Customer Advocate - (26-OMAC-103000-057)

DC Water • Washington, DC

10h • Hybrid

About The Position

At DC Water, we provide essential water, wastewater, and stormwater services to over 700,000 District of Columbia residents and 24.6 million annual visitors, as well as wholesale wastewater treatment services for 1.8 million people in surrounding counties. Our vision is to be known for superior service, ingenuity, and stewardship, advancing the health and well-being of our diverse workforce and communities. We are committed to exceeding expectations by providing high-quality water services in a safe, environmentally friendly, and efficient manner. The Customer Advocate serves as a dedicated representative for all customers, both residential and commercial, focusing on resolving complex customer service issues and complaints. This role is crucial for building community partnerships to support DC Water's mission of delivering world-class water services. The Customer Advocate is responsible for establishing and maintaining positive relationships with customers and acting as the primary customer service contact for water and sewer projects, ensuring timely and effective responses to inquiries, concerns, and feedback.

Requirements

• Ten (10) years of responsible experience providing customer service to both internal and external customers.
• Strong knowledge of DC Water operations, services, policies, and procedures.
• Knowledge of DC Water’s information systems including Meter Maintenance Information System (MMIS) and the water service shutdown system, Geographical Information System (GIS), Customer Service Information System (CSIS), WEB map Information System, and other systems.
• General knowledge of plans, 200 ft. sheets, valve cards, plumbing cards, and other mapping documents or electronic media related to the distribution/collection Systems.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Communications from an accredited college or university; or an equivalent combination of education and experience, consisting of a High school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate and fourteen (14) years of responsible experience providing customer service to both internal and external customers.
• Project Management.
• Customer Service Mindset.
• Verbal and Written Communication.
• Cross-cultural Sensitivity.
• Empathy & Emotional Intelligence.
• Stakeholder Management.
• Conflict Resolution.
• Microsoft Office, including Word, PowerPoint, Publisher & Excel.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and obtain a DC Water driver’s permit within 90 days of hire or transfer date.
• Must complete the DC Water Financial Disclosure statement within 30 days of employment and annually thereafter.
• English language proficiency.

Nice To Haves

• Extensive customer service and/or community outreach knowledge and experience.
• Bachelor’s degree with major course work in Business, Communications, Public Relations, or related field from an accredited college or university.
• Spanish language proficiency.
• Contract Management.
• Budgeting.
• Data Management Systems.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a dedicated advocate for all customers, representing their interests and addressing their needs, concerns, and complaints with empathy, professionalism, and urgency.
• Works closely with customers to resolve complex customer service issues and complaints in a professional manner and informs customers about water outages and other emergency work.
• Informs communities and stakeholders about DC Water’s priorities including construction projects and customer service topics including billing, customer assistance, and environmental stewardship through project and community outreach activities.
• Interfaces with community and government officials, and other DC Water stakeholders regarding repair, maintenance, and construction activities associated with planned and emergency projects.
• Follows-up and responds to all customer inquiries and concerns within targeted timeframes during regular and after business hours ensuring customer satisfaction.
• Informs internal stakeholders, including field staff and supervisors, project design, and construction teams, etc. about planned work and key issues.
• Interfaces with external stakeholders including State Highway Administration, Prince George’s and Montgomery County Departments of Public Works, Department of Environmental Services, etc. to ensure DC Water’s compliance with state and county regulations.
• Evaluates customer service programs, procedures and trends, establishes, and monitors metrics and reports the results and outcomes of customer satisfaction and community outreach activities.
• Maintains accurate records, logs, and databases of customer interactions, inquiries, and complaints, ensuring confidentiality, privacy, and compliance with data protection regulations.
• Collects, documents, and analyzes customer feedback, suggestions, and complaints to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement in service delivery, processes, and policies.
• Demonstrates independent, professional judgment to identify and resolve customer service issues with DC Water’s contractors including recommending and authorizing the completion of follow-up work in coordination with appropriate departments.
• Responds to emergency situations, service interruptions, and crisis events affecting customers, providing support, guidance, and assistance as needed to mitigate impacts and restore services.
• Collaborates with all levels including senior and executive management, communicates complex issues and suggests options for resolving concerns.
• Identifies and engages new businesses to promote DC Water’s services and helps navigate processes and procedures.
• Drives a vehicle to conduct DC Water business, including Emergency Response Vehicles.
• May serve on committees and work teams.
• Assists with consumer education and customer involvement.
• Performs other duties and projects as assigned at the discretion of Director, Community Affairs.

Benefits

• Take pride in your work. We provide an essential service and do work that matters. A career at DC Water is an exciting opportunity to help improve the environment and make a lasting difference for the community.
• Connect to a strong culture. Everything we do is grounded in our shared values—accountability, trust, teamwork, customer focus, safety, and wellbeing.
• Be your true self. We are an inclusive organization that embraces diversity, and we recognize and celebrate employees’ individuality and unique contributions.
• Build your skills and career path. We are committed to developing a future-ready workforce by helping our employees develop skills for the jobs of tomorrow.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees