Customer Service Manager

Position Overview
As the Customer Service Manager, you will be responsible for driving after-sales service operations across Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and French Polynesia. You will lead a dedicated service team, provide technical training and support, oversee warranty management, and ensure top-tier customer satisfaction. This role involves close collaboration with internal teams, external partners, and our global Product Units and headquarters, which are mainly in France and the US.
Reporting Structure: Relationships:
Direct reporting to:

• MAU Managing Director

Indirect reporting to:

• HQ APAC Dealer Area After Sales Manager
• HQ APAC FLKA After Sales Manager

Manitou Group:

• Sales & Marketing (All departments)
• Services & Solutions (All departments)
• Legal department
• PUs & BUs (Quality, R&D,...)

Manitou Australia:

• Admin, Sales, Parts & Service teams

Dealer Network:

• Sales, Parts & Service
• All branches

Fleets & Key Accounts:

• Parts & services
• HQ & branches

Manitou Centers:

• Sales, Parts & Service

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:
Customer Service & Technical Support:

• Provide technical assistance to dealers/customers, resolving complex and service issues.
• Ensure dealers and direct operations can offer adequate product support for both new and existing machines in the territory.
• Oversee technical training (centralised, decentralised, face-to-face, remote) to maintain high service competency levels.
• Handle warranty management, including audits, claims processing, service bulletins, and compliance with Manitou Group policies.
• Ensure service campaigns, start-up processes, and maintenance schedules are executed effectively and recorded in ERP systems.
• Conduct regular field audits to ensure warranty compliance and perform periodic visits with report
• Provide structured technical support reports to headquarters, maintaining high service quality standards.
• Implement best practices in customer issue resolution, ensuring escalations are addressed per SLA commitments.

Service Performance & Business Growth:

• Drive service excellence by ensuring the highest level of customer satisfaction is achieved for Manitou Group brands.
• Implement strategies to enhance spare parts sales and service revenue, working closely with the parts department.
• Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as service efficiency, response time, and customer satisfaction ratings.
• Supervise warranty claims, parts shipment tracking, and resolution of service-related issues at regional offices.

Team Leadership & Management:

• Lead a dedicated local service team, including:

• Technical Trainer

• Technical Service Advisor

• FLKA Customer Support

• Foster a high-performance culture, emphasising training, technical development, and customer-first approaches.

• Ensure effective coordination between the service team, dealers, and corporate headquarters to streamline after-sales operations.

Risk & Compliance Management:

• Ensure compliance with safety, economic, environmental, and social regulations established by Manitou Group.
• Manage local safety requirements, design registrations, and risk assessments in collaboration with internal teams.
• Participate in Customer Satisfaction Committees (CSC) to drive continuous service improvement initiatives.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:
Location:

• The position is based in Sydney, Australia, at Manitou Australia office.

Experience:

• 5+ years of experience in a similar role, with a proven track record in customer service, technical support, or after-sales service management.

Education Qualification(s):

• Diploma or degree in Engineering (B.E. / B.Tech.) or a related field.

Human Qualities & Skills:

• Strong leadership and planning skills, with a sense of priorities.
• High consumer focus, ensuring top-tier customer experience.
• Ability to work in a dynamic market and adapt to changing consumer needs.
• Empathy, team collaboration, and managerial expertise to build an effective service team.
• Strong analytical, diagnostic, and problem-solving skills.
• Honest, high integrity, and result-oriented approach to work.

Technical Competencies:

• Multidisciplinary expertise in IT, electrical & electronic systems, hydraulics, and mechanical engineering.
• Ability to understand, report, and explain complex service issues with clarity.
• Familiarity with ERP systems, warranty management tools, and service ticketing systems.

Communication:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Fluent in English; proficiency in French is preferred.
• Ability to manage internal and external stakeholders effectively.

Travel Requirements:

• Ability to travel across Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, French Polynesia) and occasionally to France, Europe, and the US.
• Expectation to travel 15 to 20 weeks per year.
• Willingness to adjust working hours for meetings with global teams.

Personal Attributes:

• Strong customer service orientation, ensuring a positive after-sales experience.
• Ability to work independently while coordinating effectively with global teams.
• Passion for delivering high-quality service and exceeding customer expectations.
• Resilient, adaptable, and committed to continuous learning and improvement.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:
Languages:

• Fluent English & French required.

Availability:

• Be flexible on working hours (interactions and meetings mainly with France, occasionally with the US)