INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY – Order Department Manager (Hybrid)

Lakeshore Learning Materials•Carson, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Lakeshore is seeking an internal candidate to manage its Order Department. The manager leads and develops order processing professionals and oversees daily order operations to ensure orders are processed accurately and on time. The role includes balancing workloads, prioritizing state contract and portal orders, aligning staffing with volume, and monitoring processing and ship-date targets. The manager investigates order errors and billing disputes, partners with Accounting, FICO, and Tax to resolve complex issues, and serves as an escalation point for Sales, Customer Service, Quotes, Distribution, and IT. The role tracks productivity, quality, and queue KPIs, reporting insights to senior leadership; maintains SOPs; partners with IT on system improvements and testing; and plans seasonal capacity, including recruiting, onboarding, and managing temporary staff during peak periods. The position follows a hybrid schedule based out of Lakeshore’s Carson, California office. It is open to internal candidates only; external candidates will not be considered.

Requirements

Associate's degree or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
At least 4 years of experience leading and developing teams in an order management, operations, or customer service environment.
At least 5 years of hands-on experience in order processing or customer service operations.
Demonstrated ability to manage staffing, scheduling, and workload planning in a high-volume, deadline-driven setting.
Experience resolving complex billing, pricing, or compliance issues across multiple departments.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Working knowledge of SAP or a comparable ERP system.
Ability to work a hybrid schedule based out of the Carson, California office.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, or a related field.
Experience supporting seasonal volume spikes and managing temporary or contract staff.
Familiarity with PCI compliance standards or contract order management, such as state or government contracts.

Responsibilities

Lead, develop, and retain order processing professionals by setting expectations, providing timely coaching and performance feedback, and building bench strength through cross-training and succession planning.
Manage daily order operations, including balancing workload across queues, prioritizing state contract and portal orders, aligning staffing to volume, and monitoring processing and ship-date targets.
Investigate order errors and billing disputes to identify root causes and implement lasting corrective actions.
Partner with Accounting, FICO, and Tax to resolve complex issues.
Serve as an escalation point for Sales, Customer Service, Quotes, Distribution, and IT, driving resolution of complicated or at-risk orders.
Track team productivity, quality, and queue KPIs and provide reports and actionable insights to senior leadership.
Maintain SOPs, eliminate SAP workarounds, and partner with IT on system improvements and testing.
Plan and execute seasonal capacity, including recruiting, onboarding, and managing temporary staff during Back to School and Holiday peaks.