Senior Customer Service Manager (Food & Beverage)

Symrise•Hasbrouck Heights, NJ

54d•$120,000 - $135,000

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Senior Customer Service Manager to lead our multi-site customer service teams across Springfield Missouri, Elyria Ohio, New Jersey, and Canada. This role plays a critical part in ensuring the smooth execution of the order fulfillment process while maintaining exceptional service standards for our food industry clients. The ideal candidate will bring a passion for service, hands-on leadership style, and a proven ability to manage and develop high-performing, cross-regional teams. This position requires a proactive leader with strong communication skills and a customer-first mindset who thrives in a fast-paced, regulated environment. Experience in the food manufacturing industry is strongly preferred.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required in Business, Supply Chain, Food Science or other related disciplines.
6-8 years of experience in customer service, with at least 5 years in a management role within a food manufacturing or related regulated manufacturing industry.
Experience leading multi-site and remote teams that work cross functionally on projects.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written) with the ability to build strong relationships across locations and functions is essential.
Proficiency in SAP including order management, EDI ordering, and MRP functions.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Hands-on leader that will coach and mentor their team and understands each position in their structure enough to be able to roll up their sleeves as necessary to assist (i.e. train a CS Supervisor on SAP order entry, fill in as a CS Rep when the team is short-handed, etc.).
Ability to manage multiple priorities and perform under pressure in a fast-paced, customer-driven environment.
Deep understanding of food safety, traceability, and industry-specific customer service requirements (e.g., FSMA, SQF, HACCP principles).
Willingness and ability to travel approximately 40-50% across North America and Canada to support and engage with regional teams.

Responsibilities

Develops Customer Service One F&B Strategy and Roadmap, aligned with the Business and Supply Chain goals.
Lead and oversee customer service operations across all regional locations, consistent processes, service quality, and compliance with food industry standards.
Evaluate processes (SOPs) for efficiency and streamlining across entities and divisions
Manage the end-to-end order fulfillment process, including shipment prioritization, issue resolution, and customer communication, ensuring timely and accurate deliveries.
Create and monitor key reports to assess 'watch outs' or 'pain points' for seamless service delivery
Proactively initiates and implements process improvements. Leads new projects and initiatives with emphasis on service excellence and operational efficiency.
Establish and adhere to customer service standards according to SLAs
Provide hands-on leadership, supporting teams through active coaching, performance tracking, and real-time problem solving.
Ensures proper account and work distribution for sustainable service level agreement adherence
Establish individual training and development plans for all Customer Service Representatives, focusing on both technical skills and position-specific knowledge.
Conduct performance reviews, skills assessments, and provide actionable feedback to foster continuous improvement and team engagement.
Function as systems super user (SAP, CX, etc) to access and resolve customer issues; assist with coverage during absences due to medical leave or staff PTO
Partner with Quality Assurance to manage customer complaints, lead root cause investigations, and implement corrective/preventive actions to reduce recurrence.
Coordinate with key stake holders, including Customers, Sales, Supply Chain, Operations and Finance to ensure alignment of customer experience and order to payment processes.
Participates in day-to-day activities to ensure customer expectations are met
Coordinates the ASF (Anticipated Sales Forecast) process, working with key stake holders to deliver the expected budget.
Provides forecast from Customers, supporting the monthly sales and operations planning (S&OP) discussions, reviewing open orders, delivery schedules, and plant-specific updates.
Maintain and update the Lost Business Alert and New Business Alert processes.
Leads projects to drive excellence in Service and efficiencies in Customer Service
Examine, analyze, develop and present a variety of operational performance measurement results, deriving insights regarding key performance indicators to inform on the business and voice of the customer
Translate KPIs into actionable goals and metrics to evaluate personal performance of team members
Represent the Customer Service function in key internal and external meetings, including those with major food customers and stakeholders.