POSITION SUMMARYThe Director of Client Services is a senior leadership role responsible for the health, performance, and scalability of DECA's entire client portfolio through the leadership of high-performing client service teams. This role oversees the Key Account Management function by directly managing, developing, and scaling teams of Key Account Managers (KAMs) and Senior KAMs, ensuring exceptional client experiences, operational excellence, and strong retention outcomes.
This position is first and foremost a people leadership role. Success depends on the ability to build, coach, and lead high-performance teams focused on customer service, portfolio management, accountability, and execution at scale.
This individual serves as the connective tissue between clients, account management teams, and internal service divisions. They are accountable for making sure "everything is running smoothly" at scale by anticipating issues before they arise, removing bottlenecks, improving processes, and stepping in to resolve complex client or operational challenges when needed.
The Director of Client Services operates with a high degree of autonomy, judgment, and discretion, and plays a critical role in shaping DECA's client service operating model as the firm continues to grow.
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES- People Leadership & Team Performance (Primary Focus)
- Lead, manage, and develop high-performance client service teams responsible for complex client portfolios, to drive consistent client service excellence and portfolio performance.
- Establish performance standards and accountability frameworks. Identify and resolve performance gaps to maintain high standards of productivity and client satisfaction.
- Establish clear performance standards, accountability frameworks, and expectations across the team to improve execution discipline and measurable outcomes.
- Conduct regular performance reviews, feedback sessions, and development planning to increase team capability and succession readiness.
- Directly manage, coach, and mentor Key Account Managers and Senior KAMs to build a culture of ownership, excellence, and continuous improvement.
- Develop future leaders and build bench strength and leadership pipelines to support organizational scalability.
- Portfolio Oversight & Client Health
- Establish clear standards for client service delivery, communication cadence, and issue escalation.
- Own the overall performance, satisfaction, and retention of DECA's full client portfolio to ensure revenue stability and long-term client relationships.
- Monitor portfolio health indicators (deadlines, risk flags, client sentiment, service gaps) to proactively mitigate service failures and compliance exposure.
- Act as an escalation point for high-risk, high-impact, or sensitive client matters to protect DECA's reputation and contractual commitments.
- Operational Excellence & Process Optimization
- Identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and breakdowns across client service workflows. Design and implement streamlined client service workflows to improve scalability, efficiency, and service consistency.
- Ensure consistent and effective use of internal systems (Monday.com, Google Workspace, CRM tools) to enhance transparency and operational reporting.
- Partner with Operations, Compliance, Data, and Incentives teams to eliminate bottlenecks and ensure smooth cross-functional handoffs.
- Issue Resolution & Strategic Problem Solving
- Lead structured root-cause analysis initiatives to reduce recurrence of operational or client service breakdowns.
- Balance immediate corrective actions with long-term systemic improvements to drive sustainable performance gains.
- Apply sound judgment under pressure in deadline-driven or compliance-sensitive environments.
- Reporting, Insights & Leadership Alignment
- Develop executive-level dashboards and performance insights on portfolio performance, team capacity, risks, and trends to inform strategic decisions and resource allocation.
- Translate portfolio data into actionable recommendations for senior leadership to support enterprise growth and service model evolution.
QUALIFICATIONSEducation- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Operations, or a related field.
- MBA or advanced degree preferred
Experience- 10-15+ years of experience managing people and leading high-performance teams, ideally in customer service, portfolio management, or professional services environments, with complex, deadline-driven client portfolios.
- Proven track record of building, coaching, and scaling client-facing teams
- Proven track record of building operational and system thinking
- Strong background in environments where people leadership, accountability, and execution quality are critical to success
- Experience in consulting, financial services, compliance, or regulated environments strongly preferred
- Note: Candidates without substantial, hands-on experience managing teams will not be a fit for this role. People leadership is the most critical success factor for this position.
Skills & Competencies- Exceptional people leadership, coaching, and performance management skills
- Ability to drive accountability, execution discipline, and team performance at scale
- Strong operational and strategic problem-solving skills
- Ability to manage complexity, ambiguity, and competing priorities
- High level of ownership and follow-through
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong business and financial acumen
- Advanced proficiency with Monday.com, CRM systems, and Google Workspace
- Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish (required)
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS- DECA Analytics offers a highly competitive compensation and benefits package, including:
- Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
- Performance-based incentives
- Health Insurance: 100% employer-paid premium tier
- Continuing education, certifications, and professional development support
