Grainger is a broad line, business-to-business distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) supplies and other related products and services. More than 3.2 million businesses and institutions worldwide rely on Grainger for products such as safety gloves, ladders, motors and janitorial supplies, along with services like inventory management and technical support. These customers represent a broad collection of industries including commercial, government, healthcare and manufacturing. They place orders online, on mobile devices, through sales representatives, over the phone and at local branches. Approximately 5,000 suppliers provide Grainger with more than 1.6 million products stocked in Grainger’s distribution centers and branches worldwide.

Primary Function

This role is a member of the Senior Contact Center Leadership Team. The position will provide thought leadership and support for strategic departmental and corporate projects that enable a stronger Contact Center foundation and support company growth initiatives. This leader will oversee the comprehensive Contact Center Program & Technology portfolio and governance capability, to include key initiatives supporting operational excellence, standardization of work and processes, and footprint strategy implementation.

This role will lead the Contact Center Program & Technology Deployment Vetting Committee and report directly to the Vice President, Contact Center Operations.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

• Translate Contact Center strategy into a Technology deployment roadmap that is aligned with the vision of the Contact Center Leadership team and technology strategy of e-Commerce and Enterprise Systems.
• Oversee and implement the Program & Technology deployment roadmap (i.e. automation tools, phone, email, chat, CRM, seller systems) to create effortless experience for both team members and customers. This includes change management and cross functional partnerships to ensure success.
• Lead the deployment of business & technology process improvement efforts throughout the department & Grainger in order to gain efficiencies that will result in improved customer satisfaction, improved team member engagement, improved productivity and growth.
• Responsible for the successful delivery of Contact Center project portfolio programs that can span across multiple business units and/or organizations.
• Accountable for ensuring all associated projects are properly executed according to the guidelines indicated in the Grainger Project Management Methodology.
• Identify, assess and develop action plans for Contact Center business process efficiencies (i.e. find opportunities for productivity, cost avoidance and cost reduction). Lead major technology implementations (i.e. one phone system, quality monitoring & CRM).
• Oversee project management standardization and enhancements to overall project planning, execution, and controlling methodologies and processes.
• Partner with Senior Leadership teams (Contact Center, e-Commerce, Enterprise Systems and external vendors) to ensure technology solutions align to both business and Company strategic direction and goals.

Preferred Education & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent business experience; MA/MS experience is preferred.
• Minimum 8-10 years of experience in service center operations.
• Minimum 10-12 years of experience in Program Management.
• Expert knowledge of PMI’s project management body of knowledge (PMBOK).
• Develops and maintains strategic relationships across multiple layers of contacts both internally and externally. Strategic relationships involve a demonstrated willingness to help each other and develop trust.
• Expert understanding of conflict management, including negotiations and consensus building. Must be fully capable of negotiating complex agreements both internally and externally. Must demonstrate an understanding of strategic negotiating techniques and the ability to drive win/win solutions.
• Proficient relationship building skills, including the capacity to predict and manage behaviors, build and leverage cross-functional partnerships within and outside the CC and Grainger organizations and leverage influential leadership.
• Possess expert analytical, problem solving and decision making skills.  Uses data/analytics to get to root cause/improvement opportunities.
• Expert project planning skills, including the ability to organize, prioritize and control job responsibilities in order to meet deadlines in an environment with overlapping and potential conflicting priorities.
• Demonstrates a broad-based understanding of CI, business processes and relationships. Understand Company objectives, demand generation, fulfillment processes, customer requirements and marketing strategies and the key initiatives that support them.
• Demonstrates the ability to lead through others in both a direct reporting relationship and in a cross-functional matrix managed team. Must be able to effectively communicate company direction and inspire others to take action necessary to accomplish complex and difficult objectives.
• Many of the problems to be solved will be without precedent within Grainger. Problem solving will be a process that evolves and supports the creative and innovative process.
• Must be able to analyze the impact of decisions on service, profitability, cash flow, and perform trend and correlation analysis on demand, sales, purchases and partner performance in support of the problem solving process.

Grainger is an Equal Opportunity Workplace and an Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.