Director of Contact Center Operations

At Whisker, we're on a mission to make life with your pets endlessly better. As the makers of Litter-Robot, Feeder-Robot, and , we're leading the pack in pet tech and pet accessories—creating smarter, cleaner, and more thoughtful solutions for pet parents everywhere.

We believe pet care should keep up with the way people actually live. Whether it's automating litter box chores, unlocking more intelligent insights into your cat's routine, or helping pets develop more routine eating habits, we're here to revolutionize what is possible for your life with pets.

We work onsite 4+ days a week, with our team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and Juneau, Wisconsin. Our team of 700+ passionate pet people thrives on collaboration, innovation, and the occasional office cameo from a four-legged friend.

At Whisker, we know life with pets is already pretty great, but we're here to make it even better.

We are seeking a Director of Contact Center Operations that will lead, optimize, and innovate our global contact center strategy. This leadership role requires a deep understanding of contact center operations, technical support, technology, financials, and the ability to execute large-scale strategic initiatives across multiple regions in a DTC and B2B (retail, distribution, wholesale, etc) environment. The Director will oversee daily contact center operations, training and quality management, workforce planning, vendor management, CCaaS solutions, and contact center financial performance, while driving alignment and growth within the business.

What You'll Do:

The Director of Contact Center Operations will lead the strategic vision, optimization, and innovation of global contact center operations, encompassing daily management, training, quality, workforce planning, and vendor relationships. This role is also responsible for financial performance, technology-driven enhancements, social media support, and global market expansion, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

This list of duties and responsibilities is not all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities as deemed necessary.

• Demonstrates a thorough understanding of Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solutions, including industry trends and the key players driving the market.
• Identifies opportunities for maximizing functionality while adhering to a budget.
• Responsible for overseeing all aspects in telephony, routing, custom reporting, the latest technology offerings (AI capabilities) and key performance indicators (KPIs) to enhance operational efficiency.
• Designs and implements service strategy based on customer type and segment.
• Oversees and supports the execution of training and quality initiatives that strengthen team performance and close skill gaps.
• Ensures training programs are effectively implemented, align with organizational goals, and drive measurable improvement in key metrics.
• Champions adherence to quality standards to obtain data that both measures success and identifies areas of focus for ongoing coaching, training, and process improvement.
• Provides leadership and guidance on workforce planning processes, including capacity planning, inbound volume analysis, scheduling, shrinkage analysis, hiring schedules, and strategies to reduce unplanned disruptions and business continuity issues.
• Ensures optimal staffing levels are achieved through accurate forecasting, monitoring, and proactive issue resolution.
• Leads the process of evaluating contract terms, SLAs, requirements, vendor transparency, and reporting.
• Oversees the selection and management of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) partners.
• Ensures alignment with company goals and adherence to the BPO's purpose.
• Compares industry offerings and makes data-driven decisions to ensure we select the right BPO provider for our needs.
• Maintains a clear understanding of the purpose a BPO serves and how to maximize performance.
• Leads the selection and management of contact center technology vendors.
• Establishes clear selection criteria, negotiates contract terms, and conducts ROI analysis to ensure investments align with business needs and goals.
• Drives technology-driven innovations to enhance automation.
• Cultivates strong relationships internally and externally, horizontally and vertically to ensure maximum alignment.
• Continually solicits feedback from peers, managers and direct and indirect reports to improve anything lacking or maintaining positive interactions.
• Provides guidance and systems to effectively manage performance of the contact center managers, supervisors and agents.
• Sets a clear vision for the future of contact center operations, driving alignment with the broader organizational goals.
• Articulates the "why" behind strategic initiatives and leads the execution of those initiatives to deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Owns and manages financial aspects of the contact center operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and cost analysis.
• Establishes cost-saving strategies, conducts financial modeling, and tracks performance to ensure optimal financial performance while maintaining high service quality.
• Interprets patterns and trends of metrics to drive strategic decisions.
• Leads and manages social media support strategies, leveraging deep expertise in brand promotion, customer engagement, and reputation management across various platforms.
• Acts as a brand ambassador, addressing customer inquiries, feedback, and issues with a focus on maintaining positive brand perception in online communities.
• Leads the expansion of contact center operations into new global markets, navigating the unique challenges of different geographies (languages, cultures, laws, expectations, etc).
• Adapts hiring practices, structure, and operational processes to suit local needs while maintaining a unified approach to service delivery.
• Will perform additional responsibilities when required

Leadership Responsibilities:

Directly supervises department Teams. Carries out supervisory responsibilities following Whisker policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, training, and hiring, planning, assigning and directing work, appraising performance, addressing team issues, and upholding safety and quality guidelines.

Requirements:

What You'll Bring:

• 10+ years of experience in contact center operations leadership, with at least 5 years in a senior management or executive role.
• Proven expertise in training, quality assurance, and workforce planning within large-scale contact centers.
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to influence vertically and horizontally
• Experience selecting and managing BPOs, with a strong understanding of contract negotiation, SLA management, and vendor performance.
• In-depth knowledge and experience of CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service) solutions
• Expertise in contact center technology, ROI analysis, and vendor management.
• Strong strategic thinking and the ability to set and drive a clear vision for the organization.
• Extensive experience managing financial metrics within a contact center environment, with a focus on cost management and profitability.
• Experience expanding contact center operations into global markets and understanding the nuances of local labor laws and cultural differences.
• Ability to drive cross-functional collaboration and lead teams toward a unified goal.
• Maintains confidentiality of proprietary information
• Ability to maintain a professional atmosphere in a fast-paced environment with numerous interactions and interruptions
• A high degree of initiative, self-motivation, and ability to motivate others
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with Team Members and colleagues
• Comfortable with office pets (cats, dogs)

Not Required but Nice to Have

• Experience with consumer electronics or consumer appliances and / or technically complex products
• Experience in the pet industry
• Experience guiding teams that interact with customers that have bought products at a higher price point
• Not required to have pets, but highly recommended

Benefits & Purrks:

Join a tenacious, inventive company that empowers team members to chart their own path, lead by grounding decisions in the "why", and has a strong sense of empathy and openness to new perspectives. Be a part of exciting growth, work with incredible people, and create tomorrow's pet products—plus a whole lot of extras. You will also be provided with:

• Premium Medical/Dental/Vision insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Whisker Parents Program
• 1 day "pawternity" leave for new pet adoption
• Pet Insurance Discount
• 401K match
• Flexible spending accounts
• Company-paid short-term disability and life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Generous paid time off
• 14 Paid Holidays
• Top of the line equipment
• Pet-friendly office
• Whisker products and swag
• Continuing education Support
• On-site gym with Peloton
• Referral program

Statement of Inclusivity:

We believe different perspectives make Whisker better and strive to create a place where everyone has equal opportunities to thrive.

Please ensure to regularly check your email spam folder for any communication from Whisker to avoid missing important updates regarding your application status.