Customer Operations Manager with German Skills

At HP, we believe in the power of ideas. We use ideas to put technology to work for everyone. And we believe that ideas thrive best in a culture of teamwork. That is why everyone - at every level in every function, is encouraged to have original ideas, to express them and to share them. We trust anything can be achieved if you really believe in it, and we will invest in your ideas to change lives and the way people work. This vision is what sets us apart as a company. At HP we work across borders, and without limits. Global virtual teams share resources and pool their big ideas to solve business issues and meet personal goals. Everyone is valued for the unique skills, experiences and perspective they bring. That’s how we work at HP. And this is how ideas and people grow.

HP is a proven leader in personal systems and printing, delivering innovations that empower people to create, interact, and inspire like never before. We leverage our strong financial position to extend our leadership in traditional markets and invest in exciting new technologies.
HP has an impressive portfolio and strong innovation pipeline across areas such as:
• blended reality technology - our unique Sprout by HP will change the way people do things
• 3D printing
• multi-function printing
• Ink in the office
• tablets, phablets, notebooks
• mobile workstations

We’re looking for visionaries who are ready to make an impact on the way the world works. At HP, the future’s yours to create!

Education and Experience Required:
- Bachelor or Master’s degree, preferably in business, economics; you may have an advanced university degree (e.g., MBA).
- Typically 8+ years of experience, preferably in the supply chain, customer service, procurement, or financial management.
- Typically 1-2 years of people management experience.

Knowledge and Skills:
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey high impact messages clearly (verbal, written and presentation) to peers and senior management within and outside of HP and to local stakeholders across functions.
- Mastery in English and German
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Advanced, in-depth knowledge of local legal compliance issues.
- Strong leadership and project management skills.
- Strong people management skills i.e. attracting, retaining and developing a talented workforce incl. goal setting and performance management, change management.
- Ability to understand and interpret customer needs and translate them into workable procedures and activities.
- Excellent organizational skills with proven ability to plan and structure multiple operational activities to achieve a superior customer/partner experience.
- Excellent knowledge of the end-to-end process of sales operations, change management, business planning, and the organization's capabilities.

Responsibilities:
- Manages internal team organizational development effort (e.g., structuring and building teams, developing standard operating procedures and policies) in addition to performance management duties.
- Holds ultimate responsibility for the operational performance of the team, ensuring that service levels are met and key process metrics are under control.
- Represents the team and negotiates with senior management for the team (e.g., during business planning or business reporting meetings).
- May be responsible for managing a team budget.
- Communicates with both internal and external customers at the senior management level.
- Resolves customer issues with the highest level of complexity that has been escalated by individual contributors and supervisors, focusing on "top-tier" customers.
- Presents highly complex internal operational issues (e.g., opportunities to improve current processes) to senior management and drives implementation of solutions.
- Understands and can present country- or region-specific business issues to senior leadership to work towards solutions.

As a Customer Operations Manager, you will lead the team of, typically, 12 – 15 operations specialists. The team supports Germany and Austria which is a part of our EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region. You will be acting within a very dynamic and international environment supporting the HP Customers, Partners, and Sales Force, within the area of order fulfillment. You will have accountability for results in terms of cost, direction, and people management. You will provide guidance on process improvements as well as recommends changes in alignment with business tactics and strategy. You will plan to manage and monitor operational and tactical activities of Staff. Staff members ‘work may involve strategic issues. Recruits and supports development of direct staff members.