Escalation Manager - Customer Care Centers

Bank OZK•Little Rock, AR

21h

About The Position

The Escalation Manager leads day-to-day management of the Customer Care escalation queue and provides real-time decision support for complex and high-risk customer interactions. The role promotes consistent, well-documented escalation handling aligned with financial crimes standards, including identifying and reporting suspicious activity. It partners with Customer Care leadership and Financial Crimes Risk Management to support sound risk practices and fraud-aware call handling. The position coaches team members during live escalations, reinforces appropriate escalation pathways and documentation, and coordinates required handoffs to leadership or Financial Crimes Risk Management. It also partners with stakeholders to improve processes and procedures, reports on escalation trends and outcomes, and hires, develops, coaches, leads, and retains high-performing talent. Other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
At least 5 years of work experience in a call center, customer service, banking operations, and/or retail banking environment.
At least 2 years of work experience in contact center risk support, fraud servicing, or escalations.
At least 1 year of experience leading or influencing frontline teams through coaching, real-time guidance, and process reinforcement.
Ability to use discretion and sound judgment in decision-making.
Strong decision-making ability in escalated customer interactions.
Excellent customer service skills, balancing customer experience with risk controls.
Effective verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to provide calm, clear direction during live escalations.
Strong documentation discipline and ability to reinforce procedural adherence.
Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Accuracy, thoroughness, and attention to detail.
Effective interpersonal skills to build collaborative work relationships and create a team environment.
Ability to operate customary business equipment and technology, with or without accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in business or a relevant field.

Responsibilities

Manage the Customer Care Escalation Queue and provide guidance and decision support so responses align with established standards.
Promote consistent decision-making, clear accountability, and disciplined follow-through.
Coach team members during live escalations and ensure escalation pathways are used appropriately.
Reinforce standards for identifying and responding to unusual activity, including submitting an Unusual Incident Report (UIR) when appropriate.
Ensure escalated cases meet documentation expectations and receive required handoffs, including escalation to leadership and/or Financial Crimes Risk Management resources.
Partner with stakeholders to improve processes and refine procedures in response to evolving risk.
Prepare and deliver reporting on escalation activity, trends, and outcomes for leadership visibility and decision-making.
Coordinate with cross-functional partners to resolve complex escalations and align with operational, compliance, and risk requirements.
Hire, develop, coach, lead, and retain top talent.
Perform other duties as assigned.