Customer Service Manager

WestRock Company; Salinas (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

WestRock Company in Salinas, CA is seeking a Customer Service Manager to lead the plant's customer service team and act as a liaison among customers, sales, production, and operations. You will coach Account Specialists, drive strategic initiatives, and partner with internal teams to achieve top-tier customer satisfaction.

As part of the leadership team, you will guide day-to-day activities, manage customer accounts, and ensure accurate order processing and timely delivery.

Qualifications

• Required: Customer service experience in manufacturing.
• Preferred: 3–5 years of manufacturing leadership experience.
• Required: High School diploma or GED.
• Preferred: Associate or bachelor’s degree.

Responsibilities

• Lead a customer service team in the plant.
• Coach and guide Customer Account Specialists.
• Collaborate with production, shipping, and planning teams to review performance.
• Manage customer accounts and orders, including documentation.
• Escalate issues and align with leadership on solutions.
• Participate in cross-functional meetings to meet delivery requirements.
• Mentor and onboard new specialists.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Customer-Oriented

Communication

Collaboration

Coaching

Organizational Skills

Time Management

Training Skills

Leadership Skills

Education

High School diploma or GED

Associate/bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

ERP/CRM systems

Job description

Customer Service Manager - Salinas, CA

The opportunity

The Customer Service Manager (CSM) represents Smurfit Westrock to customers as a critical liaison between the customer, sales, production, and operations teams. The Customer Service Manager (CSM) simultaneously provides support to the leadership team by coaching and guiding Customer Account Specialists, executing strategic initiatives for the plant and company, partnering with internal customers and partners, to achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction.

Business Excellence

• Be a key part of the leadership team in the plant, by leading an essential customer service team
• Support the General Manager’s vision for true customer centricity at the plant level
• Lead a team of customer service representatives & support their training, development & day to day
• Support directly & manage a number of customers , that can include house or distribution/ brokers
• Manage Customer Account Specialist team.
• Manage customer accounts, as necessary.
• Partner with production, shipping, maintenance, quality, and planning teams to review production performance to identify opportunities to optimize functional efficiencies.
• Review customer specifications and new items in the order processing system to ensure all elements are captured and supporting documentation is included for efficient processing and production.
• Participate in daily cross-functional production meetings to keep apprised of production status and ensure customer delivery requirements are met.
• Oversee the tactical execution of tasks by the Customer Account Specialists and ensure alignment with the planning and shipping department.
• Works with the Customer Account Specialists to proactively track order activity and alert appropriate staff/customers of any potential issues.
• Manage inventory movements to ensure customer demands and needs are met.
• Support Customer Account Specialists with issue remediation and communication with customers, as necessary.
• Escalate customer issues as necessary and align with plant leadership on actions to resolve issues.
• Participate in projects supporting plant or companywide strategic initiatives (e.g., margin enhancement efforts, overall equipment effectiveness efforts) by providing critical customer service expertise and insight to inform decisions and recommendations.

People and Culture

• Empowered to develop yourself through a culture of training to give you the tools to accomplish your best work and satisfy the customer.
• Continuously communicate with Customer Account Specialists, manufacturing partners, and sales to align with the current state and ensure operational efficiencies are achieved to meet customer needs.
• Communicate daily with Customer Account Specialists to ensure that they are apprised of all the information impacting production and their customers (e.g., logistics or production delays) and contact customers accordingly.
• Communicate all information relating to special projects with the customer account team and cross-functional partners (including production team, shipping department, Quality, and Safety managers, etc.) to ensure all stakeholders are aware of production and customer impacts and changes, to ensure that business runs smoothly.
• Communicate larger expenditures to leadership to ensure visibility and alignment.
• Mentor, coach, and guide Customer Account Specialists to effectively resolve customer issues.
• Embrace, engage, and execute change management through process adoption.
• Onboard and train Customer Account Specialists on order processing system, specific topics, or best practices to enhance their understanding and performance.
• Gather feedback and insights from Customer Account Specialists and share broadly across the team and with stakeholders (e.g., specialized reports, technology shortcuts)
• Complete performance assessments of Customer Account Specialists based on their performance related to key initiatives and goals, including supporting documentation, opportunities for improvement, and input for performance appraisals for review and validation by the Customer Service Manager

Critical Skills / Capabilities

• Attention to Detail: Follow established processes and procedures to ensure accuracy of work (Do it right the first time)
• Customer-Oriented: Proactively assesses and effectively resolves customer issues quickly; proactively communicates with customers to ensure alignment and satisfaction; ensures that quality improvements meet the needs and expectations of a diverse customer base; consistently operates with the customers’ best interests in mind.
• Communication: Clearly exchanges thoughts, ideas, and messages through written, verbal, and non-verbal methods that promote an understanding with the target audience; listens carefully and attentively
• Collaboration: Works effectively with others to complete a task or achieve a common objective; ability to cooperate in both interpersonal and team relationships to foster enthusiasm and maintain mutual trust, candor, and respect for others. Works through conflict constructively
• Coaching: Demonstrates basic understanding of the individual and organizational benefits of career development; provides feedback to direct reports and/or peers on job skills and personal behavior; identifies employees’ areas of strengths and developmental needs
• Organizational Skills: Planning, monitoring, and prioritizing tasks to ensure achievement of desired results; establishes a systematic course of action to accomplish objectives through multi-tasking and ability to forward-think.
• Time Management: Ability to structure time to meet customer demands; demonstrate flexibility to balance your schedule, tasks, and responsibilities to complete things on time.
• Training Skills: Develop team through continuous improvement using process and change management skills.
• Leadership Skills: Effective ability to communicate well, motivate their team, handle, and delegate responsibilities, listen to feedback, and have the flexibility to solve problems in an ever-changing workplace while demonstrating empathy.

Technical Skills

• Microsoft Office - Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word, PowerPoint
• System Experience (e.g., AS/400, Kiwiplan ESP/PCS/ULT, HRMS, Amtech, Sage, JD Edwards, Salesforce, EDI, Customer Portals)

Work Environment

• Onsite Monday - Friday
• Constantly works indoors, in an environment that is climate controlled.
• The role is frequently sedentary, which entails sitting or being stationary.
• Occasionally stands or walks for 1-2 hours at a time.
• Noisy work environment; maintain strict adherence to safety rules and regulations.

Experience/Educational/Skill Requirements

• Required: Customer service or related work experience in manufacturing environment or other industries
• Preferred: 3 to 5 years of manufacturing industry experience with specialized training in leading teams.
• Required: High School diploma or G.E.D.
• Preferred: Associate/bachelor’s degree