Performance Excellence Lead, Support Operations

Shopify

16h

About The Position

The Performance Excellence Lead is an individual-contributor role within Shopify’s Performance Excellence team in Support Operations. The team works like a small product-build team, using fast cycles to define excellent merchant support and improve Support Delivery performance. This is a hands-on, outcomes-focused role that combines data analysis, problem framing, stakeholder engagement, and execution. The person in this role is accountable for carrying issues through to fixes that are launched and sustained, rather than handing off recommendations. The role has room to shape support performance at Shopify. It involves setting measurable targets, organizing work into six-week sprints, identifying and prioritizing opportunities from support and operational data, and using AI tools to improve individual and team workflows. The Performance Excellence Lead partners primarily with Support Delivery, creates frameworks and playbooks that are adopted across the broader support team, and brings evidence from merchant support into wider product and operational decisions.

Requirements

Strong instinct for what constitutes an excellent merchant support experience and ability to quickly develop a deep understanding of performance in a support delivery organization.
Strong stakeholder management skills, including translating a vision, gaining buy-in, and understanding business realities with stakeholders.
Proven project management ability, including quickly assembling a team, running focused sprints, and delivering outcomes on short timelines.
Strong data and analytical skills, including working directly with data to identify, size, and defend priorities.
Demonstrable experience using AI to work faster and better, supported by concrete examples of impact.
Understanding of effective coaching in a support context and ability to run certification programs and turn frameworks into practical tools.
Bias for action and the people skills to motivate others.
Track record of building solutions that others adopt and establishing standards beyond immediate fixes.
Comfort challenging established practices when evidence supports a better approach.
Ability to transfer knowledge through documentation, coaching, or modeling.
Clear, direct written communication focused on getting decisions made.

Responsibilities

Define and communicate a point of view on high performance in Support Delivery and merchant experience, and translate it into measurable targets.
Plan and drive work in six-week sprints by defining outcomes, bringing together the right people, and delivering on short timelines.
Analyze support and operational data to identify breakdowns in merchant experience, quantify opportunities, and prioritize work.
Use AI tooling to improve personal workflows and develop faster, smarter ways of working for the team.
Balance strategic direction with tactical execution and remain accountable for shipped outcomes.
Partner with Support Delivery stakeholders to align on priorities and outcomes.
Build frameworks and playbooks that are used by the broader support team.
Bring merchant evidence from support data into wider organizational discussions to inform product and operational decisions.
Apply understanding of support coaching and run certification programs, translating frameworks into practical tools people use.
Transfer knowledge through documentation, coaching, or modeling, and help colleagues improve their capabilities.
Challenge established practices when evidence supports a better approach.
Communicate clearly and directly in writing to support decision-making.