply Chain (Manager/Director). Interface and participate in the Customer Service Leadership Team through meetings, projects, and initiatives. 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

The Arkema Customer Service Organization is centralized in structure but de-centralized in execution as the incumbent will support a particular Business Unit (s).  

Daily functions are conducted in accordance with Arkema, Inc. Customer Service ISO 9000 Quality & Procedures Manual, Business Unit Work Instructions and associated documents, Business Unit Rules or Guidelines, Company Policies and Procedures, Federal, State and Local Legal, Tax, Health, Safety and Environmental Guidelines/Regulations (Includes Robinson Pactman Act, Hazmat, TOSCA, USMCA, Product Stewardship, DOT, IMCO, among others.

• 30% Team Leadership – With assistance & guidance, train, coach, and develop team members to ensure customer satisfaction. Increase efficiency, productivity, and profitability through continuous improvement of the order process (i.e. Customer Master, AEN functionality, SAP reports, and additional avenues of improvement). Meet frequently as a team and with individuals to evaluate and develop team members, enhancing necessary competencies to sustain success.   Ensure the proper distribution of workload among the team based on skill level and volume. Review, manage and train employees in business specific procedures, such a complaint management.  Provide the team with the required tools, resources & access to successfully complete the required job functions.  
• 40% - Order Management & Issues Resolution - Order management includes key customers, with one or more supply chain models or more complex order processes, such as vendor managed inventory, consignment, etc. All orders will be entered and acknowledged within 24 hours.  Knowledgeable in and executes SAP customer master and output settings to provide consistent information to customers, such as Order Acknowledgement, ASN, COA, Invoice.  Provide information on pricing, availability, and schedule information with a full understanding of product and packaging options.  Quote, list pricing/special arrangements/discounts as agreed to by sales. Maintain or exceed customer revenue and working capital targets. Proactively monitors orders, using SAP tools and custom reports, for on-time shipping, delivery, order process status and identifies areas of concern in the quote to cash process. Alerts customers of issues and recommends proper solutions throughout the quote to cash process.  Manage & execute Debit/Credit/Residuals management, for self and team.
• 20% Business/Supply Chain - Prepare and analyze monthly statistical reports recapping residuals, adjustments, complaints, etc. to identify areas for improvement and additional training needs.  Review Accounts Receivable for accurate reconciliation and assist in collection efforts.  Perform or direct additional business specific related activities as directed by Manager to support sales and distribution processes. May include: inside sales, import, export, collections, forecasting, Supply Chain, various report requests.
• 10% Networking, Shared Practices & Training - Actively participate & contribute to the Customer Service Leadership Team and ISO Management Review. Share knowledge with other team members, update other members on team status, and share best practices and new information, identify opportunities to implement best practice solutions for supply chain challenges within this specific business unit.   Frequently works with the Business Process Optimization Center for Quote to Cash, Master Data, International, and Purchase to Pay processes, institutionalizing best practices into the Customer Service Team. As appropriate for learning new processes, reports, process changes, apply learnings in this role.  Can include product training, process training, etc. Attend offered training to support development plan and strengthen skills.

Minimum Years of Experience

• Minimum 7+ in Customer Service/Supply Chain or other business-related experience.

Education and area of focus

• Bachelor’s Degree required. Emphasis in Supply Chain/Engineering/Business degree preferred.

Competencies – Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Intermediate skills in Microsoft applications: Word, Excel and Power Point.  
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal), problem solving & decision-making skills; presentation skills. Experience in mentoring and providing feedback to peers and below.
• Supervisory experience preferred.
• International experience preferred.
• Advanced SAP Skills required
• Experienced Customer Service professional which consistently demonstrates skills needed to build a climate of trust and respect and uses experiences to quickly gain the confidence of others.  Easily navigates relationships and is very trustworthy. Proactively seeks out information to enhance customer experiences with Arkema, knowledgeable about the customer and the customers’ business, is a subject matter expert & can make suggestions and recommendations to fill gaps for customers.   Strategic and analytical thinking and exhibits leadership skills across the BU customer service team and within their BU, as well as within their network of other BU Team leads and managers. Establishes trust through feedback from management and mentoring of 1 or more customer service team members.
• Consistently communicates effectively verbally and in writing and is able to identify and provide peer mentoring on best methods of communication to utilize in various customer and internal team scenarios.  This individual is typically sought out for information from the team and business regarding process questions and product delivery. Effectively communicates regulations and works with many staff departments forwarder/broker for import and export activities.  Ensures compliance through reviewing and proactively communicating order status. This person understand how to communicate with customers, and suppliers for desired results. 
  Creates relationship with customers, gains appropriate business knowledge.  Understands customer order patterns and monitors changes, reports issues to sales staff. Offers resolution to issues within business specific limits.
• Leads and reviews team requirements for execution for order management and customer satisfaction. Must be able to multi-task and work efficiently through complicated processes and be a ready back up and/or troubleshooter for team needs with customers. Works with Supply Chain leader to design a model for team backups and cross-training to ensure efficient and high-quality order management and customer service.  Manages and mentors 1 or more customer service team members in this skill set.
• SAP Power-user, expert knowledge of customer master data; Ability to lead, mentor and execute most complicated customer delivery processes, such as vendor managed inventory, consignment with reconciliation.  Most complex customer relationship order processes, skilled at understanding gaps and providing solutions that are beneficial Arkema and the customer.  Knowledgeable in SAP inventory, ATP checks, product lead-time and works with plant for product availability and marketing/sales on pricing.  Actively participates in Supply Chain S&OP meetings, understands changes and impact to product delivery. Exposure to multiple BU (minimum of 2) and has displayed the technical knowledge and competencies needed to lead others through mentoring and feedback. Has business and technical/functional knowledge in area of responsibility.
• Exercises good judgment for self and team on all tasks by evaluating the impact of decisions on the customers and the organization. Seeks counsel of the Supply Chain leader for more difficult or complex situations. Independently takes the customer service lead on investigating and implementing strategy on new business scenarios (3rd party direct, consignment, swaps). Strategic & analytical skillset is displayed broadly, determining solutions that are in the best interest of our customers and Arkema. Leads one or more customer service team members in developing and maintaining this skill set.
• Arkema Inc. is a Chemical company and as such, all employees are expected to champion Arkema’s safety culture, exhibit personal safety and as it pertains to this role, learn about products and execute daily work tasks to ensure product safety. Attends required safety training and meetings and actively contributes to upholding our safety culture by living our safety values and reminding/reviewing these with the customer service team they lead.

HES Requirements

• Supports the site HES policy and complies with all regulatory and internal requirements
• Participates in HES activities provided by site management and Arkema Inc. (e.g., Behavioral Base Safety, SafeStart, etc.)
• Supports and promotes the reporting of all health, safety, environmental, near-miss, accident or injury incidents

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

• Hybrid schedule minimum 3 days in office
• Dynamic and fast-paced environment

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