Director of Call Center

Summit Utilities Join our Growing Team and see why Summit Utilities, Inc was named as one of the Fastest Growing Denver Area Private Companies 2019 and 2020; Best Places to Work in Maine 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; and Best Places to Work in Arkansas 2020 and 2023, Oklahoma 2022 and 2023 and Missouri 2023. Summit was also recently named one of Forbes 2023 America's Best Small Employers. Summit is a growing natural gas utility providing safe, reliable, and clean burning natural gas service to homes and businesses in Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Being part of the Summit team means embracing excellence and innovation, committing to safety each and every day, and doing all that we can to serve each other, our customers, and the communities where we live. We aim to bring warmth and energy to everything we do. We have an exciting opportunity for a Director of Call Center based in Little Rock, Arkansas. This hybrid role may be based in one of our offices in Little Rock, Fort Smith, or Fayetteville, Arkansas. POSITION SUMMARY The Director of Call Center is responsible for leading the Customer Service function with strategic oversight of all call center operations and direct customer interactions. This role ensures effective performance across remote contact center environments while driving measurable business outcomes. The position requires deep knowledge of the utilities industry and regulatory compliance, with accountability for maintaining adherence to company policies and applicable regulatory requirements. The Director establishes operational standards, supports continuous improvement, and ensures consistent, high-quality customer experiences across all service channels while working collaboratively across all other customer experience functional areas. PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Provide strategic leadership and direction for all contact center operations, including workforce management, staffing, call routing, and quality assurance for a team of 100+ customer service representatives. Mentor and develop managers, supervisors, and frontline teams, fostering a high-performance culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and employee engagement. Establish, monitor, and report on key performance metrics (KPIs) including service levels, average speed of answer, first-call resolution, and customer satisfaction scores; provide regular updates to leadership. Lead the development and execution of a customer care strategy that aligns with organizational goals; collaborate cross-functionally with IT, Operations, Accounting, and Dispatch to ensure consistency across all touchpoints. Drive continuous process improvement and innovation, including optimization of IVR, call flows, chat, and digital channels in partnership with IT and Telecom teams. Develop and manage the contact center budget and staffing plans; forecast support needs and manage financial performance to meet organizational goals. Oversee hiring, training, and performance management for call center staff; partner with HR and Talent on compensation, career development, and recruiting strategies. Ensure regulatory compliance and adherence to service level agreements (SLAs); implement coaching and corrective action plans to maintain service quality standards. Lead disaster recovery and business continuity planning for the contact center, including contingency staffing and communication protocols. Foster an environment where team members are valued and supported, where speaking up is encouraged, and professionalism and respect are modeled and recognized. EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE Bachelor's Degree is required, Business, Finance, Economics, Communications or a related field or equivalent work experience. At least 8+ years of total experience, utility preferred. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES Proven track record leading large-scale, high-volume contact centers with accountability for team performance, service levels, and measurable business outcomes. Deep knowledge of contact center operations including workforce management, quality assurance, IVR/telephony systems, SAP, CRM platforms, and regulatory compliance standards. Strong analytical and metric-driven mindset; experienced establishing KPI frameworks, interpreting data, and translating insights into operational improvements. Skilled coach and people leader with demonstrated success developing management-level professionals and building high-performing, engaged teams. Strong people-first leadership philosophy with a genuine commitment to employee experience, team well-being, and inclusive culture; believes that investing in people drives operational excellence and customer outcomes. Excellent communication, negotiation, and influencing skills; comfortable presenting to executive leadership and engaging cross-functional stakeholders at all levels. Ability to manage multiple competing priorities with composure in fast-paced, ambiguous environments while consistently meeting deadlines. Experience with budgeting, financial forecasting, and resource planning in a contact center or shared services environment. Willingness to travel as required, utility or regulated industry experience preferred. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and/or skills required of all personnel so classified. Summit offers competitive pay and medical/dental/vision and other benefits that provide flexibility, choice, and support to our employees when they need it most. We understand that home and family are essential pieces of your life, and our benefits are designed to support you both at work and at home. Summit Utilities, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability or veteran status. #J-18808-Ljbffr