Customer Service Operations Manager

Are you the person who walks into a room, spots what is not working, and actually fixes it? Not talks about fixing it — fixes it?

Our client is a well-established specialty chemical raw materials distributor serving over 1,000 active customers across the U.S. With 30 years in business, ISO 9001 certification, and a private equity-backed growth plan, they are scaling fast and need their operations to scale with them. This role is a key part of that.

The Role

This is not a call center job. There are no angry customers on hold. This is an order management leadership role — you will own the process that keeps the business running, from the moment an order comes in to the moment it ships out.

You will lead a small, tenured team of order management specialists, work closely with sales, purchasing, accounting, and operations, and build the systems and habits that allow a growing company to scale without breaking.

The sales team is currently spending 75% of their time managing orders. Your job is to get that to 50% — by owning the process so they can own the relationships.

What You Will Do

• Lead and develop a team of 3-4 order management specialists
• Own the full order lifecycle — entry, inventory coordination, credit holds, shipment tracking, and follow-up
• Build and track KPIs that actually matter for this business (on-time delivery, order accuracy, variance reduction)
• Develop SOPs and reporting that create consistency and accountability
• Identify problems before they happen — long lead times mean planning is everything
• Partner daily with sales, purchasing, accounting, and operations to keep things moving

What We Are Looking For

You do not need to have built a KPI system from scratch. But you do need to be able to sit down and talk through what you have measured, how you tracked it, what on-time delivery looked like on your watch, and what you did when something was off. That conversation is the interview.

Beyond the metrics, we are looking for someone who:

• Has led a small team and knows the difference between micromanaging and actually leading — rolling up their sleeves when needed, and building confidence in the people around them
• Comes from distribution, logistics, supply chain, or sales operations — and speaks that language naturally
• Is organized and proactive, not reactive — this is a planned and structured environment, not a fire drill every day
• Can define a process, document it, measure it, and improve it over time
• Is genuinely excited about being part of a growing company where their work has a visible impact

The Details

• Location: Amherst, NY (Buffalo area) — in office, with flexibility after onboarding
• Schedule: Flexible start time
• Compensation: Competitive base salary year-end performance bonus
• Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401K, PTO, paid holidays, and a few perks that reflect a company that actually takes care of its people

Why This Opportunity

Small company, real impact. PE-backed with the resources and mandate to grow significantly over the next five years. Long-tenured team, strong culture, and a chance to build something that lasts. If you have been looking for a role where your work actually moves the needle, this is it.

Interested or know someone who might be? Reach out directly — all inquiries are completely confidential.

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