Position Overview:
The Operations Manager is responsible for managing the order fulfillment and customer support processes at assigned branch locations. This includes responsibility for exercising independent judgment to provide a seamless customer experience by leading the order fulfillment team. This may include project coordination, service coordination, warehouse and delivery functions, and/or installation. Responsible for the identification, development and implementation of programs, policies and procedures that support total customer satisfaction, company profitability and market share growth.
Responsibilities/Accountabilities includes the following but not limited to:
- Responsible for ensuring that all customer expectations regarding order fulfillment are met:
o Ensure adequate and efficient staffing strategies
o Drive accuracy and urgency within the order fulfillment group
o Encourage utilization and continuous improvement of order fulfillment processes, systems, and metrics
- Responsible for the direct supervision of exempt and/or non-exempt team members as assigned. This includes, but is not limited to, selection, training, performance evaluation and development, skills assessment, discipline and discharge, payroll reporting and staffing
- Review financial statements on a regular basis to analyze trends and identify opportunities
- Considers strategic opportunities and shares information with staff to develop decision making ability and growth
- Respond to and/or delegate escalated customer inquiries (i.e. missing items, wrong items, delivery questions, product issues, etc.) and ensures resolution
- Develop and regularly communicate operational objectives and strategies to various stakeholders (i.e. sales staff, order fulfillment team, Subsidiary branches and Pella Corporation)
- Must develop an expert level understanding of all Pella products and their applications
- Drive the accuracy and efficient management of inventory levels and recommend ways to improve our return on assets managed; oversee quarterly physical inventory process
- Serve as a key management sponsor of company Safety Program (participate in meetings, recommend policies and procedures, enforce safety policies and procedures, conduct safety audit tours, review accident analysis and trends; accident statistics and reports)
- Provide leadership for all company efforts toward continuous improvement (including kaizens)
- Drive the development of measurement tools to accurately gauge opportunities for improvement and the success of continuous improvement efforts
Operational Efficiency
- Responsible for planning and maintaining department budgets (expense and capital)
- Ensures efficiency, cost measurement and analysis, strategic cost planning, and overall profitability
- Identifies opportunities to drive operational efficiency; Implements and/or delegates necessary action to realize benefits
- Regularly reviews growth objectives, analyzes facility utilization (or potential utilization) and implements strategies to support appropriate facility usage
- Recommends control procedures to prevent product or customer shortages, to prevent material waste, or to prevent order fulfillment delays
- Negotiates all new lease or purchasing agreements for company delivery and/or service vehicles
- Has ultimate responsibility for vehicle fleet safety, particularly DOT compliance
Pella Proprietary Systems
- Is a branch knowledge leader and resource on the usage of systems in the order fulfillment process
- Maintains the integrity of system information, develops processes for usage, trains employees, develops understanding of systems integration, and maintains consistency of systems usage within order fulfillment department
- Researches systems capabilities to leverage and/or optimize their functionality
Supervisory
- Responsible for hiring and training; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining behaviors; addressing and resolving concerns and facilitating professional development
- Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws
- Responsible for establishing customer service driven performance criteria, conducting regular performance evaluations and any necessary disciplinary proceedings within the department
- Responsible for the overall, efficiency, quantity and quality of work performed in all order fulfillment processes. This includes ensuring all key positions have adequate back-up and providing resources for all individuals to perform their functions
- Provides truthful and timely feedback to all employees
Remains alert to changing signals in employee engagement
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General Management and Integration
- Acts as a liaison in creating proactive communication between all departments. This includes working closely with human resources, sales, finance, and service to identify and resolve potential process and training issues. Maintains open lines of communication and seeks input of others to ensure constantly improving levels of customer satisfaction
- Acts as a point of contact for and cooperates with requests from Pella Corporation
- Participates in Subsidiary planning and communication regarding operational objectives and/or opportunities to drive consistency
- Exhibits superior communication skills and the ability to maintain professionalism in times of great adversity and pressure
- Displays strong problem resolution skills and the aptitude to overcome substantial obstacles to satisfy customers’ needs
- Enforces company and department policies when applicable
- Fosters integration throughout the entire organization
- Work with other members of management to instill and promote the Pella Way in all facets of the business
Other General Responsibilities
- As necessary, research, create, authorize, implement and update documents such as policies, procedures, forms and standard work
- Attend appropriate professional seminars and workshops and review reading materials and professional journals to keep current with changing business trends
- Ensure the availability of statistical information/reports (i.e., pre-finish metrics, shop assembly production, load/unload production, weekly and monthly shipments, etc.) for management and Pella Corporation
- Attend and sometimes facilitate company or department meetings/training sessions, product training sessions, etc.
Skills/Knowledge:
- Must be able to develop a strong understanding of all Pella products and their applications