Manager, Customer Experience
About the role
At Smiley Technologies, how we work matters as much as what we build. We’re a community-bank technology company grounded in clear ownership, thoughtful decisions, and a strong sense of responsibility to our customers and one another. We’re known for a people-first culture where employees are trusted to think, contribute, and own meaningful work. You won’t be a number here. You’ll be part of a team that values transparency, respect, and accountability—and that isn’t afraid to work through hard problems together. Expectations are high, but support is real.
Smiley is a place where work is purposeful, collaboration matters, and growth is intentional and sustainable. We value direct, respectful feedback and encourage people to build strong careers while maintaining full lives outside of work. We work hard, take pride in what we do, and genuinely enjoy the people we work with.
This role leads and champions the delivery of exceptional service across all client interactions. The Manager of Customer Experience guides the daily work of the Customer Experience Team with a focus on responsiveness, accuracy, and relationship-building. Working cross-functionally, the manager ensures support efforts align with Smiley’s values and business goals. With a strong commitment to growth, communication, and clarity, this role is a visible leader—coaching the team, driving strategic improvements, and helping to create a culture of service, accountability, and collaboration.
Responsibilities
- Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, coach, and develop the Customer Experience Team through regular feedback, intentional one-on-ones, and targeted training.
- Model accountability and clarity, ensuring expectations are clear and progress is visible.
- Monitor workload, ticket quality, and responsiveness; create space for learning while reinforcing excellence.
- Facilitate a collaborative, service-first culture grounded in curiosity, adaptability, and shared ownership.
- Celebrate both individual and team wins—big and small.
- Customer Experience Oversight
- Ensure all customer interactions are resolved with accuracy, timeliness, and warm professionalism.
- Guide the team in prioritizing meaningful, high-impact work.
- Act as an escalation point for complex, sensitive, or high-visibility issues.
- Ensure customer touchpoints—whether documentation, follow-up, or conversation—are handled with clarity, intention, and attention to detail.
- Customer Insights & Journey Enhancement
- Proactively gather and analyze customer feedback, identifying patterns, roadblocks, and opportunities.
- Lead or support initiatives that reduce friction in the customer journey, including process improvements, education, and expectation-setting.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate with CRMs, Product, Development, and Marketing to represent the customer in product design, system enhancements, and project planning.
- Support development of internal and external communications, including release notes and support guides.
- Translate customer needs into business insights, test cases, or solution proposals.
- Training, Documentation & Empowerment
- Keep training materials clear, current, and helpful for both internal teams and clients.
- Support onboarding, development, and documentation efforts in partnership with leaders across the company.
- Advocate for continuous learning—encouraging questions, new ideas, and personal growth.
- Champion knowledge-sharing across the team to build confidence and reduce single points of failure.
- Continuous Learning & Strategic Flexibility
- Stay informed on product updates, releases, industry changes, and client needs.
- Support testing, conversions, documentation, and cross-functional projects with a flexible and growth-minded approach.
- Bring fresh ideas forward with a solutions-first mindset, helping the team and company evolve thoughtfully.
This is an on-site position in our Little Rock, AR office.
Requirements
- 4–6+ years of relevant experience, ideally in customer support, operations, or similar client-facing role
- Banking / data processing exposure
- Direct leadership experience (3+ years preferred)
Skills
- Job Related Skills (Hard Skills)
- Strong understanding of customer needs and the ability to translate them into actionable strategies.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to use data to drive decisions.
- Passion for creating a customer-centric culture and enhancing the overall customer experience.
- Soft Skills & Professional Abilities
- Collaboration – Works effectively within a team, seeking guidance from senior members while contributing independently.
- Communication – Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly in both verbal and written form.
- Problem-Solving – Analytical mindset to approach challenges logically and systematically.
- Adaptability – Willingness to learn and apply new technologies, processes, and best practices.
- Attention to Detail – Ensures accuracy and thoroughness in documentation and testing.
- Time Management – Ability to prioritize tasks and manage workload effectively under supervision.
- Cultural Expectations
Our core values of Collaboration, Optimism, Respect, Empathy, Integrity, and Service (CORE IS) are at the heart of our organization's vision and strategy, and our employees are expected to support these values in what they say and do. This applies to all interactions, internally and externally.
Physical Requirements
- Communicating with others to exchange information - Often
- Moving self in various positions to accomplish tasks - Occasionally
- Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting/standing - Often
- Light work that requires moving objects up to twenty (20) pounds - Occasionally
- Medium to heavy work that requires moving objects up to seventy-five (75) pounds - Occasionally
- Working in an office environment - Often
- Traveling to other locations for work - Occasionally