Operations Manager
GB-Essex-Basildon
Position Summary
The SaaS Operations Manager leads end-to-end service delivery across the customer lifecycle, overseeing both L1 inbound support and a proactive Customer Success function. The role is accountable for operational performance, service quality, and customer outcomes across onboarding, support, adoption, and retention within the Software and connected vehicle ecosystem. Using data-driven insights, the role identifies performance trends, workload gaps, and improvement opportunities, partnering with client partners and internal stakeholders to define and deliver against service, productivity, and quality targets.
Leading a blended & multicultural team, the Operations Manager ensures efficient inbound support alongside effective proactive engagement strategies that drive product adoption, customer value, and retention, particularly across key enterprise markets such as Germany, the UK, and other smaller EU countries.
Acting as a strategic link between client, regional stakeholders, and delivery teams, the role ensures alignment, continuous improvement, and a consistent, high-quality customer experience, supported by strong expertise in software products and services.
Responsibilities
- Build and maintain strong customer relationships to understand business needs, reduce churn risk, and drive retention and Customer Lifetime Value.
- Act as a trusted advisor to customers, ensuring successful implementation, adoption, and ongoing value realisation of Ford Pro Software solutions.
- Lead proactive customer engagement strategies, including Business Reviews, to drive product adoption and identify growth opportunities.
- Manage customer contracts, renewals, and service expectations in line with agreed SLAs and commercial objectives.
- Oversee end-to-end operational performance across Customer Success and L1 support, ensuring delivery against service, quality, and productivity targets.
- Analyse performance data, customer trends, and operational metrics to identify gaps and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
- Ensure accurate CRM management, reporting, and visibility of customer health, risk, and activity across the enterprise base.
- Act as an escalation point for customer and operational issues, ensuring timely resolution and stakeholder alignment.
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing L1 & Customer Success team, fostering engagement, accountability, and career development.
- Identify training and coaching needs, delivering continuous feedback, performance management, and structured development plans.
- Maintain strong team engagement through regular 1:1s, team meetings, and a positive, performance-driven culture.
- Manage core people processes including recruitment, performance management, attendance, and employee relations.
- Partner closely with the client and internal stakeholders to align on priorities, performance targets, and operational strategy.
- Act as a key liaison across regional teams, channel partners, and leadership to ensure a consistent and customer-centric approach.
- Represent the Customer Success function in internal and external forums, supporting business objectives and client engagement.
- Serve as a subject matter expert in Connected Vehicle and software solutions, ensuring team capability and knowledge excellence.
- Support knowledgebase development, training programmes, and continuous learning to enhance service delivery and product expertise.
- Lead and support operational initiatives and projects, including process improvements, new product launches, and business expansion activities.
- Contribute to strategic planning, including contact centre support models, workflow optimisation, and customer engagement frameworks.
- Ensure effective communication, change management, and successful delivery of projects within scope, time, and quality expectations.
- Create and maintain a positive working environment.
Experience
- Mid-level experience of Stakeholder & account management
- Practiced experience of People management
- Practiced experience of Customer Service Operations and Contact Centre Case Management
- Thorough understanding of contact centre technologies, CRM systems and their respective reporting systems – preferred.
- Strong customer and software skills.
Education
- Undergraduate University degree or equivalent work experience is desirable.
Skills
- Leadership in building and developing high-performing teams
- Coaching and performance management capability
- Strong client relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills
- Negotiation and conflict resolution expertise
- Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
- Strong interpersonal skills with high emotional intelligence
- Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, programmes, and stakeholders
- Strong time management, organisational, and project delivery skills
- High attention to detail and quality assurance
- Adaptability in fast-paced, ambiguous environments
- Strong analytical and strategic thinking capability
- Ability to translate data into actionable insights
- Commercial acumen in SaaS retention, adoption, and growth
- Strong understanding of contact centre operations and performance metrics
- Technical proficiency in CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce) and MS Office tools
- Experience in fleet telematics or commercial software solutions (preferred)
- Proactive, continuous learning mindset with rapid domain adoption
- Strong professional judgement, integrity, and decision-making capability
- Proficient language skills to support a European customer base
