Mgr, Operational Excellence & Development

Job Summary:

The Operational Excellence & Development Manager is responsible for innovating and driving operational efficiencies for the direct benefit of customer satisfaction, employee performance, regulatory compliance, and strategic alignment for three regulated utility markets and one non-regulated utility, AGL Resources. This role provides leadership to cross-functional and geographic teams in the areas of quality assurance, executive customer and regulatory interactions, customer support through phone, online customer care, chat, social media, and CX enterprise development. The incumbent is responsible for developing strategy and implementing policies and procedures for each respective function. This will include design functionality, daily operations, engaging in vendor interaction, leveraging KPIs and behavior insights in support of high performance, and developing communication mechanisms for process improvements as well as managing overall work activities. Additional responsibilities include direct management and development of supervisory level employees. It will involve a high degree of partnership across the Customer Care Operations and Development leadership team, Technical Training, Talent Development, and other key stakeholders to strategically progress the results of our business. Staff compliance and ensuring compliance with the bargaining agreement, applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances; maintaining regulatory and industry relationships; and trending key performance indicators and both internal and regulatory service levels fall under the responsibility. The position provides strategic direction to assist with balancing budget targets, business success, and an engaged/motivated workforce. This position is also accountable for compliance with Southern Company, Regulatory, and Customer Service Policies and Guidelines.

Job Responsibilities & Accountabilities by Competency:

Functional Expertise:

• Build sustainability for the new quality assurance function.
• Enhance the functions and daily operations of the complaint program.
• Implement, monitor, and measure the success of operational plans and surveys.
• Manage vendor interactions and monitor vendor performance for quality and customer relations tools.
• Develop behavioral data insights to formulate action items from interpretative results.
• Adhere to and administer appropriate policy, procedures, and operating plans for Customer Experience support functions within the work team.
• Analyze data to identify operational trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Provide leadership and support for CX development initiatives.

Business Acumen:

• Provide leadership and direction for functional teams.
• Provide collaborative support for customer experience presentations for internal and external use.
• Prepare reports on operational performance, including benchmarks against industry standards or best practices.
• Understand and communicate business drivers and metrics that drive the budget.
• Identify opportunities and coordinate efforts within Customer Experience to improve processes.
• Provide collaborative support for industry benchmark strategies.
• Develop Customer Experience best practices for complaint and quality processes.
• Lead efforts aimed at improving operational efficiency and reducing costs.

Engagement:

• Accountable for staff selection, development, and retention for the employee group.
• Lead monthly meetings of employee and leadership groups within the utilities to discuss voice of the customer initiatives and all key metrics.
• Manage peer relationships within the Customer Experience area and outside of the department.
• Coordinate with other departments to ensure successful implementation of initiatives and shared goals.
• Motivate employees to improve performance by fostering a Culture of CARE, continuous improvement, and innovation.
• Partner with Labor Relations as needed.

Driving Results:

• Accountable for employee performance management.
• Coach and develop employees.
• Develop employee baseline training.
• Drive discussion on all customer metrics within the Customer Experience area and work with peers to develop action plans.
• Lead quality and complaint support functions within Customer Experience.
• Partner with Customer Care Center leadership and training to ensure consistency in executing the Behavior Based Coaching Model.

Qualifications:

Education, Certifications/Licenses:

• Required: BA/BS degree in business, economics, human resources, or a similar field, or equivalent work experience.
• Preferred: Related Work Experience.

Required:

• 4-6 years of customer care or operations experience with the utilities or a similar industry, or combined experience with the utilities or other related experience.
• 3 years of supervisor or manager experience.

Preferred:

• 2-4 years of managing call center operations and quality processes or equivalent academic education and work experience.
• Experience working with unionized employees and understanding of collective bargaining agreements.
• Proven ability to manage and navigate labor relations issues.
• Familiarity with labor laws and regulations affecting union-covered employees.
• Experience in negotiating and implementing collective bargaining agreements.
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with union representatives and employees.

Specific Skills & Knowledge:

Required:

• Systems knowledge (Avaya/Verint WFM Suite, CIS).
• Ability to interpret data and perform gap analysis to make informed decisions.
• Presentation skills.
• Customer service skills.
• Bargaining agreement knowledge.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Power BI.
• MS Word/PowerPoint – intermediate proficiency.
• MS Excel – advanced proficiency.

Preferred:

• MS Project Management – basic proficiency.

Applicant may possess a combination of equivalent education and work experience.

Disclaimer:

This information describes the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this job.  The description is not designed to be a comprehensive inventory of duties, responsibilities and qualifications required in the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to qualified disabled individuals for performance of essential duties and responsibilities.