Customer Service Manager

Customer Service Manager Location: Watertown, WI (On site) Compensation: $70,000–$90,000 annually Type: Full-time; permanent Position Overview A growing manufacturing organization is seeking a hands-on Customer Service Manager to lead its customer service team and improve the efficiency of its day-to-day operations. This role is ideal for an experienced customer service professional who enjoys developing people, solving problems, and identifying opportunities to streamline processes. The manager will oversee a team while remaining actively involved in daily customer service activities, including order processing, preparing quotations, responding to customer inquiries, and resolving escalated issues. The organization is investing in its customer service function and is looking for a leader who can strengthen team performance, establish consistent processes, and build a more efficient and scalable department. Key Responsibilities Team Leadership & Development Lead, coach, and develop a team of customer service professionals with varying levels of experience. Establish clear expectations, distribute workloads, and coordinate daily priorities. Provide ongoing feedback, performance coaching, and training to support individual and team development. Support onboarding and the continued development of team members. Foster a collaborative, customer-focused team environment. Process Improvement & Operational Efficiency Evaluate existing workflows and identify opportunities to simplify processes, reduce inefficiencies, and improve consistency. Develop and implement standardized procedures to support department operations. Improve workload coverage and cross-training to maintain service levels during employee absences and peak periods. Monitor department performance and identify opportunities to improve responsiveness and overall efficiency. Establish appropriate performance measures and reporting practices. Customer Service Operations Maintain an active role in daily customer service activities, including order entry, quotation preparation, and customer communications. Address complex customer concerns and escalations with professionalism and sound judgment. Ensure customer inquiries are handled accurately and within appropriate timeframes. Collaborate with sales and other internal departments to resolve issues and improve the customer experience. Balance hands-on customer support with leadership responsibilities and longer-term process improvements. Qualifications 3-5+ years of customer service experience in a corporate or business-to-business environment. Approximately 2-5+ years of people management or supervisory experience. Demonstrated experience improving processes, streamlining workflows, or implementing more efficient procedures. Strong leadership skills with the ability to coach and develop employees with different experience levels. Excellent communication, organization, and problem-solving abilities. Experience handling customer escalations and coordinating across internal departments. Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office applications. Manufacturing, distribution, or building products industry experience is preferred. A bachelor's degree in business or a related field is preferred.