Manger, Customer Accounts

Thank you for your interest in the BWL. We think you'll find it a rewarding and nurturing place to grow your career. Starting Salary Range: $116,000.00 - $171,700.00 Position Summary: The Customer Accounts Manager, provides operational leadership for two critical customer-facing functions: utility billing operations and key account management. Reporting to the Director of Customer Operations & Experience, this role is responsible for overseeing billing operations to ensure accuracy, resolve billing-related issues, and proactively maintain strong client relationships through effective communication with current and prospective customers. The Manager oversees integrating tactical execution with day-to-day oversight, identifies opportunities to streamline billing processes, improves efficiencies, enhances customer experience, and supports organizational initiatives. This role requires business financial expertise, including sstrong understanding of utility rules and regulations, accounting principles, and financial analysis. The candidate must possess exceptional leadership skills, and the ability to effectively collaborate with all internal and external customers to drive financial performance, key account customer service, and decision making. Essential Functions: Responsible for effective & efficient day-to-day operations focused on short-term goals and meeting deadlines. Leads, motivates, and develops team members. Implements the strategies and plans set by director by making them actionable tasks and internal focus on workflows, and processes. Oversee daily operations of utility billing and key accounts functions to ensure accuracy, compliance, and timeliness in customer billing. Develops, implements, and enforces policies and procedures to ensure high standards of customer account integrity and billing process. Resolves escalated, high impact billing issues, collaborating with internal departments including IT, Finance, and Legal. Develops, manages, and tracks the operating and capital budgets for the Customer Accountsdepartment, ensuring financial accountability and cost efficiency. Leads continuous improvement initiatives for billing operations, system capabilities, and customer communication workflows. Ensures regulatory compliance, internal controls, and audit readiness for all customer billing and account management functions. Provides oversight of strategic high value account relationships, ensuring proactive service delivery, long term retention, and customer satisfaction among BWL’s largest commercial and industrial customers. Engages with customer leadership on contracts, rate design, infrastructure planning, economic development. Proactively works with economic development on existing and future customer growth. Develops and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs), and customer experience benchmarks. Prepares and presents high-level reports and dashboards on billing integrity, customer metrics, and large customer activity. Manages billing vendor relationships and ensures compliance with contract deliverables for print, mail, and third-party services. May represent Customer Operations on corporate project teams, internal working groups, and industry task force related to billing, customer engagement, rate design and strategic planning. Ensures departmental goals align with BWL’s strategic plan and customer service standards. Fosters a culture of safety and compliance. Expected to comply with all BWL policies and work rules. Reliable and predictable attendance. Responsible for participating in the on-call rotation to provide after-hours support and ensure continuous coverage for departmental needs. Performs other duties as assigned by the Director, Customer Operations & Experience. Job Specifications: Required: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field, with demonstrated expertise in financial analysis, accounting principles, and customer/key account management, or an equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates such proficiency. A minimum of five years of experience in billing, account management, customer relationship or equivalent. A minimum of five years in a supervisory or managerial role. Completion of APPA Key Account Management Certification or equivalent within two years. Strong understanding of utility billing systems, Customer Information System platforms, regulatory compliance, and customer data integrity. Possess the ability to analyze complex billing information and understand intricate rate design structures. Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Practices. Ability to effectively develop and manage budgets through forecasting, accurate tracking, and variance analysis. Experience managing strategic commercial and industrial customer accounts, including contract management. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, develop service strategies, and drive performance through metrics. Excellent customer service, communication, and leadership skills. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with experience in project or change management. Proficient in Microsoft Office; familiarity with utility-specific platforms and databases. Preferred: Certified Energy Manager (CEM), Certified Business Energy Professional (BEP). Experience with a vertically integrated or multi-service utility. Familiarity with UMAX or other enterprise CIS platforms. Experience working with capital planning, or strategic customer onboarding. Working knowledge of utility rate design, energy efficiency programs, and load forecasting. Experience working with union bargaining groups. Physical Requirements / Working Conditions: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must be able to remain in a stationary position for the majority of the working day. The person in this position needs to move about inside the office environment. Constantly operates a computer and other. office equipment. Ability to adjust focus, especially due to concentration on a computer screen. Must communicate frequently with other departments and employees both verbally and in writing. May need to lift and carry up to 30 pounds and/or position the body to reach items on the floor/ below the knee level or reach above head. On occasion, may need to use stairs. Constantly works in a temperature-controlled office environment. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills that may be required of the employee. Management reserves the right to add, remove, or otherwise alter these duties, responsibilities, and skills at any time. Why Should You Apply? Competitive wages, employee development, and opportunity for professional growth. Robust time off benefits including vacation, free choice, sick leave, parental leave and 11 paid holidays. Comprehensive benefits package offered including medical, prescription, dental, life insurance, long-term disability, employee assistance program. Voluntary benefits including vision, supplemental and dependent life insurance, flexible spending, AFLAC options, LifeLock anti-theft, long term care, tuition reimbursement, and BWL's Home Purchase Plan – Forgivable $5,000 loan for purchase of a home in Lansing. Retirement programs including 401(a) Defined Contribution Plan (DC) (100% company paid up to 9.5 % of base salary for BU positions and up to 13% of base salary for NBU positions), 457 Deferred Compensation matches up to $2,500 per year. Post retirement benefits offered at the respective level of coverage, co-pays and health care premium, at the same level as active employees. Two fitness centers located on site open 24/7, work life balance program, employee assistance program, free parking and much more! About BWL: The Board of Water & Light serves Lansing, Michigan, and surrounding areas with electricity, water, and steam. Lansing's city charter vests the BWL with full and exclusive management of water, steam, and electric services for or the city. The American Public Power Association has honored the Lansing Board of Water & Light as one of the country's best publicly-owned utilities. The Location: Lansing lies at the heart of the Great Lakes State and offers all the beauty and splendor of the four seasons. A haven for swimming, boating, fishing, snowmobiling, golf, and hunting, mid-Michigan is also just a couple hours from premier skiing and one of the most beautiful freshwater lakeshores in the world on our Lake Michigan Coast. Lansing itself is only minutes and miles away from two of the nation’s premier universities, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, and boasts miles of walking, running, biking trails, Potter Park Zoo, professional sports, the arts, and fine dining. THE BOARD OF WATER & LIGHT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER The Lansing Board of Water & Light is a municipally-owned public utility that provides safe, reliable and affordable utility products and services to around 100,000 electric and 58,000 water customers throughout the greater Lansing area. Our mission is to is to provide a safe, reliable and affordable utility experience through public ownership, climate consciousness and innovative strategies. Join our Talent Community!