ABOUT THIS ROLE

Job Summary:

The Manager, Service Management Office oversees the daily operational activities of the Service Management Analysts who support Apex's client relationships. This role is accountable for service delivery excellence, operational efficiency, and proactive issue resolution. The Service Manager ensures the team meets response time and resolution SLAs, identifies trends in client inquiries to drive systemic improvements, and maintains high-quality, consistent client experiences across all service interactions.

This is a hands-on operational leadership role focused on real-time service management, workflow optimization, and team performance. The Service Manager collaborates with peer managers on strategic initiatives while owning day-to-day execution and operational metrics for their assigned clients.

Scope of Responsibility:

• Manages: Service Management Analysts in their daily service delivery activities
• Focus: Operational excellence, service queue management, SLA performance, trend analysis, process efficiency
• Accountability: Response times, resolution quality, team productivity, operational KPIs, service consistency

Team Leadership & Daily Operations Management

• Lead and support team members in delivering high-quality daily service to clients
• Conduct daily standups and team huddles to review priorities, workload distribution, and blockers
• Provide real-time coaching and support to team members on client inquiries and issue resolution
• Monitor individual and team performance against productivity and quality standards
• Foster a culture of urgency, accountability, collaboration, and service excellence
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide ongoing feedback and development support

Service Queue & Workflow Management

• Monitor service queues (email, phone, ticketing system) in real-time to ensure timely response and resolution
• Proactively manage workflow distribution across team members based on volume, complexity, and capacity
• Ensure adherence to SLA targets for initial response times (e.g., 4 hours) and resolution times (e.g., 24-48 hours)
• Identify and address bottlenecks or backlog issues immediately
• Escalate critical issues or resource constraints to Account Management Manager
• Implement queue prioritization strategies to balance urgent client needs with overall team efficiency
• Optimize scheduling and coverage to ensure consistent service availability

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Escalation Management

Partner with internal teams to resolve client issues:

• Operations: Account issues, trade processing, settlements, transfers
• Compliance: Regulatory questions, documentation requirements
• Billing: Invoice questions, pricing inquiries
• Product/Engineering: Platform issues, feature requests, technical bugs
• Manage escalations effectively, ensuring clear communication, ownership, and timely resolution
• Coordinate with Solutions Engineering Manager for technical issue escalations
• Work with Account Management Manager to align operational activities with strategic client priorities
• Share insights from client inquiries to inform roadmap prioritization and business decisions
• Escalate critical client issues or risks to appropriate leadership immediately

Metrics, Monitoring & Performance Management

Track and report on key operational metrics including:

• Average response time and resolution time
• First contact resolution rate
• Customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores
• Case volume and team productivity
• SLA compliance rates
• Escalation rates and reasons
• Conduct daily, weekly, and monthly performance reviews with team and leadership
• Use data and analytics to identify performance gaps and opportunities for improvement
• Set and monitor individual and team performance targets
• Implement quality assurance processes, including case reviews and calibration sessions

Trend Analysis & Proactive Issue Identification

• Analyze patterns and trends in client inquiries to identify recurring issues, systemic problems, or emerging risks
• Categorize and track inquiry types (e.g., account issues, trade errors, billing questions, platform questions) to understand root causes
• Collaborate with internal teams (Operations, Product, Engineering, Compliance) to address systemic issues identified through trend analysis
• Create and share regular trend reports with leadership highlighting:
• Top inquiry drivers
• Emerging issues requiring attention
• Opportunities for process improvement or automation
• Client pain points and friction areas
• Proactively recommend solutions to reduce inquiry volume and improve client self-service capabilities

Process Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Implement and refine standard operating procedures (SOPs) for common client inquiries and processes
• Identify opportunities for automation, self-service tools, and efficiency gains
• Continuously improve service delivery processes to reduce handle time while maintaining quality
• Develop and maintain knowledge base articles, macros, templates, and job aids to support team efficiency
• Lead process improvement initiatives focused on reducing client friction and improving satisfaction
• Establish and refine escalation procedures and hand-off protocols between Client Service Analysts and Account Managers
• Drive consistency in service delivery across all team members

Quality Assurance & Service Standards

• Establish and enforce quality standards for all client interactions (accuracy, tone, completeness, professionalism)
• Conduct regular quality reviews of cases, emails, and calls
• Provide constructive feedback and coaching to improve service quality
• Run calibration sessions to ensure consistency in how team members handle similar issues
• Monitor client feedback and satisfaction scores to identify coaching opportunities
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies in all client communications

Team Development & Capability Building

• Identify skill gaps and training needs within the team
• Develop and deliver training programs on product knowledge, processes, tools, and soft skills
• Create opportunities for peer learning, shadowing, and knowledge sharing
• Support career development conversations and progression planning
• Recognize and reward high performers and exceptional service delivery
• Build team morale and engagement through regular communication, recognition, and team-building activities

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations Management, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Series 7 and Series 24 required
• 5-7 years of experience in client service, operations management, or customer success, preferably in financial services, fintech, or SaaS
• 2-3 years of people management or team lead experience with demonstrated ability to manage daily operations
• Experience managing service queues, SLAs, and operational metrics in a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical skills with experience using data to drive operational improvements

Preferred Qualifications:

• Brokerage or clearing operations experience, securities industry knowledge
• Experience with CRM and ticketing systems (Salesforce, Zendesk, Freshdesk, etc.)
• Lean Six Sigma or process improvement certification
• Experience implementing workflow automation or service optimization tools
• Background in quality assurance or continuous improvement methodologies

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Operational Leadership: Proven ability to manage daily operations and drive team performance in real-time
• Service Excellence: Deep commitment to delivering exceptional client experiences and maintaining high service standards
• Analytical Skills: Strong ability to analyze data, identify trends, and translate insights into actionable improvements
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and oral communication; ability to communicate operational status, trends, and recommendations to leadership
• Problem-Solving Skills: Resourceful and solutions-oriented; able to resolve issues quickly under pressure
• Process Mindset: Natural inclination to document, standardize, and optimize workflows
• Coaching Ability: Skilled at providing real-time feedback and developing team capabilities
• Attention to Detail: High standards for accuracy and quality in all service interactions
• Multi-Tasking: Ability to manage competing priorities and maintain focus in a dynamic environment
• Collaboration: Strong cross-functional partnership skills; able to influence without authority
• Technology Proficiency: Comfortable with CRM systems, ticketing platforms, reporting tools, and productivity applications
• Urgency and Accountability: Drives results with a sense of urgency while maintaining quality standards

#full-time #customerservice #mid-senior # #LI-KD1 #APEX

​Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Our Rewards

We offer a robust package of employee perks and benefits, including healthcare benefits (medical, dental and vision, EAP), competitive PTO, 401k match, parental leave, and HSA contribution match. We also provide our employees with a paid subscription to the Calm app and offer generous external learning and tuition reimbursement benefits. At AFS, we offer a hybrid work schedule for most roles that allows employees to have the flexibility of working from home and one of our primary offices.