Vice President Customer Operation for Water/Gas Utility

Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities.

Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status - including a competitive and comprehensive benefits package as well as a commitment to career growth opportunities.

We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S.

Are you looking for a fantastic career at Essential? We have a great opportunity for a VP of Customer Operations, under the direction of the SVP/Chief Administrative Officer. The Vice President of Customer Operations will be responsible for overseeing the customer service functions of a major water and natural gas regulated utility. This critical leadership role will manage a team union and non-union team across 4 office locations and ensure the delivery of exceptional service to approximately 5.5 million customers across 9 states. The position is responsible for developing and executing strategies to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency by collaborating closely with various corporate stakeholders.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of Customer operational departments, ensuring alignment with the company's mission, vision, and values.
• Develop and execute the strategic vision for customer service, driving toward a best in-class customer experience.
• Ensure operational accountability for a cross-functional team that manages the Contact Center Offices, Back Office functions (billing, credit, collections), quality, analytics, and customer experience.
• Drive continuous improvement in operational performance across customer operations and in partnership with other departments who support customers.
• Collaborate with other senior leaders and stakeholders to develop short- and long-term processes and enhance service delivery.
• Champion the customer perspective within the organization and advocate for their needs.
• Ensure the effective and efficient handling of customer inquiries, complaints, and compliance with the Public Utility Commission regulations.
• Implement strategies to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Monitor key customer service metrics and identify areas for improvement.
• Manage and monitor budget, operational KPIs and financial performance of the customer operations department.
• Provide customer support assistance to operations during service issues such as major weather events.
• Support corporate acquisition and growth objectives.
• Assists with other tasks or projects as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, or a related field. A Master's degree is preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in customer service management, with at least 10 years in a leadership role.
• Experience in the utilities industry, specifically in water and natural gas services, is highly desirable.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Email, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills; communicate effectively (clearly, concisely and professionally) with internal and external stakeholders including customers, regulators, etc.
• Strong customer service skills.
• Ability to work well under pressure.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to influence others toward a common goal and drive change across an organization.
• A team player able to work effectively in a team-fostered multi-tasking environment.
• Proficiency in customer service software and technology is preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Essential Utilities, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, including medical conditions related to lactation), physical or mental disability, covered-veteran status, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law.
Essential Utilities is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you have a condition that may prevent you from applying for a job online or need to request an accommodation during the interview process, please call (1-877-271-9012).
To maintain the integrity of the recruitment process and to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest due to employment and/or assignment of family members and personal referrals, specific guidelines apply to the hiring and assignment of these individuals including, but not limited to:

• Family members cannot result in a supervisor/subordinate reporting relationship
• Family members cannot work in the same department.