Manager, Customer Service

Role Overview

Saab, Inc. is hiring a Customer Service Manager to oversee a team that supports customers around the world across civil aviation, security, and defense products and services. This position owns the design, execution, and ongoing refinement of customer service delivery by using strong processes, meaningful metrics, and effective team leadership.

Customer Service Function

The customer service group acts as the main contact point for customers and helps ensure dependable support at all times. The role involves handling customer concerns, coordinating internal follow-up, maintaining issue records from the first report to final resolution, and routing requests to the right experts. It also includes working with other Saab teams to resolve issues, providing basic assistance when possible, supporting contract-related customer needs, and promoting a customer-first mindset across the company while following Saab standard operating procedures.

Managerial Responsibilities

In this leadership role, the manager provides direction, coaching, and oversight to the team while working closely with customers, prospects, cross-functional partners, and leadership at every level. The position requires strong people-management skills, deep customer service operations experience, and a continuous-improvement approach.

Key Duties

• Serve as the primary escalation contact for urgent or high-profile customer issues for both external customers and internal stakeholders.
• Take part in the weekly on-call phone coverage rotation to handle after-hours requests from customers across the globe.
• Track warranty and extended-support expirations, and help support renewals, extension proposals, and new business opportunities.
• Review customer satisfaction measures and turn the findings into improvement actions.
• Spot, investigate, and fix process problems that affect service quality.
• Represent Customer Service in routine meetings with Program Management and Product Management, including discussions scheduled outside standard business hours.
• Oversee the timely delivery of customer support services.
• Build and maintain working relationships with Saab colleagues across the U.S. and internationally.
• Coach, develop, and mentor team members as they advance in their roles.
• Support the preparation of quotes for support services, spare parts, and repair orders when needed.
• Be willing to travel about 15% per year, including domestic and international travel.

Qualifications

Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree plus 10 or more years of relevant experience in a team-based environment, or a master’s degree plus 8 or more years of experience, or an equivalent blend of education and professional experience. Strong written and verbal communication is essential, along with experience leading people in a technical or professional setting. The role also calls for excellent organization, multitasking ability, time management, and a habit of following through on requests and action items promptly. Applicants should be comfortable working in a fast-moving, decentralized environment, interacting with all levels of the organization, and influencing cross-functional teams without direct authority. The ability to obtain a Secret Security Clearance may be required.

Preferred Background

Helpful experience includes a strong focus on quality and process improvement, especially familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or similar continuous-improvement methods. Experience in commercial or defense/military logistics and maintenance is also preferred.

Additional Requirements

Internal applicants are expected to talk with their current manager before submitting an application. The role is open only to U.S. citizens. Selected candidates may need to complete a government security investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Saab is a federal government contractor and requires candidates to pass a pre-employment drug screen as part of its drug-free workplace policy.

Compensation

The estimated annual pay range for this position is $132,000 to $171,600. Final compensation will depend on factors such as the scope of the role, location, market conditions, business needs, and the candidate’s experience, skills, and education.

Benefits

Saab offers a professional workplace with growth opportunities, competitive pay, work-life balance, and a business-casual environment. Benefits include medical, vision, and dental coverage for employees and dependents; generous paid time off with 8 designated holidays; a 401(k) with employer contributions; tuition and student loan assistance; wellness and employee assistance resources; employee stock purchase opportunities; and short-term and long-term disability coverage.

About Saab

Saab is a global defense and security company focused on helping nations protect people and society. With 28,000 employees, the company develops advanced technology and systems for the U.S. Armed Forces, the Federal Aviation Administration, and commercial and international customers. In the United States, Saab is headquartered in Syracuse, New York, and operates across ten locations.

Equal Opportunity

Saab values diversity and provides equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants. The company is an affirmative action employer for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other protected category.