JOB SUMMARY/PURPOSE:

Provide local management, oversight, and leadership of a BPO (business process outsourcer), including site management. The vendor-operated contact center site is located inside or outside of Entergy service territory.

Ensure that the cost and performance of vender site is optimized; minimize company exposure to financial and external risk through sound policies and business decisions. Uphold the highest ethical standards and ensure compliance with procedures, regulations and laws.

Identify improvement opportunities within site operations. Maintain effective communication with all interfacing departments and senior management to ensure a unified company position.

Manages day-to-day vendor performance meeting customer service objectives as evaluated by standardized system-level cost, quality, and customer satisfaction measures. Tracks contract compliance, oversees supplier quality assurance and quality control (“QAQC”) activities, and conducts independent evaluation, measurement and verification (“EM&V”) activities to validate supplier compliance with contractual term sakes critical, time-sensitive decisions and representations requiring Manager-level authority.

Achieve cost reduction through process improvement, comprehensive contracts, contractor accountability, market analysis and commercial leverage.

Approves overrides and variances to standard Company policies and procedures such as exceptions to standard credit policy, transfers of funds between customer accounts, and emergency dispatch of field personnel (“rolling trucks”). Authorizes expenditure of Company funds pursuant to supplier contracts in response to unplanned circumstances. Represents the business as necessary in situations such as litigation and escalation (regulatory complaints) involving the managed vendor site.

Provides Company-specific leadership to assigned vendor site. Conducts leadership development with vendor supervisors, management, and staff; infusing both business acumen and utility-specific practical knowledge into vendor operations. Identifies and champions process improvement initiatives using techniques like LEAN and Six Sigma. As day-to-day point of contact with the vendor operations executive leadership, this position will identify opportunities to leverage BPO vendor partner capability. Finally, this position will identify and eliminate areas of tension that stand in the way of optimum vendor performance.

This position is critical to developing, implementing, and managing a comprehensive site plan that aligns with Entergy’s service delivery strategy meeting the evolving needs of the business.

JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Vendor Partner Operations

• Leads and manages vendor performance in alignment with Entergy Service Delivery strategy, operating model, and overall objectives.
• Promotes Entergy’s relationship with assigned vendor(s), leading to achievement of desired results and outcomes consistent with Entergy standards.
• Leads vendor dispute resolution activities involving assigned site(s) on Entergy’s behalf.
• Achieves and maintains expert-level capability in all aspects of contact center site operations, culture, and management philosophies.
• Achieves and maintains expert-level capability in Entergy policies, procedures, and guidelines with regard to transactions commonly encountered in the contact centers.
• Represents Entergy stakeholder interests with vendor site leadership.
• Represents Entergy in a command & control capability during major events.

2. Program Compliance

• Implements inspection programs that ensure sites effectively hire, train, and deploy employees to minimize costs, align with budgets, and ensure quality standards are achieved.
• Estimates the scale of effort and cost required to implement and execute transformation initiatives, special projects, and programs; participates in establishment of new initiatives, working with vendor and Entergy personnel to achieve optimized outcomes; leads transformation initiatives across multiple vendors, sites, and/or business areas when necessary.
• Achieves and maintains high familiarity with relevant vendor contracts
• Responsible leader for ensuring on-site adherence to performance standards.
• Identifies emerging program risks and communicates to leadership mitigation plans.
• As a subject-matter expert (SME), provides input, expertise, and written/oral inputs to anticipated contractual documents (MSAs, SOWs, etc.).
• As a SME, provides input to new RFI and RFPs for contact center emerging business needs.

3. Vendor Site Reviews

• Conducts ongoing independent evaluation, measurement and verification (“EM&V”) activities to validate supplier compliance with contractual terms.
• Leads and orchestrates quarterly performance reviews with Entergy and vendor business unit leaders and executives to evaluate performance, priorities, and expectations. 
• Develops remediation plans in coordination with vendors, Service Assurance, BPO, and other necessary parties to resolve performance gaps in overall operations; monitors contract performance.
• Coordinates with Service Assurance Group to ensure that Entergy customer delivery guidelines, processes, and procedures, are being effectively followed.

