New Balance - Senior Customer Operations Manager EMEA - Warrington

Who We Are:

Since 1906, New Balance has empowered people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. We innovate fearlessly, guided by our core values and driven by the belief that conventions were meant to be challenged. We foster a culture in which every associate feels welcomed and respected, where leaders and creatives are inspired to shape the world of tomorrow by taking bold action today.

JOB MISSION:

The Senior Customer Operations Manager is responsible for developing a European Customer Service strategy and organisation that will deliver exceptional customer service. You will be responsible for developing strong retailer and consumer relationships whilst developing and ensuring adherence to standardised EMEA processes and procedures. 

The ideal candidate will develop strong relationships with stakeholders across Europe and be familiar with different cultural approaches and be confident influencing others. You will act as the ambassador for the New Balance brand and demonstrate our key values: Integrity, Teamwork and Total Customer Satisfaction. 

Monthly travel across Europe will be required. A Full Driving Licence would be required within this role. We offer hybrid working and a flexibility to working hours to accommodate for a healthy work life balance. 

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Develop and maintain an understanding of European retail and ECommerce business environment and individual customer business needs
• Build effective working relationships with all stakeholders – Commercial Directors, Country Managers, Country CS Managers, DTC Team and Operations Team 
• Develop European Customer Service strategy, processes and procedures
• Create objectives and goals required to meet strategic goals
• Champion a customer focused environment throughout the business that ensures a timely response to all customer needs and concerns
• Work with Country Managers across Europe to set individual and departmental development goals for Customer Service Managers
• Provide leadership and support to Customer Service Manager to ensure agreed goals are successfully carried out
• Identify appropriate measures and report requirements to evaluate and control performance in relation to customer service deliverables and customer satisfaction.
• Provide accurate and valuable reports – with the support from Operations Analyst team
• Continuously improve processes and ways of working within the Customer Service function, ensuring a standardised approach across all markets
• Manage the implementation of the European order book, ensuring compliance with agreed customer service standards and value added service strategy
• Works closely with Sales and Operations departments to ensure sales orders are written correctly, entered efficiently and planned and executed effectively through the supply chain
• Take corrective action with all departments to resolve issues/constraints to order book conversion
• Effectively manage conflicting priorities on Customer/Sales team demands looking at the overall European picture to provide strategic solutions
• Lead and contribute towards Customer Service related projects 
• Overall responsibility of the Business to Business (B2B) platform
• Work closely with B2B manager to further enhance and develop the Elastic B2B tool to provide a best in class for our wholesale customers and account managers. End goals include streamlined interfaces and increased usage across EMEA region

Team management: 

• Plan work to be performed by team
• Monitor and manage tasks to ensure successful completion 
• Deal with performance issues in the team.  Act as a coach and role model. Holds regular 1-1 meetings with members of the team
• Provide training for new or existing employees 
• Attend or leads meetings as needed.  Keeps group informed of Key Performance Indicators
• Provides feedback to group or various departments
• Work with other teams to maximise resources as and when needed to provide integrated cover 
• Ensure flexible resource cover across the team to ensure all workload is carried out 

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS:

• Prior experience in a similar role, across Europe and excellent understanding of the cultural awareness needed for working across different countries 
• Degree would be advantageous
• Strategic mindset with the ability to plan and adapt to changing business needs linked to our short- and long-term strategic plans. 
• Commercial understanding with the ability to put the customer at the forefront of decision making 
• People Management experience with the ability to motivate remote teams of matrix reports 
• Diplomatic and able to negotiate solutions calmly and effectively 
• Strong organisational/project management skills and able to prioritise long- and short-term objectives, achieve deadlines and results with accuracy and attention to detail. 
• Creative problem solver who understands root cause analysis methodology and is able to identify and implement improvements 
• Highly numerate with the ability to carry out detailed data analysis as required. 
• Experience gained from a wholesale and retail organization would be helpful as would experience in footwear and apparel but not essential 
• Experienced in the use of complex ERP systems  
• Full Driving Licence

BENEFITS:

• Management Bonus
• Private Medical Insurance
• Dental Scheme
• Pension Scheme
• Flexible Working Hours (07:00 – 10:00 start, 15:00 -18:00 finish)
• Hybrid working (3 days on-site)
• 25 days Annual Leave per year
• Life Insurance
• On Site Gym
• Employee Discount
• Opportunity to work abroad for four weeks per year
• Wellbeing and Mental Health Benefit (24/7 Employment Assistance Program & Support)

Equal Opportunity Employer:

New Balance is committed to equality of opportunity for all current and prospective associates regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership and gender reassignment.  We are an equal opportunity employer and support a culture of diversity and inclusion.

If you have not already done so, please let us know if you require any support so we can make the right adjustments and considerations should they be required.