Sr. Director Call Center

Ariat International; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Ariat International is seeking a Senior Director, Call Center to lead the team and the technology that turns customer questions into loyalty, shaping a service culture that reflects the brand. This high-visibility role reports to the executive team and influences product, journeys, and operations.

The role oversees multi-channel support, workforce planning, and the evaluation of CRM, telephony, and AI-enabled tools to deliver sharp experiences, strong metrics, and scalable operations across the

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years in call center or customer service operations, including 5+ years leading teams in a multi-channel contact center
• A bachelor’s degree in business, communications, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• Fluency with the modern contact-center stack: CRM, Salesforce, SAP, Five9, Zoom, and workforce management platforms
• A track record of leading change — digital transformation, AI-assisted support, or a meaningful operational turnaround
• Strong instincts for e-commerce customer behavior and the quirks of footwear, apparel, and accessories (fit, sizing variability across categories, returns)
• Data-driven decision-making paired with the practicality to actually execute
• Communication and stakeholder skills that work equally well with a frontline rep, a peer VP, or the CEO

Responsibilities

• Running inbound and omnichannel support against clear service-level, response-time, and quality standards
• Owning workforce planning, scheduling, and capacity forecasting
• Choosing, deploying, and tuning the technology stack — CRM, telephony, WFM, knowledge base, AI assist
• Defining the KPIs that matter (CSAT, AHT, FCR, SLA, engagement, retention), building the dashboards that surface them, and presenting the story to executive leadership
• Turning data into accountability frameworks that move numbers without burning out the team
• Setting the bar for every interaction, personally handling escalations and critical incidents, and partnering with Marketing, E-commerce, Product, and Operations to fix root causes — not just tickets
• Building and managing the operating budget
• Making defensible calls on insourcing vs. outsourcing, headcount vs. automation, and which tools are earning their keep
• Keeping the organization square with regulatory requirements, data privacy, and internal policy
• Running the QA program and call-monitoring process that keep quality consistent at scale
• Assisting with other responsibilities based on business needs

Skills

Multichannel leadership

CRM systems

Salesforce

Five9

Workforce management

Data-driven decisions

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or communications

Tools

Salesforce

SAP

Five9

Zoom

Job description

Ariat is seeking a skilled Senior Director, Call Center who runs the team and the technology that turns customer questions into loyalty, builds a service culture that sounds unmistakably like the brand, and translates what customers say into sharper products, smoother journeys, and smarter operations. It’s a high-visibility seat with a direct line to the executive team and real influence on what the company makes and how it shows up. This role requires periodic travel between offices and third-party partner sites, with occasional availability outside standard hours during peak periods or escalations. It’s a highly cross-functional seat with regular access to senior leadership.

You’ll Make a Difference By

Strategy and team leadership

• Setting the vision for a multi-channel service organization and bringing it to life through the managers and supervisors they develop.
• Building a player-coach culture where leaders step into the queue during peak periods and where every rep can articulate the brand voice in their own words.

Day-to-day operations

• Runing inbound and omnichannel support against clear service-level, response-time, and quality standards.
• Owning workforce planning, scheduling, and capacity forecasting.
• Choosing, deploying, and tuning the technology stack — CRM, telephony, WFM, knowledge base, AI assist — so the team has tools worth using.

Performance and analytics

• Defining the KPIs that matter (CSAT, AHT, FCR, SLA, engagement, retention), building the dashboards that surface them, and presenting the story to executive leadership.
• Turning data into accountability frameworks that move numbers without burning out the team.
• Setting the bar for every interaction, personally handling escalations and critical incidents, and partnering with Marketing, E-commerce, Product, and Operations to fix root causes — not just tickets.

Financial stewardship

• Building and managing the operating budget.
• Making defensible calls on insourcing vs. outsourcing, headcount vs. automation, and which tools are earning their keep.

Compliance and quality

• Keeping the organization square with regulatory requirements, data privacy, and internal policy.
• Running the QA program and call-monitoring process that keep quality consistent at scale.
• Assisting with other responsibilities based on business needs.

About You

• 8–12+ years in call center or customer service operations, including 5+ years leading teams in a multi-channel contact center
• A bachelor’s degree in business, communications, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• Fluency with the modern contact-center stack: CRM, Salesforce, SAP, Five9, Zoom, and workforce management platforms
• A track record of leading change — digital transformation, AI-assisted support, or a meaningful operational turnaround
• Strong instincts for e-commerce customer behavior and the quirks of footwear, apparel, and accessories (fit, sizing variability across categories, returns)
• Data-driven decision-making paired with the practicality to actually execute
• Communication and stakeholder skills that work equally well with a frontline rep, a peer VP, or the CEO

How success will be measured

• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
• Average Handle Time (AHT)
• First Call Resolution (FCR)

  About Ariat

  Ariat is an innovative, outdoor global brand with roots in equestrian performance. We develop high-quality footwear and apparel for people who ride, work, and play outdoors, and care about performance, quality, comfort, and style.

  The salary range for this position is $160,000 - $175,000 per year.

  The salary is determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data for geographic locations. Ariat in good faith believes that this posted compensation range is accurate for this role at this location at the time of this posting. This range may be modified in the future.

  Ariat’s holistic benefits package for full-time team members includes (but is not limited to):

  • Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance options
  • Expanded wellness and mental health benefits
  • Paid time off (PTO), paid holidays, and paid volunteer days
  • 401(k) with company match
  • Team member discount on Ariat merchandise

  Note: Availability of benefits may be subject to location & employment type and may have certain eligibility requirements. Ariat reserves the right to alter these benefits in whole or in part at any time without advance notice.

  Ariat will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local laws. Ariat is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetics or any other basis protected under federal, state, or local law. Ariat is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to candidates with disabilities. If you need an accommodation during the application process, email [e-mail].

  Please see our Employment Candidate Privacy Policy at www.ariat.com/careers to learn more about how we collect, use, retain and disclose Personal Information.