4.  Continuous Improvement Program Leadership

• Responsible for stewardship and execution of strategic Entergy programs such as Path to Premier.
• Facilitates on-site rollout, adoption, and execution of new technology and processes such as Customer Digital, AMI, Grid Mod., etc.
• Leads Continuous Process Improvement teams and initiatives to improve all aspects of vendor performance and ensures effective implementation and execution of those improvements.
• Mobilizes people, process, and technology initiatives designed to drive measurable improvement in operations and quality.
• Develops programs, procedures, and initiatives to foster a culture of continuous improvement and sustain improvements when implemented.
• Leads data-driven continuous improvement efforts that create and optimizes processes, empower employees, and deliver customer value.
• Conducts site-specific focus groups with vendors as needed to gather feedback on improvement opportunities.

5. Operational Excellence

• Accountable for site/vendor achievement of all scorecard measures, aligned with contract and Entergy objectives
• Advises Entergy leadership as to the nature and content of anticipated/potential measures.
• Conducts metric-focused, hands on management of vendor operations with consistent focused engagement to provide consistent and standardized outcomes.
• Actively coaches and invests in vendor site management with an objective of reaching financial, operational, and quality goals.
• Responsible leader for providing expertise, knowledge, and experience for re-engineering CSD’s contact center representative training certification program.

6. Executive Decision Making

• Makes critical, time-sensitive decisions and representations requiring Manager-level authority.
• Approves overrides and variances to standard Company policies and procedures such as exceptions to standard credit policy, transfers of funds between customer accounts, and emergency dispatch of field personnel (“rolling trucks”).
• Authorizes expenditure of Company funds pursuant to supplier contracts in response to unplanned circumstances (e.g. approving staffing of vendor resources in response to outage and weather events).
• Executes internal transactions (e.g. IT account creation for vendor personnel, approval of change requests impacting availability of networks/systems on managed site, approval of special levels of access) requiring Manager-level approval pursuant to Entergy policies
• Represents the business as necessary in situations such as litigation and escalation (regulatory complaints) involving the managed vendor site.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Minimum education required of the position

• Bachelor's Degree with a minimum of 7+ years of customer service or related business experience OR in lieu of degree, minimum 11+ years of customer service or related business experience is required.

Preferred education and experience required

• MBA preferred
• 5+ years managing contact center operations in a capacity that includes direct oversight of workforce management functions
• 10 years of experience as a senior level individual contributor (e.g. analyst, consultant, project manager) developing and executing strategy, initiatives, high impact projects; operating, and/or managing contact centers or service centers; defining, delivering and communicating stakeholder requirements; developing reports, scorecards, and presentations for executive audiences; and managing disasters, contingencies, and emergency situations.
• Contact Center management, Knowledge of Process Improvement Techniques; Analytical Modeling Experience

Minimum knowledge, skills and abilities required of the position

1. Ability to effectively work remotely at vendor sites
2. Demonstrated strong work ethic and exceptional levels of accountability and self-drive.
3. Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
4. Ability to lead by assumed leadership.
5. Extensive contact center experience.
6. Proficient with using Microsoft Office and ability to be trained on other software necessary for position.
7. Strong knowledge of contact center processes and experience supporting a contact center.
8. Knowledge of IT processes, reporting & analytics, and an ability to make large datasets actionable.
9. Demonstrated ability to work well in a team environment.
10. Analytical techniques to identify cost savings/customer satisfaction improvements, initiative opportunities. Knowledge of assigned Project scopes.
11. Knowledge of legal/regulatory requirements.
12. Ability to interact effectively with all levels of the organization of vendors and Entergy.
13. Experience with and the potential to lead large complex work teams and projects where participants do not have direct reporting relationships
14. Ability to develop and present business cases for complex, high dollar procurements.
15. Ability to serve in an on-call rotation

Desired: Contact Center management, Knowledge of Process Improvement Techniques; Analytical Modeling Experience; Demonstrated Negotiating Skills.

Other Requirements: Some overnight Travel; Emergency Coverage Rotation; Unscheduled emergency support.

Periodic international travel may be required.

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