We acknowledge that the City of Kingston is situated on traditional Anishinabek (Ah- nish-in-ah-bay), Haudenosaunee (Ho-den-o-show-nee) and Huron-Wendat (huron-wen·dat) territory and is the home of many Indigenous peoples. We are grateful to reside and work on this land.
Kingston is a smart, livable city in the heart of eastern Ontario. Its stable and diversified economy includes global corporations, innovative start-ups and all levels of government. Kingstonians enjoy a high quality of life with access to world-class education and research institutions, advanced healthcare facilities, affordable living and vibrant entertainment and tourism activities.
We take our core values of Trust, Respect, Integrity and Pride seriously and apply these standards to everything we do. We foster a working environment that reflects our community’s diversity and respects people’s dignity, ideas and beliefs. The City of Kingston views diversity as its strength and encourages people from all backgrounds, including but not limited to women, racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, Persons with Disabilities and persons who identify as members *2SLGBTQ+ communities, to apply.
Position Summary
Reporting to the Director of Communications & Customer Experience, the Manager of Customer Experience is responsible for developing and implementing corporate wide customer experience strategies and improvements including but not limited to effective channel management initiatives (phone, online and in person) and championing outstanding customer experiences in all touchpoints in the City of Kingston’s service delivery lifecycle as well as managing the City’s Customer Experience team.
The Manager is responsible for the development, oversight, and ongoing improvement of the customer experience strategies to enable the corporation to provide consistent and outstanding customer service and enhance the brand of the City of Kingston both as a customer-focused organization and an employer of choice.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Promotes principals of a customer-centric culture as outlined in the Customer Experience Strategy to ensure the customer’s perspective is considered in decision-making at all levels within the organization:
- Researches and incorporates best practices of customer experience to better understand customer needs, wants and expectations;
- Collaborates with management in various departments to implement and adhere to customer service level standards resulting in positive interactions with internal and external customers;
- Develops and adapts business processes and procedures to adapt with changing customer needs;
- Investigates and resolves escalated customer service issues.
Provides operational leadership through strategy development and project planning to achieve goals and objective of the division and the overall customer experience vision of the corporation:
- Makes operational decisions that considers the facts, goals, constraints, and risks within the business unit;
- Establishes workplans, objectives and metrics that contribute to the annual operating plan;
- Prepares and manages the operating budget for the division;
- Establishes and implements customer care processes, standards, and guidelines;
- Identifies and recommends opportunities for improvement and efficiencies for the corporate phone system to provide quality phone service.
Oversees the rollout of the corporate Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system according to the implementation plan to ensure it aligns with the needs of its users both inside and outside of the organization:
- Provides guidance to Communications Officer (Specialist) – CRM and monitors progress of all CRM-related projects and the overall digital experience in partnership with the Manager, Digital Transformation (IS&T);
- Identifies areas of improvement including business and systems process changes and CRM system enhancements;
- Generates corporate and operational reports based on CRM data analysis;
- Supports the development and coordination of CRM user training program for new and existing users;
- Oversees the development and expansion of the corporation’s knowledgebase as outlined in the content management strategy including internal- and external-facing knowledge and process articles.
Monitors the quality of customer service delivery against key performance indicators to gauge effectiveness and achieve customer satisfaction:
- Provides recommendations for continuous improvement of service requests throughout the lifecycle of service delivery;
- Leverages CRM data and customer feedback surveys to identify issues and gaps related to customer service delivery against key performance indicators;
- Collaborates with Communications, Information Systems & Technology and departmental teams to develop appropriate communication to external customers across three main channels of interaction.
Manages, motivates, and guides the Customer Experience team according to the goals and objectives of the division to provide quality customer service to internal and external customers:
- Provides direction to the Supervisor, Customer Experience for the efficient completion of tasks across three main channels of interaction;
- Manages the delivery of customer service support of municipal services and the administrative support at front counters of recreation facilities;
- Leads and develops the team by monitoring progress towards goals with sustainable results and engaging team members in developing and committing to an action plan that targets competencies, skills or knowledge needed to achieve performance improvement or prepare for success in new responsibilities;
- Produces quality, accurate and timely communication and training/reference material to frontline staff;
- Collaborates with management in various business units;
- Evaluates overall team performance based on the customer experience feedback framework to identify opportunities for team growth and development and provides guidance related to problem-solving and troubleshooting issues, navigating systems and tools;
- Represents management in disciplinary matters including discharge, suspension, and grievance procedures;
- Participates in the recruitment process including interviewing and hiring new staff members.
Qualifications, Competencies
Diploma in Communications, Marketing, Public Administration, Business Administration, Recreation Administration.
4-year degree in Communications, Marketing and/or Information Technology considered an asset.
Five years of recent and relevant experience in leadership roles in areas such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems development and implementation, contact center operations, customer experience and service delivery, ideally within a public service or dynamic corporate environment, including relevant experience in leading, managing, coaching, and mentoring staff.
Recent and relevant experience managing projects from strategy through planning, implementation, and evaluation as well as experience in direct service delivery to the public.
Experience in researching/writing customer service strategies and understanding of Service Standards/Service levels as critical elements to the User experience considered an asset.
Project Management Professional (PMP) designation considered an asset.
Must demonstrate corporate competencies: Customer Focus, Results Orientation, Integrity, and Teamwork.
Skills, Abilities, Work Demands
Understanding of customer experience strategies including channel management, voice of the customer program and key performance indicators.
Understanding of metrics and marketing tests such as User Experience, KPIs, Personas, A/B Testing.
Ability to act and communicate strategically in a customer-focused manner.
Ability to establish and maintain co-operative and constructive relationships with individuals at all levels of the organization, external stakeholders, and members of the public.
Ability to anticipate, understand and respond to the needs of internal and external customers.
Highly developed analytical and research skills with the ability to formulate solutions to complex issues.
Ability to manage financial, human, and physical resources.
Strong leadership and team-building skills, with the ability to prioritize, mentor and manage, and discipline.
Working knowledge of municipal, provincial, and federal government acts, policies, and legislation, including Occupational Health and Safety, Employment Standards, and Human Rights Act.
Strong computer skills including with MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel) and project management software.
Bilingualism considered an asset.
Understanding of call centre operations and counter service in municipal and/or unionized environment considered an asset.
Knowledge of recreation management software considered an asset.
Familiar with cash management and point of sale (POS) systems considered an asset.
Required to obtain and maintain a satisfactory criminal record check at candidates’ expense.
$94,876.60 - $118,591.20 Annually - Non-Unionized Position
Please inform us of any accommodations we need to make to ensure a barrier-free recruitment experience. Accommodations are available in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC)and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) at any stage in the recruitment process. We’re happy to provide more information if you email us at HRCity@cityofkingston.ca
Your resumé must demonstrate how you meet position requirements. Please upload to your profile any educational Degrees, Diplomas and/or Certificates that are relevant and required for the position. We thank all who apply, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted. Information collected will be handled in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
