Senior Director Service Technical Support - Service & Training

GEA Group, founded in Germany in 1881, is a global leader in engineering solutions, serving industries such as food and beverage, pharma, dairy, and more. With over 18,000 employees worldwide and a strong U.S. presence since 1929, GEA combines the heritage of a well-established company with the innovation of a forward-thinking industry leader. At GEA, we’re not just building equipment, we’re building lasting careers with an average employee tenure range from 5 to over 11+ years, reflecting the strong culture, growth opportunities, and support we provide.

Working at GEA Group has significant benefits:
• Start strong – Medical, dental, and vision coverage begins on your first day
• Recharge and refresh – Enjoy 13 paid holidays, including a flexible floating holiday, and 136 hours of PTO to relax or explore
• Invest in your future – A 7% 401(k) employer match helps grow your retirement savings faster
• Keep learning – Take advantage of tuition reimbursement to further your education or skillset
• Live well – Our wellness incentive program rewards healthy habits
• Get support when you need it – Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Program for personal or professional guidance
• Save smart – Flexible Health Savings and Spending Accounts to manage out-of-pocket expenses

Responsibilities / Tasks

The Director of Service takes the lead in overseeing Technical Support, Service and Training department, assist with the ongoing development of the Service and Training offerings and tools, and maintain customer satisfaction.  As a leader in the organization, the director of will be required to execute financial forecasts, develop tools to control expenses and oversee personnel management.

Include but are not limited to the following. Other duties may be assigned as required.

Service Management

• • Develop, establish and manage training and service offerings including installation, herd management, upgrades, consulting and repairs
  • Oversee programs, procedures, and customer support to enhance customer satisfaction
  • Respond to customer inquiries in a professional fashion
  • Lead technical support teams in the establishment, documentation, and adherence to repeatable processes, including ISO quality procedures. 
  • Evaluate overall system performance by gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data and metrics.
  • Establish workflows and oversee installation and maintenance of equipment
  • Conduct systematic root cause analysis of problems. Ensure permanent resolution and/or escalate problem description/documentation when root cause is not identified
  • Provide feedback regarding operational/service opportunities, failures, or customer concerns
  • Operate in partnership with new equipment sales team to identify “up-sell” and “cross-sell” opportunities to maximize revenue and improve overall customer experience
  • Maintain in-depth working knowledge of GEA’s systems and engineering roadmap
  • Manage day-to-day activities of service & training teams to ensure consistent approach and optimized performance.
  • Develop, manage, and maintain strong relationships with customers.

Financial Management

• • Assist with budget forecasting/monitoring for the service and training department
  • Manage travel and expenses budget for service and training organization
  • Review financial information and adjust operational budgets to promote profitability
  • Determine, maintain, and report operational performance dashboard.
  • Support costing models for sales proposals
  • Organizational Effectiveness/ Leadership
  • Providing leadership on matters related to services, training, business structure and growth.
  • Develop and implement procedures pertinent to the effective and efficient operation of the Service Department
  • Drive initiatives that contribute to long-term operational excellence and customer satisfaction.
  • Manage the direct projects process both internal and external.
  • Facilitate knowledge sharing, training, and development company-wide
  • Maintains quality service by establishing and enforcing organizational standards.
  • Play a significant role in long-term planning, including an initiative geared toward operational excellence.
  • Evaluate in-field performance and escalate to quality team when needed.  Monitor and report data for quality programs.
  • Support the roll out of digital products and track results.
  • Determine staffing requirements, and interview, hire and train new employees, or oversee those personnel processes.
  • Maintain the dealer allowance process
  • Participate in new technology discussion and assist with the Identification of new products / features to be added to the engineering road map.

Your Profile / Qualifications

• BA/BS in animal science, technical, dairy science, engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 10-15 years’ experience in managing a field service and training team.
• Demonstrated and proven results in prior positions, specifically operations management, dealing with installation teams, contractors, manufacturing area and supply chain organization and growth.
• Experience creating service offerings associated with software as a service (SaaS), maintenance agreements, and big data.
• Experienced Computer Skills (MS Office, databases, MS Project a plus, etc.)
• A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace
• Integrity, credibility, and a strong commitment to the company’s mission.  Takes an active interest in learning and contributing to the team.
• Experience in budgetary development and oversight

The typical base pay range for this position at the start of employment is expected to be between $125,000 - $160,000 per year.  GEA Group has different base pay ranges for different work locations within the United States. The pay range is not a guarantee of compensation or salary.  The estimated range is the budgeted amount for the position. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, location, qualifications, and other job-related reasons.  You may be eligible for additional rewards, such as discretionary bonus (based on eligibility) and/or equity awards.

Please note: This position is based in the United States and does not offer visa or work sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without current or future sponsorship.

GEA is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will therefore receive consideration for employment without regard to age, sex, race, color, religion, world view, national origin, genetics, disability, gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other protected characteristic required by applicable law. Applicants with disabilities are welcome and will be given special consideration if they are equally qualified.

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