Director of Customer Support

Socket.dev; Aurora (OR); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia is seeking a Director of Customer Support to lead and optimize our customer-service organization from RFQ through delivery and in-service support. The role drives customer satisfaction, ensures commitments across commercial, military, technical, and operations teams, and serves as the primary escalation point for complex issues.

You will lead pricing governance, exchange policies, and service standards, while developing staffing plans and performance expectations for the team.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in customer support, aftermarket services, or related fields.
• 10+ years of aviation, rotorcraft, defense, MRO, or technical services experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Customer Support organization and establish service standards, SLAs, and operating rhythms.
• Own customer satisfaction metrics, response times, and on-time delivery performance.
• Serve as primary escalation point for complex customer issues and coordinate action plans.
• Coordinate support activities across Commercial, Military, Technical Support, Operations, and Air Operations teams.
• Lead quote processes for aftermarket services, repairs, and parts sales.
• Develop and maintain pricing practices and service standards.
• Oversee exchange pool sizing, availability, and operational priorities.
• Review major projects and AOG events communication plans.
• Lead customer status reviews and recurring account reviews.

Skills

Leadership experience

Aviation/defense domain

Communication skills

Cross-functional coordination

Pricing governance

Contract commitments

Customer-service leadership

Job description

The Director of Customer Support leads customer satisfaction, communications, and aftermarket account management from RFQ through delivery and in-service support. This role oversees the Customer Support organization, drives customer service excellence, and ensures customer commitments are coordinated across commercial, military, technical support, operations, and flight operations teams. The Director also provides leadership for technical support and operations coordination functions and serves as the primary escalation point for complex customer issues.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Lead the Customer Support organization and establish, maintain, and continuously improve customer-service standards, service-level expectations, and team operating rhythms.
• Own customer satisfaction metrics and service-level performance, including customer response time, quote turnaround time, on-time delivery performance, and AOG recovery time.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for customer issues, ensuring timely communication, coordinated action plans, and effective resolution.
• Coordinate customer support activities between Commercial, Military, Technical Support, Operations, and internal Air Operations teams.
• Lead the quote process for aftermarket services, repairs, modifications, components, parts sales, field support, and related customer support offerings.
• Develop and maintain standard pricing practices, price catalog governance, exchange policies, and customer support service standards.
• Oversee support services, including standard exchange pool sizing, availability expectations, and coordination of operational priorities when customer needs require adjustment.
• Review and propose customer communication plans for major projects, high-impact issues, and AOG events.
• Lead customer status reviews, customer meetings, and recurring account reviews to ensure alignment on commitments, priorities, and service performance.
• Support contract reviews and ensure customer commitments can be executed operationally before acceptance.
• Drive aftermarket revenue growth through repairs, modifications, component services, parts sales, exchange programs, and field support offerings.
• Identify recurring customer issues, sponsor corrective actions, and work with internal stakeholders to improve reliability, responsiveness, and customer experience.
• Develop staffing plans, training plans, career progression, and performance expectations for the customer support team.
• Support strategic military and commercial customer relationships by maintaining consistent communication, understanding customer needs, and translating those needs into actionable priorities.
• Analyze customer needs and recommend operational priority adjustments when appropriate to protect customer commitments and business objectives.
• Part of the core team generating MRO or aftermarket offers
• Conduct oneself in accordance with Company’s Core Values
• Other duties as assigned.

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in customer support, customer service, aftermarket services, technical support, account management, aviation operations, or a related field.
• 10+ years of aviation, rotorcraft, defense, MRO, technical services, or aftermarket support experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead customer-facing teams and manage escalated customer issues with professionalism and urgency.
• Strong understanding of quote management, pricing practices, contract commitments, service-level expectations, and aftermarket support models.
• Experience coordinating across commercial, technical, operational, and customer-facing teams.
• Ability to analyze customer needs, prioritize competing demands, and recommend operational adjustments based on business impact.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to lead customer meetings and communicate clearly during high-pressure events.
• Ability to build team capability through staffing, training, performance management, and career development.
• Experience supporting both commercial and military customers.
• Experience with exchange pools, field support, component repair, parts sales, or service program management.
• Experience developing KPIs, service standards, pricing governance, and customer communication processes.

WHAT YOU WILL LOVE ABOUT WORKING HERE

At Columbia, we believe great people do their best work when they feel supported, challenged, and valued. We’re more than a workplace, we’re a team built on trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to doing meaningful work.

Competitive Pay & Strong Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, financial wellness, and work–life balance. Depending on your role, this may include medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement plans with company contributions, paid time off, and employee wellness resources.

Growth & Career Development

We invest in our people. From training and development opportunities to internal mobility and leadership support, Columbia encourages continuous learning and long‑term career growth.

Purpose-Driven Culture

Your work matters here. Every role contributes to our broader mission, and we believe in empowering employees to make an impact, share ideas, and help shape the future of the company.

A Team That Has Your Back

We foster a collaborative, inclusive environment where people are respected, encouraged, and supported. You’ll work alongside talented teammates who care about doing great work, and doing it together.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)