Customer Operations Team Leader

Position Summary:

The Customer Operations Team Leader leads the Corrugated Packaging Customer Operations team, ensuring high-quality customer support and order management are delivered efficiently and consistently.

The role is responsible for team performance, service delivery, workload management, and continuous improvement. Working closely with Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, and other business stakeholders, the Team Leader ensures customer needs are met, operational issues are resolved, and service standards are achieved.

The Team Leader leads and develops the team, promotes a customer-focused culture, and drives continuous improvement across processes and systems. The Team Leader also provides operational support during periods of increased demand, leave, or unplanned absences to ensure service standards are maintained and team objectives are achieved.

Key Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Performance:

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Customer Operations Specialists.
• Set clear expectations and support team members to achieve performance and service targets.
• Monitor workload, productivity, quality, and service levels.
• Conduct regular performance conversations, development planning, and coaching.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and capability development.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Customer Operations:

• Ensure customer orders and requests are processed accurately and within agreed service levels.
• Oversee the resolution of customer issues and escalations.
• Maintain a strong focus on customer experience and service excellence.
• Provide operational support during peak periods and where business continuity is required.

Stakeholder Management:

• Build effective working relationships across Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Design, Finance, and Commercial teams.
• Act as a key escalation point for customer and operational issues.
• Communicate proactively with stakeholders regarding priorities, risks, and service performance.
• Support alignment between customer requirements and operational capability.

Systems, Data & Continuous Improvement:

• Ensure accurate customer, product, and order data is maintained across business systems.
• Monitor operational performance and report on key service metrics.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, efficiency, and customer outcomes.
• Support system enhancements, standardisation initiatives, and business improvement projects.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and governance requirements.

Key Challenges:

• Maintaining high levels of customer service, operational performance, and data accuracy within a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Managing competing priorities and building alignment across customers, stakeholders, teams, and systems to deliver business outcomes.
• Driving continuous improvement, capability development, and process standardisation while ensuring day-to-day service delivery remains effective.

Key Relationships:

Primary Functional Peer/Manager:

• Customer Service & New Work Manager

Direct Reports:

• Customer Operations Specialists currently 5

Key Internal Stakeholders:

• Sales and Account Managers
• Operations teams
• Finance team
• Product Design teams

Key External Stakeholders

• Customers
• Suppliers
• Logistics and service providers

Key Requirements:

Experience & Qualifications:

Mandatory Critical for the Role:

• Experience leading or supervising a customer service, customer operations, or shared services team.
• 710 years of experience in customer service, order management, or commercial operations.
• Experience working with ERP or order management systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.

Desirable Preferable for the Role:

• Experience in a GCC or shared services environment.
• Experience with EDI and integrated customer systems.
• Experience leading process improvement initiatives.

Skills:

• Leadership and people development.
• Communication and stakeholder management.
• Customer service and operational excellence.
• Planning, prioritisation, and execution.
• Problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Systems, data, and process capability.