Customer Experience Manager - EMEA in Manchester

MSS International is seeking an experienced and commercially minded Customer Experience Manager to lead our EMEA customer service team. This is a senior individual contributor and team leadership role responsible for delivering service excellence across the full order lifecycle, from order receipt through to on-time delivery, for a diverse portfolio of EMEA customers. The Customer Experience Manager will directly manage a team of Customer Service Representatives and local Logistics Specialist, transform the quality and the level of services provided to our tier 1 customers.

The Customer Experience Manager will set performance standards, and act as the senior escalation point for all customer-facing issues. Reporting directly to the VP Electrical Transmission & Distribution and Power Storage Division, the role requires strategic thinking, operational discipline, and the interpersonal credibility to represent MSS at a senior level with key customers and internal stakeholders including Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, and Logistics.

• Lead, manage, and develop a team of Customer Service Representatives and Logistics Specialist across EMEA operations, providing clear direction, performance feedback, and coaching.
• Set and monitor individual and team KPIs aligned to OTD, responsiveness, complaint resolution, order book accuracy, and forecast management targets.
• Conduct regular one-to-ones, team meetings, and performance reviews; identify training needs and implement development plans.
• Drive a high-performance, customer-first culture within the team, fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Act as the escalation point for complex or high-priority customer issues that cannot be resolved at CSR level.

Customer Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary senior contact for key EMEA accounts, building trusted relationships with customer procurement, logistics, and supply chain contacts.
• Lead periodic customer review meetings, presenting service performance data, addressing concerns, and aligning on forward-looking service commitments.
• Represent MSS professionally and credibly in all customer interactions, maintaining the standard of a strategic partner rather than a transactional supplier.
• Support Long-Term Contract (LTC) reviews with customers, ensuring accuracy of pricing, lead times, commitments, and contractual terms.

Order Management & Service Delivery

• Oversee end-to-end order management processes, ensuring accurate and timely order entry, acknowledgement, fulfilment, and invoicing across all EMEA accounts.
• Monitor and drive resolution of Sales Past Due orders through proactive coordination with Supply Chain, Planning, Warehouse, and Logistics teams.
• Maintain Order Book Cleanliness standards, ensuring all order changes, holds, cancellations, and updates are reflected accurately and promptly in the ERP system.
• Coordinate with multiple EMEA warehouses, freight forwarders, and logistics partners (including Expeditors and third-party carriers) to optimise Customer On-Time Delivery performance.
• Manage Forecast Acknowledgement activities, communicating with customers on forecast alignment and flagging material demand signals to Supply Chain planning.

Performance Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Own the Customer Service KPI dashboard, producing regular reports for the Management covering OTD, responsiveness, complaint trends, past-due rates, forecast accuracy and cancellation rate.
• Analyse performance data to identify root causes of service failures, develop corrective action plans, and track implementation.
• Lead or support continuous improvement initiatives within the CS function, including process standardisation, ERP optimisation (Microsoft Dynamics 365), and workflow automation.
• Champion the adoption of new tools, systems, and processes within the team to improve efficiency and service quality.
• Develop and implement the necessary SOP documentation for the Customer Service department.
• Partner closely with Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, and Logistics to resolve customer escalations, manage credit notes, and align on commercial and operational priorities.
• Support Slow-Moving Stock Sales initiatives in collaboration with the commercial team to reduce inventory exposure.
• Coordinate with Finance for accurate and timely processing of customer credit notes and dispute resolution.
• Interface with global MSS teams (US, Europe, India) on cross-regional customer accounts, ensuring consistent service standards and effective communication.
• Provide operational input into S&OP and supply chain planning processes from a customer demand and service risk perspective.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Supply Chain Management, Operations, Logistics, or a related field. Equivalent professional experience will be considered.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of experience in customer service, order management, or supply chain operations — ideally within manufacturing, electrical components, or industrial distribution.
• Minimum 5 years in a team leadership or supervisory role with direct people management responsibility. Demonstrated track record of delivering measurable improvements in customer service KPIs (OTD, responsiveness, complaint resolution).
• Experience managing customer relationships for key accounts at a senior level.
• Familiarity with EMEA logistics and warehousing operations, including coordination with third party logistics providers.

Technical Skills

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel (pivot tables, data analysis) and Outlook.
• Hands‑on experience with ERP systems, preferably Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, SAP, or equivalent will be considered.
• Experience with CRM platforms; familiarity with reporting and dashboard tools (e.g., Power BI) is an advantage.

Leadership & Interpersonal Skills

• Proven ability to lead and motivate a team in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the confidence to engage at senior customer and internal stakeholder levels.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills; comfortable working with data to drive decisions.
• Commercially astute with an understanding of how customer service performance impacts revenue, customer retention, and supply chain efficiency.
• High degree of personal organisation, attention to detail, and ability to manage competing priorities.

MSS International is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other protected status. All personal information submitted will be treated confidentially and used solely for recruitment purposes. Application records will be retained for up to 12 months and securely destroyed thereafter.

This vacancy will be advertised for a period of two weeks. Following the closing date, shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly to arrange interviews.