SR Manager - Global Customer Service

Blue Diamond Growers, “The Almond People,” is a cooperative of approximately 3,000 California almond growers with sales exceeding $1.5 billion annually. Headquartered in Sacramento, CA, we have a strong brand with an expanded retail presence both in the U.S. and internationally, as well as a robust B2B business serving large food companies globally.

About the role

We are seeking a Senior Manager, Customer Service, to lead a team of two managers and over 15 account representatives in the successful execution of post-sale activities. This role is key to ensuring strong customer relationships with new and existing customers, with a focus on CPG, Branded, and Ingredients business.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead a high-performing global customer service team by hiring, coaching, and developing talent; set clear expectations, performance standards, and measurable goals aligned to business objectives.
• Design and implement a customer service capability framework aligned to customer segmentation, ensuring the team delivers differentiated and scalable service levels.
• Drive performance through data and accountability, owning KPIs such as OTIF, A/R, EDI adoption, inventory health, and customer scorecards; implement corrective actions based on root-cause analysis.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives by developing and standardizing efficient, repeatable processes that enhance productivity, reduce variability, and improve service outcomes.
• Serve as a strategic cross-functional leader, partnering with Sales, Supply Chain, Transportation, and Planning to align priorities, remove barriers, and optimize the end-to-end customer experience.
• Lead organizational change efforts to advance customer service capabilities; influence stakeholders and ensure adoption of new processes, tools, and operating models.
• Act as the escalation point for complex customer and operational issues, driving resolution and implementing sustainable solutions to prevent recurrence.
• Partner with Demand Planning and Supply Chain to improve forecast alignment, order execution, and service reliability based on lead times and planning parameters.
• Champion the implementation and adoption of systems and tools that enhance operational planning, visibility, and efficiency in collaboration with Global Supply and IT.
• Embed a strong commercial mindset within the function, partnering with Sales to support revenue targets, pipeline growth, and strategic account development.
• Lead customer service response during critical business events, including recalls and supply disruptions; ensure effective communication, documentation, and continuous improvement through post-event analysis.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 10 years of customer service experience handling global B2B customer accounts, preferably in CPG, Branded, or Ingredients.
• High degree of strategic and analytical capability, agile and forward-thinking, including the ability to analyze complex customer service issues and evolve the team’s business acumen.
• 3+ years of leadership or management experience with the ability to drive change across multiple functions.
• 5 years of direct people management and talent development experience.
• Proven track record of cross-functional project management leadership.
• Demonstrated expertise with enterprise ERP/MRP systems; SAP preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze, formulate, and implement strategies and processes that significantly improve business performance.
• Capable of strategically driving a nimble and agile team while exemplifying Blue Diamond Growers’ values.
• Able to work under pressure, manage multiple priorities, and pivot as needed.
• Skilled at gaining the trust of internal and external customers and maintaining their confidence.
• Capable of exercising judgment and choosing appropriate trade-offs to achieve economic goals.
• Organized, detail-oriented, and able to prioritize competing issues.
• Effective team member with strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Comfortable maintaining direct personal contact with customers.
• Advanced PC skills, including word processing, spreadsheet applications, and database management.
• Comfortable with logistics and warehousing issues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, agribusiness, or a related field.
• Basic understanding of the almond industry and Blue Diamond products, or the ability to grasp the fundamentals within a short period.

Physical Demands

• Position requires up to 8 hours per day at a computer workstation.
• Must be able to walk around the plant and climb stairs.
• Ability to work extended days and/or weekends.

Work Environment

Office environment with recurring peak workloads.

Pay

Targeted base salary range: $103,000.00 – $133,700.00.

Benefits

In addition to working at the world’s largest, state-of-the-art almond manufacturer, we offer a safe and collaborative team environment with numerous opportunities for free training and career advancement.