Sr. Manager, Customer Service

Knauf Insulation•Shelbyville, IN

21h

About The Position

Join Knauf as the leader of our Customer Experience and Service Operations, where you’ll shape how customers experience us from first order through ongoing partnership. You’ll set the strategy and own the performance for order entry, order management, claims, and customer communications—using data to improve speed, quality, and consistency at scale. As a visible, hands-on leader, you’ll mentor a high-performing team, streamline processes, and introduce smarter tools that make work easier for employees and customers alike. You’ll partner closely with Sales, Supply Chain, Logistics, IT, Finance, and Manufacturing, and serve as a senior point of contact for strategic customers—bringing the voice of the customer into every decision. If you’re energized by setting direction, delivering measurable results, and elevating the customer journey, this role offers the autonomy and impact you’re looking for. Integrity, vision, professionalism, and passion are core to success here.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration or related field
Minimum 5 years of experience in Customer Service, Product Management, or a similar customer-facing leadership role; manufacturing background preferred
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, ERP/MRP systems (SAP preferred), Salesforce, and Tableau.
Strong administrative, organizational, communication, and people-leadership skills.
Excellent mathematical, analytical, and problem-solving abilities; adept at objection handling and root-cause analysis.
Proven expertise in call control, order management, time management, and documentation.
Strategic thinker with demonstrated ability to set direction, execute, and deliver outcomes.
Strong understanding of sales principles, methods, and strategies; ability to balance customer needs with business goals.
Up-to-date awareness of industry trends and customer service best practices.
Exceptional verbal presentation, active listening, and written communication skills.
Highly motivated, hands-on, self-starter with strong attention to detail and follow-through.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership Set the strategic direction for Customer Service in alignment with Knauf’s business objectives and growth plans.
Develop, improve, and implement service strategies, policies, procedures, and standards that elevate quality, productivity, and profitability.
Define and manage KPIs for order entry and management, response time, issue resolution, and customer satisfaction, link performance to financial outcomes.
Define what “best-in-class” looks like for Knauf through benchmarking and customer insights and hold the organization accountable for meeting those standards.
Lead customer-focused initiatives that increase satisfaction, loyalty, and retention while supporting commercial goals.
Operational Excellence Oversee end-to-end customer service operations, including order intake, order management, claims, and escalations; ensure standardized processes across businesses.
Own the end-to-end claims process (e.g., freight damage/shortage, pricing disputes, credit/debit memos): establish policies and SOPs, approval matrices, documentation standards, and SLAs to ensure timely, accurate resolution and cost recovery; partner with Quality, Logistics, Sales, and Finance on root-cause prevention.
Standardize order processes across businesses and implement continuous improvement to reduce errors and cycle times.
Implement and optimize digital tools (ERP/CRM/analytics/knowledge base/self-service) to enhance visibility, efficiency, and customer experience.
Handle complex and escalated customer service issues promptly and professionally.
Establish and maintain Freight and Fuel Policies and updates; ensure clear communication of brand identity and corporate position.
Serve as the senior Customer Service point of contact; maintain oversight of the phone system with effective tiered escalation and swift resolution.
Collaborate cross-functionally to improve forecast accuracy, on-time delivery, fill rates, inventory allocation, and invoice accuracy.
Ensure adherence to SOPs, SLAs, and compliance requirements; hold teams accountable for process compliance, quality, and continuous improvement.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Performance Management and Analytics Develop and track team and individual KPIs; coach for performance and implement corrective actions where needed.
Benchmark KPIs against best-in-class standards; hold individuals and teams accountable via dashboards, reviews, and corrective action plans to achieve targets.
Monitor service performance, customer satisfaction, claims and financial results; standardize reporting cadences and executive dashboards to drive decisions.
Continuous Improvement Lead and drive cross-functional continuous improvement initiatives by proactively identifying opportunities to streamline order management and customer service processes, minimizing errors and inefficiencies.
Champion process optimization efforts by deploying formal continuous improvement processes (ex. Lean Management) to identify root causes, address recurring issues and enhance operational performance.
Monitor, analyze, and act on customer feedback and performance metrics to implement targeted enhancements, elevate service quality, and foster a culture of innovation and accountability across the team.
Team Leadership Build, mentor, and retain a high-performing team of supervisors, claims managers, and customer service representatives.
Directly manage the Claims Manager and Supervisors, including coaching, workload prioritization, performance management, and career development aligned to SLAs and quality standards.
Set clear expectations and hold the team accountable to best-in-class service standards, KPIs, and compliant processes through regular coaching, feedback, and performance reviews.
Foster a culture of safety, accountability, customer-first thinking, and continuous improvement.
Develop and implement training programs to strengthen technical expertise, systems proficiency, call control, order management, and communication skills.
Ensure succession planning, workforce development, and talent retention to support growth and resilience.
Serve as the key backup to Customer Service Managers and Supervisors, providing day-to-day coverage for approvals, escalations, scheduling/workforce planning, and operational decision-making during absences or peak demand.
Drives the highest levels of employee retention and engagement to ensure a sustainable workforce.
Fosters a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability within the organization.
Instills an environment of inclusion, where all employees feel that they can contribute and impact the company in a positive manner.
Customer Engagement and Commercial Partnership Sponsor relationships for strategic customers, ensuring high-quality lifecycle support and proactive issue avoidance.
Partner with Sales and Commercial teams to support audits, training, planning, business reviews, product availability, etc.; balance customer satisfaction with business performance.
Drive initiatives that improve NPS/CSAT and enhance order management.
Risk Management Ensure adherence to policies, customer messaging, service guidelines, freight and fuel updates, availability, and compliance requirements

Benefits

Medical, Dental, Vision – starting on day one!
Virtual Medical Services
401(k) Retirement Plan (earn 100% matching on your first 6% and fully vested day one)
Paid parental leave
Company paid life insurance
Tuition Reimbursement
Vacation time to enjoy getting away
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Plus, more!
Growth opportunities available!