Director, Customer Service & Product Support

Rust-Oleum•Vernon Hills, IL

6d•$130,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Customer Service, Product Support & Technical Service leads the strategy, performance, and continuous improvement of all customer-facing support functions for Rust-Oleum. This role oversees customer service operations, product support, and technical service teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences across professional contractors, retail partners, distributors, and consumers. The Director ensures customers receive accurate product guidance, technical troubleshooting, and responsive service across multiple channels, while also translating customer insights into actionable improvements for product development, quality, marketing, and operations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Chemistry, Operations Management, or related field required
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in customer service, product support, or technical service
Experience supporting manufacturing, coatings, building materials, industrial products, or consumer goods
Proven success leading large service teams and multi-channel support environments
Experience implementing or managing CRM and customer experience platforms
Strong leadership and team development capabilities
Ability to translate complex technical information into customer-friendly solutions
Data-driven decision making and service performance management
Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
Strategic thinker with operational execution ability

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree preferred
Experience with technical products requiring application support (coatings, chemicals, construction materials, or industrial products)
Familiarity with contractor and retail support environments
Experience integrating customer insights into product development and quality improvements

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the overall customer service strategy aligned with company growth and brand reputation goals.
Lead and manage multi-channel support operations including phone, email, chat, digital platforms, and retail support.
Establish service standards, KPIs, and operational processes that ensure fast, accurate, and customer-centric support.
Drive initiatives that improve Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and first-contact resolution rates.
Oversee product support teams that assist customers with application guidance, product compatibility, troubleshooting, and best practices.
Manage technical experts who support complex inquiries from contractors, retailers, distributors, and industrial customers.
Ensure accurate technical documentation, FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and knowledge base content.
Partner with R&D and Product Management to communicate field insights, product performance feedback, and improvement opportunities.
Analyze customer interaction data to identify trends, recurring issues, and opportunities to improve products, packaging, instructions, and support materials.
Implement technologies such as CRM platforms, knowledge management systems, and AI-assisted service tools.
Standardize workflows across customer service and technical service teams to improve efficiency and scalability.
Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Supply Chain, Quality, and Manufacturing to resolve customer issues and improve product experience.
Support major retail partners and distributors by ensuring strong technical support and service responsiveness.
Represent the voice of the customer in internal strategic discussions.
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of customer service managers, technical specialists, and support staff.
Establish training programs that ensure strong product knowledge and consistent service delivery.
Foster a culture focused on customer advocacy, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
Develop service metrics dashboards and report performance to executive leadership.
Manage department budgets, staffing plans, and operational resources.
Drive operational excellence through automation, workflow optimization, and service innovation.