Customer Service Associate

Core Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary contact for assigned customer inquiries, advocating for customer needs and ensuring their voice is represented across the facility.
• Provide proactive, ongoing communication to keep customers informed of order status throughout the production cycle, anticipating needs and addressing concerns.
• Ensure timely delivery by coordinating logistics and schedules, maintaining accurate delivery and quality metrics in customer portals, and supporting customer scorecard accuracy, contesting OTD and maintaining liquidated damages at the beginning of each month.
• Monitor critical customer parts and schedule disruptions, collaborating with Production, Quality, and Engineering to develop recovery plans and communicate solutions aligned with customer priorities.
• Maintain and update customer demand and forecast data within the ERP system to ensure accuracy and safeguard backlog integrity, including quantities, schedules, and financial values.
• Utilize customer portals to manage quotes, purchase orders, forecasts, schedule changes, shipments, and specifications.
• Review and respond to government solicitations (FAR/DFARS), customer RFQs, order entries, and contract reviews.
• Support proposal development by identifying requirements, evaluating terms and conditions, and coordinating with Sales and cross-functional teams. Ensure accurate data entry in the proposal tracking system.
• Maintain pricing structures on existing contracts per agreement parameters, incorporating customer feedback under the direction of the Customer Service Manager.
• Resolve customer issues promptly, fostering strong relationships and open communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Legal, Sales, Business Development, Product Management, Production, Engineering, Quality, Shipping, and Accounts Receivable to meet business goals.
• Support Accounts Receivable efforts by resolving discrepancies, facilitating collections, and managing customer payment terms.
• Coordinate customer returns in support of Quality Control under Product Management guidance.
• Partner with the Order Entry team to resolve issues and ensure accurate, efficient order processing.

Qualifications:

• 4+ years of experience in an Account Management or related position, preferably in a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of legal language, contract constructs and terms and conditions commonly used in business contracts and in bid documents including Government FAR and DFARS and export compliance regulations (EAR and ITAR).
• Familiarity with purchase orders and quoting process preferred.
• Able to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders, resolve customer complaints and escalate, as appropriate.
• Excellent communication skills, (written and oral) with attention to detail.
• Willing and able to develop long-term relationships internally and externally.
• Good mathematical/quantitative and analytical orientation.
• Position requires tact and high degree of diplomacy; proven negotiation skills.
• Strong computer skills. PC aptitude in a Windows environment (MS Office: Excel, Access, Word, PowerPoint) and ability to learn other software packages. ERP System experience (Syteline a plus).

Education Requirements:

• BS Degree Supply Chain, Logistics, or Business preferred; relevant experience acceptable in lieu.

This job position may include access to controlled information or technology subject to U.S. export control laws. If an applicant does not meet the definition of a "U.S. Person" (which includes U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, and those granted U.S. asylum or refugee status), the Company may be required to obtain an export control license. If the position for which you applied involves access to controlled information or technology subject to U.S. export control laws, then any offer is also contingent on verification of appropriate documentation for the Company to assess whether an export license will be required to employ you in that role, and if it is determined that an export license is required, the offer is also contingent on the Company's determination, in its sole discretion, whether a license application and ongoing administration is prudent under the project's contract parameters and whether an export license can be successfully obtained before you can start in that role. Export license applications may take several weeks to be processed.