Job Description

We are seeking a Customer Service Manager to join our Sydney Team. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for leading segmented vertical team, driving the customer service process transformation and ongoing evolution of the Customer Service function. The role focuses on modernizing legacy processes, improving operational efficiency, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement aligned with HL Strategy 2030 and the Quality Promise framework. The ideal candidate will bring strong shipping and logistics domain expertise, advanced analytical capability, and a Lean Six Sigma mindset to deliver measurable improvements in service quality and cost-effectiveness, while maintaining a strong & consistent focus on customer experience.

Team Leadership & Change Management:

• Manage & mentor a Customer Service team (of specialists, if any), fostering a high-performance culture grounded in accountability & innovation.
• Monitor workload across contact center, EDI & case queues to ensure adequate coverage
• Direct the change management process, ensuring that frontline staff understand the "why" behind new technologies (like RPA) & are trained to adapt effectively.
• Support Team Leaders in cross-skilling staff, ensuring the team remains agile enough to handle volume spikes across the cluster.

Customer-Centric Transformation:

• Design & implement process changes based on Customer Engagement Score (CES) data & Pulse feedback to simplify the "Ease of Doing Business."
• Ensure all organizational transformation initiatives are viewed through a customer lens, prioritizing improvements that lead to faster booking responses & more effective case resolutions.
• Analyzing customer pain points to developing proactive service strategies, reducing the need for customer follow-ups & reopened cases.

Process Optimization & Quality Promise (QP) Alignment:

• Lead the identification, mapping, & re-engineering of end-to-end workflows (Bookings, Imports, and Documentation) to reduce lead times & manual touchpoints.
• Apply Lean Six Sigma/process improvements methodologies to eliminate waste & variance, directly supporting the Hapag-Lloyd Quality Promise of "First Time Right."
• Standardize best practices to ensure that efficiency gains never come at the expense of service quality or the customer journey.
• Lead Global, Regional & Local Projects, Manage the Segmented Vertical team in the day-to-day activities
• Process Improvements, Quality Promise improvement projects & deep dives
• Engage, lead & train on Hapag-Lloyd Digital products

Advanced Data Analytics:

• Perform deep-dive analyses on volume trends, productivity gaps, & cost-to-serve metrics to justify process transformation & improvements.
• Develop MIS dashboards to monitor the real-time health of Salesforce customer enquiries & identify systemic bottlenecks.
• Translate complex data into actionable insights for the Cluster Manager & Director to drive data-driven decision-making.
• Delivery of the highest levels of quality, be customer-oriented & create value for customers & Hapag -Lloyd

Functional Duties:

• Expertise in all topics related to container shipping, Export & Import processes
• Drive performance within the team by exceeding Quality promises & KPI deliverables
• Coach & develop staff, with regular performance reviews
• Communicate new requirements, process & procedures to the staff
• Support staff with problem solving
• Promote the application of Hapag-Lloyd standards & ensure the documentation of local SOP / manuals & guidelines, where applicable
• Identify training needs & ensure all team & functional training requirements are recorded & fulfilled
• Participate in cross-functional Area meetings, discussing solutions for daily problems
• Handle customer escalations / Team escalations
• Communicate with all departments, world-wide offices to support the business & drive solutions
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of all services that Hapag-Lloyd offers

• University degree / Diploma with minimum 4-6 years of experience in Maritime industry or equivalent combination of education and experience (preferably in commercial role)
• Certification: Six Sigma Yellow or Green Belt (or higher) is highly preferred
• Technical Skills: Expert-level proficiency with data analysis (Excel, Power BI, Tableau or equivalent tools)
• Familiarity with software used at Hapag-Lloyd such as Salesforce and FIS (Freight Information System) are highly regarded
• Leadership: Demonstrated experience in managing teams and influencing stakeholders across different departments
• Customer Focus: A deep understanding of how internal process efficiency translates into external customer satisfaction
• Proven track record of managing process improvement or digital transformation projects
• Able to communicate effectively with external and internal stakeholders
• Result driven team player with a proactive attitude
• Ability to work under pressure Goal and deadline driven. Good time management skills
• Critical decision making to meet with changing business environment or new information