Stewardship Services Manager

ITHAKA; New York (NY); On-site; USD 67,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Employer-paid 10% retirement provision

Paid parental and caregiver leave

22 days paid time off

11 paid holidays

Sick days

Wellness benefits

Job summary

ITHAKA is seeking a Stewardship Services Manager to lead digital stewardship service delivery. You will oversee workflows, coordinate with Product, Technology, and Operations, and guide the team to deliver scalable service excellence. You’ll manage vendor relationships, monitor KPIs, and drive data-informed improvements while mentoring staff.

Travel is expected occasionally (<10%), with visits to Michigan and New York offices. A Bachelor's degree and 5+ years in customer-facing roles are required, with strong communication and process-improvement skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years in customer service, professional services, or participant-facing roles.
• Experience managing vendor relationships with quality and performance oversight.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven success leading process improvements and cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with data-driven decisions.
• Demonstrated project and time management across multiple priorities.
• Skilled in stakeholder management and collaboration across teams.
• Ability to coach, mentor and develop team members.
• Proficiency with CRM and ticketing systems (Zendesk, JIRA), MS Office, Google Workspace; XML/FTP familiarity.
• Ability to design cross-functional processes and implement improvements with measurable outcomes.
• Ability to solve systemic problems affecting multiple teams.
• Ability to influence stakeholders with data-driven recommendations.
• Champion collaboration and guide teams through organizational change.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational excellence in digital stewardship service delivery and optimize workflows.
• Oversee daily support operations and content workflows for quality and consistency.
• Identify and implement process improvements to boost efficiency and satisfaction.
• Collaborate with Product, Technology, and Operations to resolve complex issues.
• Coordinate with Participant Success teams for onboarding, training, and alignment.
• Build partnerships with vendors and provide training on ITHAKA tools.
• Monitor content workflows via JIRA and analyze service metrics for improvements.
• Perform regular data analysis and reporting for internal stakeholders.
• Gather participant feedback to inform service enhancements and product development.
• Coach and mentor team members, promoting accountability and learning.
• Represent Stewardship Services in cross-department initiatives with customer voice.
• Follow accessibility requirements and integrate best practices daily.
• Support the organization’s values of belonging, evidence, speed, teamwork, and trust.
• Occasional travel (<10%) to Michigan and New York offices.

Skills

Communication skills

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decisions

Project management

CRM/JIRA proficiency

XML/FTP familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Zendesk

JIRA

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

XML

FTP

Job description

Stewardship Services Manager

ITHAKAs mission is to expand access to knowledge and education around the world. Our services JSTOR, Portico, and Ithaka S+R enable people everywhere to learn, to grow, and to overcome barriers to education. In carrying out our mission, as employees we feel a deep responsibility to members of our community and to each other, and we are committed to building and sustaining a culture where everyone can thrive.

The Role

The Stewardship Services Manager plays a key role within the Stewardship Services team, ensuring high-quality delivery of JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Stewardship Services, this position oversees operational workflows, manages participant communication, leads service delivery initiatives, and ensures smooth collaboration across Product, Technology, and Operations. The Manager combines technical expertise, process improvement skills, and stakeholder communication to deliver consistent and scalable service excellence.

Responsibilities

The Stewardship Services Manager is responsible for leading operational excellence in digital stewardship service delivery. This includes optimizing workflows, ensuring vendor alignment, and fostering collaboration across teams to meet participant needs. Success in this role means achieving seamless service experiences, timely resolution of issues, and measurable improvements in efficiency and customer satisfaction.

• Maintain a high level of technical and product knowledge for JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services and internal publishing and archiving processes.
• Oversee daily support operations and content workflows for ensuring consistency and quality in service delivery.
• Identify and implement process and workflow improvements to increase efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Partner with Product, Technology, and Operations teams to resolve complex issues, improve communication, and achieve shared organizational objectives.
• Collaborate with Participant Success teams to ensure smooth participant onboarding, communication, training, and operational alignment.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with vendors, providing training and support on ITHAKA tools, resolving issues promptly, and ensuring consistent adherence to quality standards.
• Monitor the content workflow through JIRA and analyze service metrics to identify patterns, root causes, and opportunities for improvement.
• Conduct regular data analysis and reporting for internal stakeholders, tracking performance against KPIs.
• Gather and evaluate participant feedback to inform service enhancements and product development.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to team members, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Represent Stewardship Services in cross-departmental initiatives, ensuring the voice of the customer and partner is reflected in decision-making.
• Follow digital accessibility requirements and implement accessibility best practices into daily work.
• Commitment to our organizational values of belonging, evidence, speed, teamwork, and trust.
• Occasional travel, comprising less than 10% of the time, may be necessary, with a primary focus on visits to our Michigan and New York offices.

Experience and Skills

• Bachelors degree or equivalent experience in a related field.
• 5 or more years of experience in customer service, professional services, or participant-facing roles, ideally in SaaS or digital content environments.
• Experience managing vendor relationships and ensuring adherence to quality and performance standards.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and concisely.
• Proven success in leading process improvements and cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and drive data-informed decisions.
• Demonstrated project and time management skills, capable of balancing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Skilled in stakeholder management and collaboration across teams and levels.
• Ability to coach, mentor, and develop team members effectively.
• Proficiency with CRM and ticketing systems (e.g., Zendesk, JIRA), Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and comfort with XML and FTP.
• Ability to lead cross-functional process design and implement tactical improvements with measurable outcomes.
• Ability to solve systemic problems that affect multiple teams or workflows.
• Ability to influence stakeholders through data-driven recommendations with clear, persuasive communication.
• Ability to champion team collaboration and guide others through change to improve customer outcomes.

Work Authorization and Sponsorship

ITHAKA is not currently considering candidates who require any type of immigration sponsorship (additional work authorization or permanent work authorization) to work in the United States.

Compensation and Benefits

At ITHAKA we believe in openness and fair pay. Part of living those values is our commitment to clarity about salary ranges, so candidates know what to expect. The starting salary for this position ranges from $67,000 to $77,000 per year. Starting pay may vary with job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. At present, our total compensation package for benefits-eligible employees includes medical, dental, and vision plans, an employer-paid 10% retirement contribution, paid parental and caregiver leave, 22 days of paid time off, 11 paid holidays, up to 12 sick days, wellness benefits, and more. Please note that ITHAKA, at its discretion, may make changes to its benefits programs from time to time.

Work for ITHAKA

We are committed to our organizational values of belonging, evidence, speed, teamwork, and trust. We take seriously the need for everyone to feel welcome. Belonging is one of our core values, and it shows in our vibrant culture. People from a wide range of backgrounds work at ITHAKA, and we believe that unique perspectives help us realize new insights and build better solutions.

We want to work with people who are passionate about ideas like these and who wish to contribute their perspectives and talents to ITHAKAs mission. We enthusiastically welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and credentials. We want to hear your story and include your perspective in the transformative work we aim to do.

Learn more about Working at ITHAKA.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to identity or other status protected by law. We invite you to read our Equal Employment Opportunity Statement. ITHAKA cares about your privacy, learn more about our Applicant Privacy Notice.