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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Technical Service Manager

💰 $95,000 - $140,000

ManagementCustomer ServiceTechnical SupportInformation TechnologyIT

🎯 Role Definition

Are you a natural leader with a passion for technology and an unwavering commitment to customer success? This role requires a dynamic and experienced Technical Service Manager to lead our world-class technical support organization. In this critical role, you will be the driving force behind our customer service excellence, responsible for mentoring a team of talented technical engineers, refining our support processes, and acting as the ultimate advocate for our customers. You will not just manage a team; you will shape the entire post-sale technical experience, ensuring our clients derive maximum value from our products. This is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on customer loyalty, product improvement, and the overall growth of our company.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Technical Support Engineer
  • Technical Account Manager (TAM)
  • Support Team Lead or Supervisor
  • Service Delivery Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Director of Technical Services / Global Support
  • Head of Customer Experience
  • Senior Operations Manager
  • VP of Customer Success

Lateral Moves:

  • Product Manager
  • Professional Services Manager
  • Senior Project Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of technical support engineers, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and exceptional customer service.
  • Develop and implement comprehensive service delivery strategies, key performance indicators (KPIs), and service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure timely and effective resolution of all customer issues.
  • Act as the primary escalation point for complex, sensitive, or high-priority customer issues, coordinating cross-functional resources from engineering, product, and sales to drive swift and satisfactory resolutions.
  • Manage the day-to-day operations of the technical service department, including workload distribution, queue management, shift scheduling, and resource allocation to meet fluctuating demand and maintain service quality.
  • Analyze support ticket trends, customer feedback (CSAT/NPS), and performance metrics to identify recurring problems, product improvement opportunities, and areas for process optimization.
  • Drive the creation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive internal and external knowledge base, technical documentation, and training materials to empower both the support team and end-users.
  • Collaborate closely with product management and engineering teams to provide structured, data-driven feedback from the front lines, influencing the product roadmap and improving overall product quality and reliability.
  • Prepare and present regular, detailed performance reports to senior leadership, clearly articulating team performance, customer satisfaction trends, and progress against departmental goals and initiatives.
  • Develop and manage the departmental budget, ensuring cost-effective operations while making strategic investments in necessary tools, training, and personnel to scale the organization.
  • Establish and refine customer onboarding processes in collaboration with Customer Success teams to ensure new clients have a smooth, positive, and successful technical setup experience.
  • Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance reviews, and career development planning sessions with team members to support their professional growth and long-term success.
  • Serve as a powerful customer advocate within the organization, championing their needs and ensuring their voice is a key factor in strategic product and policy discussions.
  • Manage and nurture relationships with key enterprise accounts, acting as a trusted technical advisor and ensuring their long-term success and satisfaction with our services.
  • Define, document, and enforce incident management, problem management, and escalation protocols to minimize service disruptions and systematically eliminate root causes of technical issues.
  • Oversee the selection, implementation, and administration of the complete support technology stack (e.g., CRM, ticketing systems, remote support software) to enhance team efficiency and the customer experience.
  • Ensure the team's strict compliance with all relevant data privacy and security policies (e.g., GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA) when handling sensitive customer information and systems.
  • Develop and implement a robust quality assurance program to regularly review ticket resolutions, customer interactions, and communication quality, providing constructive feedback for team improvement.
  • Lead strategic initiatives aimed at scaling the support organization, such as developing tiered support models, implementing chatbot/AI solutions, or establishing follow-the-sun support coverage.
  • Partner with the sales and customer success teams to support pre-sales technical inquiries and define post-sales service handoffs, ensuring a seamless and consistent customer journey.
  • Own the disaster recovery and business continuity plan for the technical services function, ensuring the team can operate effectively during any unforeseen service interruptions.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • CRM & Ticketing Systems: Expert-level proficiency in platforms like Zendesk, Salesforce Service Cloud, Jira Service Desk, or ServiceNow.
  • ITSM & ITIL Framework: Strong understanding of IT Service Management principles (Incident, Problem, Change Management) and ITIL certification is a plus.
  • Knowledge Base Management: Experience building and curating technical documentation and self-service content using tools like Confluence or Guru.
  • Data Analysis & Reporting: Ability to analyze support metrics and create dashboards using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Looker to derive actionable insights.
  • Cloud Computing Platforms: Familiarity with major cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) and troubleshooting related issues.
  • API & Integration Troubleshooting: Understanding of REST/SOAP APIs and the ability to diagnose integration problems.
  • Database Querying: Foundational knowledge of SQL for querying databases to investigate customer data issues.
  • Networking Fundamentals: Solid grasp of network protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP/S, DNS, SSL) to diagnose connectivity issues.
  • Remote Support Tools: Experience with remote desktop and screen-sharing technologies (e.g., TeamViewer, LogMeIn, BeyondTrust).
  • Project Management Software: Proficiency with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing departmental initiatives and tasks.

Soft Skills

  • Inspirational Leadership & Mentorship: A proven ability to coach, motivate, and grow a team of technical professionals.
  • Exceptional Communication: Articulate, empathetic, and professional communication skills, both written and verbal, for internal and external audiences.
  • Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking: An analytical mindset capable of dissecting complex technical and business problems to find clear solutions.
  • Customer Empathy & Advocacy: A genuine passion for putting the customer first and representing their needs throughout the organization.
  • Conflict Resolution & De-escalation: The ability to calmly and effectively handle high-pressure situations with frustrated customers or internal stakeholders.
  • Strategic & Analytical Thinking: The capacity to see the bigger picture, analyze trends, and develop long-term strategies for service improvement.
  • Process Improvement Mindset: A constant drive to identify inefficiencies and optimize workflows for better outcomes.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Skill in building strong relationships and working effectively with teams across Product, Engineering, and Sales.
  • Time Management & Prioritization: Ability to juggle multiple priorities, from daily operations to long-term strategic projects, in a fast-paced environment.
  • Adaptability & Resilience: Thrives in a dynamic and evolving technical landscape, demonstrating resilience in the face of challenges.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree or equivalent professional experience in a technical field.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's or Master's Degree in a relevant field.
  • Relevant certifications (e.g., ITIL Foundation/Practitioner, PMP, Certified Support Manager).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Information Technology
  • Business Administration
  • Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 7+ years of progressive experience in technical support, customer support, or service delivery roles.
  • At least 3 years of direct people management experience, leading a team of technical support engineers or specialists.

Preferred:

  • Experience in a B2B SaaS, enterprise software, or high-tech manufacturing environment.
  • Proven track record of scaling a support team and improving key performance metrics (CSAT, Time to Resolution, First Contact Resolution).
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