Customer Service Associate

Where you will work Clearwater Paper stands out as a premier independent supplier of paperboard packaging products to North American converters. Corporate Headquarters is in Spokane, Washington, our corporate team works to support our operations while creating a thriving environment for employees and customers alike, If you are based out of Spokane, you’ll enjoy our collaborative office space, regular team and community events and a city known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation. For our remote employees, we work well across multiple time zones, respecting your schedules and setting up opportunities for you to get to know co-workers and see our operations firsthand. Guided by our core values of commitment, collaboration, communication, courage and character, we create an environment where everyone feels respected, valued and empowered to do their best work. What you will do This is an exciting time to join our team as a Customer Service Specialist.The successful incumbent possesses a strong command of the company’s customer service policies and is well-trained in product knowledge that can be critical for offering quick and accurate assistance to customers. This position ensures that all customer order specifications and expectations are understood throughout the company while actively pursuing additional sales opportunities. The customer service specialist must be able to perform their duties with minimal supervision and communicate effectively and professionally with co-workers, customers, sales managers and production personnel. The work shift for this role is Monday - Friday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm (Pacific Time). Account Management Voice of company to primary purchasing agent contacts for assigned accounts; responsible for maintaining industry-leading service levels. Uses product knowledge to assist customers with ordering needs. Reserves machine capacity, enters orders, communicates ship dates. Tracks customer orders through entire supply chain process (order entry, manufacture, shipment, and delivery). Ensures customer orders comply with Sales and Manufacturing agreement. Minimizes financial impact of freight costs by maximizing capacity on chosen mode of transportation or by assigning freight differential cost to customer. Inside Sales Solicits new orders to assist Operations in qualifying production runs, filling open machine capacity, and selling aged inventory for prime pricing. Receives, generates and distributes Competitive Information Reports from Sales Managers as necessary. Collaborates with customers, Sales Managers, and others to investigate and resolve customer invoice and accounting issues. Works with sales and quality to supply customers with product samples and trial inventory to secure new business. Regularly communicates with CLW outside sales contacts on opportunities and issues uncovered during regular job activities. Inventory Management Implements and oversees customer offsite inventory programs, as needed, to meet market/customer needs and maintain targeted levels. Manages input of sales orders utilizing Electronic Data Information (EDI). Collaborates with sales, customers, and schedulers by analyzing and adjusting warehouse inventories as needed to ensure adequate turns are being met. Coordinates customer needs with 3PL warehouse contacts. Reviews aged inventory, looking for sales opportunities within customer territory. Forecasting Performs regular review of customer shipment history versus forecast and provides recommended updates to Sales Manager/S&OP analyst. Monitors customer order volumes to align with sales forecasts. Collaborates with scheduling and operations management to balance with production targets. Key Competencies & Attributes Confidence in dealing with ambiguity; bringing different perspectives to light High degree of business curiosity; quick learner with a proactive and agile mindset Optimistically looks toward future for opportunities to innovate and improve Ability to gather data, analyze and interpret data, and set action plans based on the analysis Ability to manage projects and interface directly with external vendors to accomplish defined objectives Strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to effectively communicate with all levels of employees. Able to think and act tactically, hands on What you will need High School Diploma or GED required. Bachelor’s degree in business or related field preferred Minimum of five years relevant customer service experience required, preferably in a supply chain or manufacturing environment Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required and must be demonstrable Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel required. Knowledge of computer programs used to track production and customer order status preferred Must be able to work with a diverse group of people in a professional manner and be able to handle several work tasks concurrently This person must be able to work with minimal supervision, be a self-starter and take the initiative to evaluate and drive order fulfilment process improvements Some mental, visual, physical fatigue from computer terminal use Reading Keyboarding Communication Primarily Office Environment Must wear required Personal Protective Equipment in the manufacturing environment Must be able to rotate on call weekend coverage; representing the customer service group Some travel required Total Rewards We prioritize an exceptional workplace experience, offering a comprehensive total reward package. Compensation ranges are estimates based on market data. Actual offers account for internal equity and the candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience . Benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and more, generally begin after 30 days. Our paid time off includes vacation days, personal days, and company holidays. For more on our compensation philosophy, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team at View email address on click.appcast.io . Clearwater Paper will not offer sponsorship for employment-based visa status (including, but not limited to, H-1B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require Clearwater Paper's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States. #ClearwaterPaper #Remote This role will be open for a minimum of 2 weeks or at the point a successful candidate is selected.