Customer Relations Specialist

Customer Relations Specialist

The Customer Relationship Specialist serves as a primary point of contact for customers within a medical device manufacturing environment, managing customer relationships throughout the order lifecycle. This role is responsible for ensuring exceptional customer service through proactive communication, accurate order management, issue resolution, and cross-functional collaboration with internal teams.

The Specialist acts as a trusted customer advocate, balancing customer expectations with operational capabilities to ensure a positive customer experience. This position is well suited for a professional with customer service or commercial operations experience who is looking to expand their expertise in manufacturing, supply chain, and regulated medical device environments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary customer contact for assigned accounts, managing inquiries related to orders, shipments, pricing, and account information.
• Process and manage customer purchase orders within ERP and CRM systems while ensuring accuracy and adherence to established service level expectations.
• Proactively monitor order status and communicate production schedules, shipping updates, delivery timelines, and potential delays to customers.
• Build strong working relationships with customers by providing responsive, solution-oriented support and maintaining regular communication.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, Finance, and Sales to resolve customer issues and coordinate timely solutions.
• Support customer complaint intake, documentation, and follow-up activities in accordance with Quality Management System (QMS) procedures and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain accurate customer records, Device History Record (DHR) documentation, correspondence, and transactional data.
• Prepare customer reports, account summaries, order status updates, and service metrics to support customer communications and business reviews.
• Assist with new customer onboarding, account setup, and ongoing account maintenance activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and internal processes through continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with FDA regulations, ISO 13485 requirements, company policies, and quality standards.
• Participate in cross-functional projects, departmental initiatives, process improvements, and ongoing professional development activities.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, Healthcare Administration, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience will also be considered.

Experience

• 35 years of customer service, customer support, account coordination, commercial operations, order management, or related experience.
• Experience supporting customers in a manufacturing, medical device, healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical, or other regulated environment preferred.
• Experience working with ERP and CRM systems in a customer-facing environment is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing customer accounts, resolving complex issues, and coordinating with cross-functional teams.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong customer relationship management and account support abilities.
• Proven ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Working knowledge of order management, production scheduling, inventory, and supply chain processes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Outlook, Word, and Teams.
• Experience using ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar platforms.
• Ability to analyze customer issues, identify root causes, and coordinate effective solutions.
• Strong problem-solving, critical-thinking, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships across multiple departments.
• Ability to maintain professionalism, confidentiality, and sound judgment when handling customer information.
• Ability to occasionally travel domestically and internationally

Key Competencies

• Customer Relationship Management
• Customer Focus
• Account Management
• Communication
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Problem Solving
• Accountability
• Attention to Detail
• Time Management
• Continuous Improvement

Preferred Medical Device OEM Experience

• Medical device manufacturing operations
• FDA-regulated manufacturing environments
• ISO 13485 Quality Management Systems
• OEM or contract manufacturing organizations
• Complaint handling and quality documentation
• ERP-based order management and production scheduling
• Supply chain coordination and order fulfillment
• Commercial operations or customer account management within regulated industries

Typical Career Path

Customer Relationship Specialist ? Senior Customer Relationship Specialist ? Customer Service Lead ? Customer Service Supervisor/Manager ? Commercial Manager / Strategic Account Manager