Job Overview

The Senior Manager, Customer Excellence is a strategic leader responsible for driving customer fulfillment performance, demand management strategy, and customer satisfaction across the Aerospace, Defense & Marine (AD&M) business. This role leads a team of Customer Demand Specialists and serves as a key liaison between customers, Customer Success, Sales, Operations, Planning, Procurement, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain leadership to ensure alignment between customer expectations and operational execution.

This leader will establish scalable processes, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and develop customer engagement strategies that improve on-time delivery, backlog health, forecast accuracy, and overall customer experience. The role operates as a critical escalation point for key customer issues and is accountable for delivering sustainable business results while fostering a culture of customer excellence and operational discipline.

**Due to ITAR regulations, US citizenship or US lawful permanent residency (green card) is required to apply for this position.**

Job Requirements

Strategic Leadership & Team Development
•    Lead, coach, and develop a team of Customer Demand Managers to deliver exceptional customer service and operational performance.
•    Establish priorities, performance metrics, and development plans to build organizational capability and succession strength.
•    Foster a customer-centric culture focused on accountability, responsiveness, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
•    Drive employee engagement and create an environment that encourages innovation, problem solving, and professional growth.

Customer Relationship Management
•    Own executive-level customer relationships and serve as the primary escalation point for complex order fulfillment, delivery, and service issues.
•    Partner with Key Account Managers and Customer Success leaders to develop customer engagement strategies that strengthen long-term relationships and improve customer satisfaction.
•    Lead business reviews, customer audits, and strategic account discussions to communicate performance, risks, and mitigation plans.
•    Ensure alignment between customer expectations and operational capabilities while proactively identifying opportunities to enhance the customer experience.

Demand & Fulfillment Management
•    Oversee backlog management, order fulfillment processes, and customer demand planning activities across assigned customer portfolios.
•    Drive cross-functional resolution of supply constraints, delivery challenges, demand fluctuations, and allocation decisions.
•    Lead forecast review processes and collaborate with Planning, Procurement, Manufacturing, and Commercial teams to improve forecast accuracy and supply-demand alignment.
•    Monitor demand trends, backlog health, and fulfillment performance to identify risks and implement corrective actions.

Cross-Functional Leadership
•    Partner with Supply Chain, Operations, Customer Excellence, Sales, Quality, and Finance teams to develop and execute strategies that improve delivery performance and operational effectiveness.
•    Influence decision-making across the organization to balance customer requirements with business objectives.
•    Lead cross-functional initiatives focused on service improvement, capacity planning, inventory optimization, and operational efficiency.
•    Support new product introductions, customer transitions, and large-scale business initiatives requiring coordinated supply chain execution.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
•    Establish and monitor key performance indicators including on-time delivery, backlog health, customer satisfaction, forecast accuracy, and customer scorecard performance.
•    Utilize data analytics to identify trends, drive root-cause analysis, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
•    Champion Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies to improve processes, reduce complexity, and enhance customer outcomes.
•    Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and delegated authority requirements.

What your background should look like

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 13 years of progressive experience in customer demand management, supply chain, production planning, customer service, operations, or related functions.
• Minimum 3 years of people leadership experience managing high-performing teams.
• Experience supporting complex manufacturing environments, preferably within Aerospace, Defense, Industrial, or highly regulated industries.
• Advanced experience with SAP, ERP systems, demand planning, and customer fulfillment processes.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications and data analytics tools.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong understanding of integrated supply chain processes including planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and customer fulfillment.
• Proven ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to communicate effectively with customers, senior leadership, and operational teams.
• Demonstrated success driving operational improvements and customer satisfaction initiatives.
• Advanced analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.

Competencies