Customer Service Manager

DS Smith Plc; Redditch; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Discretionary bonus

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Pension scheme

Life assurance and income protection

Cycle to work scheme

Retail discounts

Digital GP Service & Employee Assist.

Job summary

DS Smith Plc in Redditch is seeking an experienced Customer Service Manager to lead and develop the Customer Service function in a fast-paced manufacturing setting. You will drive service excellence, oversee a high-performing team, and collaborate with Sales, Operations, Production and Supply Chain to meet customer demand.

You will champion process improvements, manage orders and inventory, and resolve complex customer issues while maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a Customer Service Manager or similar leadership role.
• Experience managing and developing customer service teams.
• Strong people management and coaching skills.
• Ability to make effective decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop the Customer Service team to drive engagement and performance.
• Oversee the day-to-day running of the Customer Service function and monitor KPIs.
• Drive continuous improvement across service processes and systems.
• Oversee inventory management to meet customer and business requirements.
• Manage customer complaints and identify root causes; implement corrective actions.
• Build strong relationships with customers, Sales and internal stakeholders; review accounts for improvements.
• Lead cross-department initiatives to improve service, efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Skills

People management

Customer service leadership

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Decision making under pressure

Communication skills

Tools

Salesforce

SharePoint

ERP systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Are you an experienced customer service leader looking for an opportunity to make a real impact? We are seeking a proactive and customer-focused Customer Service Manager to lead and develop our Customer Service function in Redditch. In this role, you'll take full accountability for the customer service operation, leading and developing a high-performing team while ensuring exceptional service in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Working closely with Sales, Operations, Production and Supply Chain teams, you will drive service excellence, continuous improvement and customer satisfaction, ensuring expectations are consistently exceeded. This is an exciting opportunity to shape customer service strategy, enhance processes and make a meaningful impact on business performance. We're looking for a passionate leader who thrives on developing people, improving customer experiences and delivering operational excellence.

Leadership & People Management

• Lead, coach and develop the Customer Service team to drive engagement and performance.
• Manage performance, absence, resource planning and employee development.
• Ensure effective team coverage and workload management.

Customer Service & Operational Excellence

• Oversee the day-to-day running of the Customer Service function.
• Monitor and report on key KPIs, including OTIF and customer satisfaction.
• Drive continuous improvement across service processes and systems.

Order & Inventory Management

• Ensure customer orders are processed accurately and delivered on time.
• Oversee inventory management to meet customer and business requirements.
• Work closely with Production and Supply Chain teams to support customer demand.

Complaint Resolution

• Manage customer complaints and identify root causes.
• Implement corrective actions and drive timely issue resolution.
• Act as the escalation point for complex customer concerns.

Customer Relationship Management

• Build strong relationships with customers, Sales and internal stakeholders.
• Review customer accounts to identify service improvement opportunities.
• Maintain accurate customer records and account information.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead initiatives that improve service, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Collaborate across departments to enhance processes and ways of working.
• Contribute to site projects and continuous improvement activities.

Health & Safety

• Promote a strong health and safety culture.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Report and address safety concerns and incidents promptly

We're looking for an experienced customer service professional with a proven track record of leading teams in a fast-paced environment. You are highly organised, customer-focused and capable of making confident decisions under pressure. You enjoy coaching others, driving improvements and finding practical solutions to complex challenges.

Requirements

• Proven experience in a Customer Service Manager, Customer Experience Manager or similar leadership role.
• Experience managing and developing customer service teams.
• Strong people management and coaching skills.
• Ability to make effective decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Advanced customer service expertise with a strong customer-first mindset.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrated alignment with values such as Caring, Challenging, Trusted, Responsive and Tenacious.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working within a manufacturing, packaging, logistics or operational environment.
• Knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies and tools.
• Experience using CRM, ERP, Salesforce, SharePoint or similar customer management systems.
• Understanding of inventory management and supply chain processes.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development and learning.

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

Fair recruitment at DS Smith To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria

We know it's important to feel valued and rewarded, so at DS Smith you'll get:

Benefits

• A competitive salary
• Discretionary bonus based on team performance
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection
• Digital GP Service & Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Retail discounts