Dir, Customer Care Svcs

City of Austin•Austin, TX

7d•Onsite

About The Position

At the City of Austin, we are more than just an employer—we are a vibrant community dedicated to shaping one of the nation's most dynamic and innovative cities. As we strive to fulfill our commitment as public servants, it is important that we ground our efforts in a set of guiding principles – Empathy, Ethics, Excellence, Engagement, and Equity – anchors in delivering services that significantly impact the lives of Austinites. Joining the City of Austin means embarking on a purposeful career, contributing to the community, and being part of a forward-thinking organization that values every employee. The Customers Care Services Director - of Customer Assistance Programs - is responsible for the strategic leadership, development, and execution of programs designed to support customers experiencing financial hardship or other barriers to service access. This role ensures that assistance initiatives are equitable, accessible, and aligned with the organization’s mission to serve the community with compassion and integrity. The programs include, but it's not limited to, Emergency Financial Assistance (Plus 1), Utility Bill discounts, Arrearage management program amongst others for city of Austin utilities. Under nominal direction, the Customer Care Services Director provides senior-level leadership for staff and programs related to Austin Energy Customer Care Services.

Requirements

Knowledge of quality improvement and project management methodologies.
Knowledge of Program Innovation and Operational Maintenance.
Knowledge of fiscal planning, budget preparation, and presentation.
Knowledge of applicable Federal, State, Local laws and ordinances.
Knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies.
Knowledge of applicable policies, practices, procedures, and standards.
Knowledge of supervisory and managerial techniques and principles.
Skill in effectively resolving customer/citizen escalations.
Skill in development and implementation of customer facing programs.
Skill in essential statistical and analytical reporting and problem solving.
Skill in managing the collection and analysis of operational data.
Skill in contract management, negotiation, and monitoring.
Skill in utilizing data systems and project management solutions to manage and report on operational activities.
Skill in exercising innovative approaches to improve contact center operations and technology.
Ability to effectively audit and forecast operational patterns.
Ability to manage contact center based operations and use whole array of customer contacts, calls portals, emails, outreach communications, and more.
Ability to develop and engage staff and create opportunities for professional growth.
Ability to establish and maintain professional communication and working relationships with City personnel and the public.
Ability to manage financial outcomes and find resolutions to address shortfalls.
Ability to effectively communicate, both orally and written.
Ability to handle hostile conflict and uncertain situations.
Ability to quickly recognize and analyze irregular events.
Graduation with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in Business or in a field related to the job, plus seven (7) years of related experience, including two (2) years of which were in a managerial/executive capacity.
Graduation with a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for two (2) years of the non-managerial/executive experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience at the Director level with a strong focus on managing managers and leading diverse teams within a customer-facing organization.
Demonstrated success overseeing case management operations and customer-facing programs, ensuring effective service delivery, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement.
Experience managing teams that plan, coordinate, and participate in outreach efforts and events to promote community awareness and support emergency response initiatives.
Experience leading teams that use data analytics to enhance the customer experience, support strategic decision-making, and improve service delivery.
Proficient in quality control. root cause analysis and problem-solving methodologies, such as Lean Six Sigma or other quality improvement frameworks.
Experience creating and managing multi-unit budgets of $3 Million or more.
Skilled in developing and delivering high-impact presentations to executive leadership and elected officials.

Responsibilities

Provides strategic management oversight, leadership, and accountability for customer-facing assigned departments.
Analyzes, evaluates, and directs implementation activities of the “Best-in-Class” for integrated services, systems, and programs.
Oversees operations and program and policy development, including internal and external communication coordination, for assigned areas.
Develops and monitors Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budgets and responds to any deviations from the approved cost/timeline and milestone activities.
Provides audit oversight for the accuracy, effectiveness, efficiency, and reliability of operations.
Bears responsibility for providing operational contract management oversight.
Negotiates and manages performance measurements for contracts for services provided by vendors.
Bears responsibility for service-level agreements with other City of Austin departments and fosters positive interdepartmental relationships.
Promotes confidence and public trust through education, communication, and working collaboratively to build internal and external relationships.
Ensures compliance with Local, State, and Federal regulations and oversight bodies, processes, and procedures.
Oversees the development, use, and maintenance of data, metrics, and statistics to develop strategy for increasing customer experience and operational efficiency.
Bears responsibility for creating a culture that regards safety and customer service paramount to operations and customer service delivery.
Provides recommendations and guidance in technology requirements gathering, testing, implementation, and maintenance of systems supporting core functions.
Responsible for the full range of supervisory activities including selection, training, evaluation, counseling, and recommendation for dismissal.