Customer Service Director

Forge Nano | $120,000 - $155,000

Steph's Notes:

This role, Customer Service Director, reports to the Director of Sales. Imagine my face when I read that.

Professionally represent the company to the customer and reinforce that professionalism within your team. 

This is like the 3rd or 4th time they've mentioned professionalism and the emphasis on it is making my eye twitch. Kinda makes you wonder what their definition of professional is, huh?

Advocacy for team in resource management. 

This is the second time they mention this in the job listing, which tells me CS is constantly at the little kid's table, and they're starving.

I'm putting this in Tread Carefully because although the product legitimately sounds cool, there's a certain old-school vibe I get from this job listing that makes me think they're looking for a clean-shaven, middle-aged white dude with an MBA from a midwestern school and a Chinos fetish. If that's your vibe, do your thing, but the rest of us should probably take care.

Original Job Description: Customer Service Director

ALD Equipment Products

Summary/Objective

Forge Nano Inc, a fast-growing materials company with a focus on manufacturing nano-scale coating equipment across a wide range of markets, is seeking an experienced Customer Service Director reporting to the Director of Sales. This position will lead a service team who perform a broad range of advanced service duties for Forge Nano’s thin-film (Atomic Layer Deposition, or ALD) deposition equipment products, including installing and servicing equipment in the field, performing service calls and remote customer support, participating in continual improvement efforts, and interacting frequently in customer-facing situations, which require a friendly, patient, and professional attitude. This team lead will be responsible for customer service strategy, developing and executing on service-related performance targets, reporting on customer satisfaction, product performance and quality issues, as well as resourcing and planning to manage a successful team.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Lead the existing Service Team and be responsible for the projected needs of the Service Team as the Company grows
• Establish a Service Team strategy and budget (business plan) that sets service-related performance targets; scales and creates processes for how the Service team integrates within each major division of the company, and empowers the Service team to meet Forge Nano’s customer success, revenue and repeat bookings targets
• Lead every aspect of the customer service experience post-equipment sale to build trusting and enduring relationships with our customers
• Deliver on service-related performance and revenue targets and plan and advocate for resources required to meet those metrics to support the team
• Develop Service infrastructure, including authoring and ushering the necessary documentation for procedures, processes, and best-known-methods including work instructions, standard operating procedures, and completing relevant checklists
• Support customer service website interface for guided customer training and ecommerce of parts and service packages
• Become familiar with the product offerings and the unique attributes of the equipment under different production environments, including occasional customer site-visits
• Manage customer service offerings, contracts, and pricing
• Maintain and promote a safe work environment at Forge Nano and at customer sites
• Adhere to both internal and customer standards of conduct
• Professionally represent the company to the customer and reinforce that professionalism within your team

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (MBA preferred)
• Eight+ years’ experience in or managing a service team that sells industrial equipment
• Excellent leadership and written/verbal communication skills
• Must possess people management and project management skills, and have the ability to acquire a technical understanding of the company’s tools, tool function, and the product set
• Must have previously developed a Customer Service Strategy for a manufacturing/service environment
• Must have established (based on company goals) and reported on the relevant targets of a Customer Service function to an Executive team and a Board of Directors
• Advocacy for team in resource management
• Proficient with sales, CRM and project management software platforms (e.g. Salesforce, Wirke, Jira, or MS Projects) and Microsoft Office Suite: Outlook, Excel, Word, Teams, etc.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with Service Teams that service a production environment, including Semiconductor service experience
• Establishing and meeting customer service-related performance targets
• Establishing and growing customer service digital systems including Customer Relationship Management (CRM), inventory management and resource management
• Leading a team of technical service individuals across an array of different technologies
• Working with customers to understand key issues and evolve product offerings

Work Environment

Work is carried out in our large technical facility, remotely, and at customer locations, often in cleanrooms and frequently with minimal physical clearance. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may handle hazardous chemicals at times. The employee will be required to wear all appropriate safety equipment including but not limited to eye protection, gloves, steel toe shoes, lab coat, etc. An employee in this position works in an environment in which safety, environmental and health concerns may demand constant attention. Strict adherence to corporate and/or plant policies, rules and regulations in these areas is required. Employee will also be subject to customer safety policies and procedures during field service visits.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform successfully the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with others to exchange information.

Travel

Occasional travel is possible for this position.

Compensation

• $120,000 - $155,000 annual Salary
• Medical/dental/vision/disability and life insurance, holidays, PTO, Flexible Spending Account, and 401(k) plan.

Forge Nano is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.