Merck
Associate Director, Customer Support – U.S. Pet Technology
Merck, Rahway, New Jersey, us, 07065
Associate Director, Customer Support – U.S. Pet Technology
Join our Animal Health team as the Associate Director, Customer Support for US Pet Technology. We’re looking for an experienced contact‑center leader to shape the customer experience for pet owners using our products and platforms. This is a collaborative, cross‑functional role with visible impact on product adoption, retention, and brand trust. You will manage and optimize our third‑party customer support partner relationship and prioritize the needs of pet owners. The Associate Director will own the vendor relationship for our contact center partner, lead QA and coaching programs, run data‑driven outreach campaigns, and ensure every pet owner interaction reflects our brand and drives measurable improvements in experience and outcomes.
Responsibilities
Own the relationship with our contact center vendor and serve as the day‑to‑day operational liaison for all tactical, strategic and contractual matters.
Monitor vendor performance versus SLAs and KPIs; lead regular business reviews and action plans.
Manage escalation paths, service recovery, and continuous improvement plans.
Support contract reviews, amendments and renewals with procurement and legal.
Lead customer communications and quality assurance for phone, chat and email.
Define and enforce messaging, tone and brand standards across channels.
Design and run QA frameworks: call monitoring, scorecards, calibration, root cause analysis and targeted coaching.
Review interactions to identify quality gaps, training needs and process improvements.
Use Salesforce and data to drive contact center performance and pet‑owner engagement.
Build, maintain and interpret Salesforce reports and dashboards to measure performance, engagement and campaign results.
Partner with IT to improve contact data accuracy and to implement Salesforce enhancements, automation and campaign flows.
Extract and prepare lists and analytics to power targeted outreach (preventive care, reminders, re‑engagement), measure outcomes and optimize campaigns.
Protect and grow our digital reputation.
Monitor online reviews and social channels for escalations and themes; coordinate responses and remediation with vendor and internal teams.
Translate digital feedback into coaching, process changes or product suggestions.
Execute strategy and collaborate across functions.
Own execution of the pet‑owner engagement strategy as it relates to support interactions and outreach campaigns.
Partner with Product Operations, IT and Marketing to prioritize and implement improvements that increase efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Track and report core metrics (average handle time, FCR, conversion/engagement rates, CSAT/NPS) and deliver insights and recommendations to stakeholders.
Minimum Qualifications
5+ years managing customer contact center operations for manufacturers or product‑based businesses hands‑on vendor management experience.
Demonstrated success managing outsourced contact centers: SLA/KPI monitoring, escalations, business reviews and contract coordination.
Strong Salesforce experience — able to configure, build reports/dashboards and validate automation/campaign requirements (Salesforce Admin experience or equivalent).
Proven experience designing and running QA programs (call monitoring, scorecards, calibration, root cause analysis and coaching).
Comfortable extracting, preparing and using contact data to execute targeted campaigns and measure outcomes.
Excellent written and verbal customer communication skills; ability to set and enforce brand‑aligned messaging across phone, chat and email.
Data‑driven, operationally focused, and committed to improving customer experience and digital reputation.
Education
BA/BS in Business Administration or related field (required).
Preferred Experience And Skills
Experience with contact center platforms (e.g., NICE, Genesys, Five9) and social listening/reputation tools.
Salesforce Administrator certification.
Required Skills
Business Requirements Management, Change Management, Contact Center Operations, Customer Communications, Customer Service Improvement, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Quality Control Management, Quality Improvement Programs, Salesforce Administration, Strategic Thinking
Additional Information Location: Rahway, NJ, USA. Salary range: $126,500.00 – $199,100.00. Eligible for annual bonus and long‑term incentive, if applicable. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, retirement, paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days.
Requisition ID: R370664
As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be a company that embraces diversity and encourages an inclusive environment. We encourage colleagues to challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.
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Responsibilities
Own the relationship with our contact center vendor and serve as the day‑to‑day operational liaison for all tactical, strategic and contractual matters.
Monitor vendor performance versus SLAs and KPIs; lead regular business reviews and action plans.
Manage escalation paths, service recovery, and continuous improvement plans.
Support contract reviews, amendments and renewals with procurement and legal.
Lead customer communications and quality assurance for phone, chat and email.
Define and enforce messaging, tone and brand standards across channels.
Design and run QA frameworks: call monitoring, scorecards, calibration, root cause analysis and targeted coaching.
Review interactions to identify quality gaps, training needs and process improvements.
Use Salesforce and data to drive contact center performance and pet‑owner engagement.
Build, maintain and interpret Salesforce reports and dashboards to measure performance, engagement and campaign results.
Partner with IT to improve contact data accuracy and to implement Salesforce enhancements, automation and campaign flows.
Extract and prepare lists and analytics to power targeted outreach (preventive care, reminders, re‑engagement), measure outcomes and optimize campaigns.
Protect and grow our digital reputation.
Monitor online reviews and social channels for escalations and themes; coordinate responses and remediation with vendor and internal teams.
Translate digital feedback into coaching, process changes or product suggestions.
Execute strategy and collaborate across functions.
Own execution of the pet‑owner engagement strategy as it relates to support interactions and outreach campaigns.
Partner with Product Operations, IT and Marketing to prioritize and implement improvements that increase efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Track and report core metrics (average handle time, FCR, conversion/engagement rates, CSAT/NPS) and deliver insights and recommendations to stakeholders.
Minimum Qualifications
5+ years managing customer contact center operations for manufacturers or product‑based businesses hands‑on vendor management experience.
Demonstrated success managing outsourced contact centers: SLA/KPI monitoring, escalations, business reviews and contract coordination.
Strong Salesforce experience — able to configure, build reports/dashboards and validate automation/campaign requirements (Salesforce Admin experience or equivalent).
Proven experience designing and running QA programs (call monitoring, scorecards, calibration, root cause analysis and coaching).
Comfortable extracting, preparing and using contact data to execute targeted campaigns and measure outcomes.
Excellent written and verbal customer communication skills; ability to set and enforce brand‑aligned messaging across phone, chat and email.
Data‑driven, operationally focused, and committed to improving customer experience and digital reputation.
Education
BA/BS in Business Administration or related field (required).
Preferred Experience And Skills
Experience with contact center platforms (e.g., NICE, Genesys, Five9) and social listening/reputation tools.
Salesforce Administrator certification.
Required Skills
Business Requirements Management, Change Management, Contact Center Operations, Customer Communications, Customer Service Improvement, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Quality Control Management, Quality Improvement Programs, Salesforce Administration, Strategic Thinking
Additional Information Location: Rahway, NJ, USA. Salary range: $126,500.00 – $199,100.00. Eligible for annual bonus and long‑term incentive, if applicable. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, retirement, paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days.
Requisition ID: R370664
As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
We are proud to be a company that embraces diversity and encourages an inclusive environment. We encourage colleagues to challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.
#J-18808-Ljbffr