Manager, Client Services

The Manager, Client Services leads the day-to-day delivery, performance, and development of the Preferred Client Services team while maintaining ownership of client experience, retention, revenue stewardship, upsell identification, operational execution, and continuous improvement across the portfolio. This role is a Client Services leadership role focused on driving accountability, strengthening client connectivity, improving service consistency, and partnering cross-functionally to support growth, retention, and long-term client success. As a member of the Client Services leadership team, this role is expected to contribute to broader departmental alignment, decision-making, and operational direction. The role is intended to focus on leadership, oversight, and team enablement. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Team leadership and people management Lead, coach, and develop the team through clear direction, regular feedback, accountability, and performance management. Oversee workload balancing, prioritization, and coverage planning to ensure client commitments are met consistently across the team. Identify skill gaps and training needs and coordinate targeted development, onboarding, and best-practice sharing across the team. Serve as a point of escalation for internal and external issues that exceed standard handling, ensuring timely resolution and clear communication to clients and leadership. Partner with Client Services leadership on goal setting, development planning, recognition, and overall team performance management. Client portfolio and account leadership Own the overall health, performance, and retention of the assigned client portfolio, ensuring services are delivered in alignment with each client’s commercial agreement. Partner with Client Services teams and cross-functional stakeholders to maintain strong client relationships and advance a three-wide, three-deep engagement model across assigned accounts. Coordinate renewals, pricing discussions, upsell opportunities, concessions, and account risks with the Director, Client Services, internal teams, and cross-functional stakeholders to support retention and growth. Ensure the voice of the customer is clearly understood internally and translate client needs into aligned action plans and service execution. Develop and lead retention strategies for assigned accounts, including identification of at-risk clients, partnership on action plans, and coordination of internal support needed to improve client outcomes and protect revenue. Support monthly client reviews, business alignment activity, and published communications that demonstrate progress against client goals and service expectations. Operational execution and KPI ownership Establish ownership of team and portfolio performance metrics, including client-specific KPIs, service performance, and operational execution standards. Standardize reporting, project tracking, meeting cadence, and client communication practices across the team to improve consistency and visibility. Monitor ticket, queue, and workflow performance and drive improvement in efficiency, prioritization, and completion quality. Oversee monthly metrics analysis and ensure analytics are translated into recommendations that improve cost, service, and client outcomes. Maintain strong operational discipline around follow-up, issue resolution, and completion of team commitments. Process improvement and cross-functional collaboration Lead or support continuous improvement initiatives across the team, including process enhancements, automation opportunities, standard work, and service-quality improvements. Provide leadership support across Client Services and cross-functional teams to help resolve issues, improve coordination, remove barriers, and drive consistent execution in support of client retention and business goals. Identify patterns, root causes, and operational gaps, then develop practical recommendations that improve scalability, service consistency, and client experience. Reinforce accountability for accurate documentation, clear communication, and execution against defined processes and expectations. Performance and success measures Performance in this role may be measured through a combination of team, portfolio, and role-level outcomes, including: Upsell contribution across Managed Transportation and Parcel accounts. Reduction in non-value-added or non-core ticket volume and improved process efficiency. Retention performance across top revenue-producing accounts. Team development and enablement through structured training and coaching activity. Job requirements Bachelor's degree in business administration, supply chain, logistics, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience. Minimum 4-6 years of transportation, logistics, client services, or related industry experience. Prior experience in a senior individual contributor, lead, or people-lead role with responsibility for coaching, mentoring, or onboarding team members. Demonstrated experience managing a client portfolio with measurable responsibility for retention, service performance, and financial outcomes. Experience working in a queue-based, ticketing, or workflow-driven support environment preferred. Experience supporting workload distribution, prioritization, and operational coordination across a team preferred. Knowledge, skills, and abilities Strong leadership and coaching skills, with the ability to develop talent and foster accountability and continuous improvement. Strong technical skills, including Microsoft Office, Salesforce, Dialpad, ticketing platforms, reporting and BI tools, and operational systems used to manage client work and service performance. Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to resolve complex operational and client issues. Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with both internal stakeholders and external clients. Ability to balance competing priorities across personal ownership, team leadership, and client needs. Strong organizational skills, sound judgment, and the ability to identify trends, troubleshoot issues, and recommend practical improvements. Work environment and scheduling Standard office environment with regular computer and communication requirements. This position is based in Hickory, NC. Full-time position working Monday through Friday with flexibility to support business needs as required. Travel up to 25% may be required for client visits, leadership meetings, and team support needs. EEOC/ADA STATEMENT: We are an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, veteran, or any other status prohibited by applicable national, federal, state or local law. In an effort to recruit, develop and retain top talent, we are committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all personnel practices to ensure equal opportunity for employment, promotion, and training for a more inclusive workforce. #J-18808-Ljbffr