Manager, Customer Sales Support

Position Description

Title: Customer Sales Support Manager

Department: Protective Operations

Location: Hybrid near Chicago, Atlanta or Corona

Immediate Supervisor: VP Operations Protective

Status: Exempt Salaried

Position Purpose: Lead the Customer Sales Support function to deliver accurate, responsive, and proactive support throughout the customer order lifecycle. Establish team priorities and service standards; develop employees; monitor quality, productivity, and customer experience; resolve escalated issues; and partner across functions to improve service, efficiency, and business results.

Principal Accountabilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Customer Sales Support team; establish priorities, service expectations, workload coverage, performance goals, and accountability.
• Recruit, onboard, train, and retain team members; provide ongoing feedback, performance management, cross-training, and development support.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and proactive support across the customer order lifecycle, including orders, pricing, product availability, delivery status, invoicing questions, claims, returns, and customer follow-up.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex customer concerns; coordinate cross-functional resources, communicate status, and drive timely resolution.
• Partner closely with plant locations to ensure Customer Sales Support receives timely, accurate information regarding production, inventory, order status, quality, and delivery commitments needed to communicate effectively with customers.
• Collaborate with plant leadership and operational teams to investigate customer issues, identify root causes, develop practical solutions, and prevent recurrence.
• Build strong partnerships with Sales, Supply Chain, Logistics, Pricing, Finance, Accounting, and other functions to resolve constraints and deliver a consistent customer experience.
• Monitor service levels, order accuracy, backlog, claims, response time, customer feedback, and other relevant measures; use trends and operational data to identify risks and improvement opportunities.
• Ensure adherence to established policies, procedures, approval limits, internal controls, customer-specific requirements, and data-quality standards.
• Lead continuous-improvement efforts that simplify workflows, standardize practices, strengthen systems and reporting, and improve service, quality, productivity, and cost.
• Support customer implementations, account transitions, and product, pricing, process, or system changes that affect order management and service delivery.
• Represent Customer Sales Support in business reviews and cross-functional initiatives; communicate operational performance, risks, recommendations, and action plans to stakeholders and leadership.
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Essential Skills and Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, management, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive customer service, customer sales support, order management, or related experience, including at least two years in a supervisory, team lead, or people-management role. Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.
• Experience in manufacturing, packaging, industrial products, distribution, or another complex business-to-business order environment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, develop, and hold employees accountable while building a positive team culture.
• Strong customer orientation, judgment, negotiation, de-escalation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to analyze operational data, identify trends and root causes, and translate findings into practical actions.
• Knowledge of order-to-cash processes, including order entry, pricing, fulfillment, logistics, invoicing, claims, returns, and customer master data.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint; experience with ERP, CRM, EDI, reporting, or workflow systems preferred.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to organize and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment without sacrificing accuracy, responsiveness, or follow-through.
• Ability to handle confidential information and exercise sound business judgment.

Physical Effort and Working Environment

• Primarily office-based work performed in a remote, hybrid, or plant-office enviro