Customer Service & Distribution Manager

Alpha Resources, LLC; Stevensville (MI); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401k + Matching

Paid time off

Job summary

Alpha Resources LLC is seeking a Customer Service & Distribution Manager to lead the team responsible for customer inquiries, quotes, order entry, and on-time delivery. You will oversee 10–15 staff, set expectations, train, schedule and drive continuous improvement in order processing and shipping accuracy.

The role emphasizes leadership and operations, not sales, with final say on order exceptions, compliance checks for hazmat and international shipments, and collaboration with warehouse and

Qualifications

• 5+ years in customer service, order management or fulfillment for technical, scientific, chemical or industrial products.
• 3+ years directly supervising a team, ideally 8+ people.
• Hands-on experience with international orders and export shipping documents.
• Willingness to earn hazardous materials shipping certification (IATA/DOT) within 90–120 days of hire.
• Comfort with Excel reporting and experience using an ERP or order management system.
• Calm, decisive judgment and clear, professional communication with customers worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Lead the team of 10–15 customer service and order entry staff; hire, train, schedule and develop the team.
• Oversee accurate order entry, acknowledgments, quotes and inquiries by phone, email and web; cover desk when needed.
• Manage open order backlog, backorders and ship dates with warehouse and production teams; finalize order exceptions.

Skills

Leadership

Customer service

Team management

Communication

Excel reporting

Education

Associate or Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain or science field

Tools

Sage 100

ERP software

Job description

Alpha Resources LLC supplies consumables and reference materials to atomic spectroscopy laboratories (ICP-OES, ICP-MS, AA and related techniques) in industry, government and academia. We ship domestically and to customers around the world, including many products regulated as hazardous materials. Labs depend on us to get the right product to them on time, correctly documented and fully compliant.

The Role

We are looking for a Customer Service & Distribution Manager to lead the team that takes care of our customers from first inquiry to delivered order. You will manage a team of 10 to 15 people who enter orders, answer customer questions, prepare quotes and keep orders moving. You are the decision maker for the department: when an order is stuck, a customer is unhappy, or a shipment raises a compliance question, you make the call. This is a leadership and operations role, not a sales role. You will not carry a sales quota.

Responsibilities:

Lead the team

• Hire, train, schedule and develop a team of 10 to 15 customer service and order entry staff.
• Set clear expectations, run regular 1:1s and performance reviews, and build a team people want to stay on.
• Cross-train so every critical task has backup coverage.

Own order fulfillment

• Oversee accurate, timely order entry, order acknowledgments, quotes and customer inquiries by phone, email and web.
• Enter orders and cover the desk yourself when volume or staffing requires it.
• Manage the open order backlog, backorders and ship dates with the warehouse and production teams.
• Be the final decision maker on order exceptions: price questions, expedites, substitutions, credit holds, returns and credits.
• Handle escalated customer issues and complaints through to resolution.

Keep international and hazmat orders compliant

• Make sure international orders have correct Incoterms, pro forma invoices, payment terms and shipping documents.
• Work with shipping so hazardous goods orders are classified, packed, labeled and routed correctly (air, ocean and ground).
• Ensure required export steps are done before release: restricted party screening, end-use and end-user checks, export classification and filings.
• Stop any order that doesn't meet compliance requirements, and escalated as needed.

Improve how we work

• Track and report on department metrics: order accuracy, on-time shipment, response time, backlog age and customer complaints.
• Write and maintain standard procedures for order entry, international orders and hazmat orders.
• Keep ERP and customer data clean and accurate.
• Hand sales leads and account opportunities to the sales team.

Requirements:

• 5+ years in customer service, order management or fulfillment for technical, scientific, chemical or industrial products.
• 3+ years directly supervising a team, ideally 8 or more people.
• Hands-on experience with international orders and export shipping documents.
• Willingness to earn hazardous materials shipping certification (IATA / DOT) within 90 to 120 days of hire. We will provide the training.
• Comfort with Excel reporting, and experience using an ERP or order management system.
• Calm, decisive judgment and clear, professional communication with customers worldwide.

Preferred

• Experience in laboratory supplies, analytical instruments, reference materials or spectroscopy consumables.
• Knowledge of EAR export controls and OFAC / restricted party screening.
• Working knowledge of hazardous materials shipping rules (IATA DGR, IMDG, 49 CFR), or a current dangerous goods certification.
• Sage 100 or similar ERP experience.
• Associate or Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain or a science field.
• Second language skills.

Benefits

• Medical / Dental / Vision, Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life Insurance, Accident Insurance, 401k + Matching.
• PTO and Holiday Pay.

Alpha Resources LLC is an equal opportunity employer.

Because this position involves access to export-controlled information, candidates must be able to meet applicable U.S. export control requirements.