Client Operations Manager - Japan

Job ID:43146
Location:Yokohama : Queen's Tower A : 2-3 
Position Category:Customer Service
Position Type:Employee Regular

Who is LRQA?

We are the leading global assurance partner, bringing together decades of unrivalled expertise in assessment, advisory, inspection and cybersecurity services. Our solutions-based partnerships are supported by data-driven insights that help our clients solve their biggest business challenges.

Our award-winning compliance, supply chain, cybersecurity and ESG specialists help more than 61,000 clients across almost every sector to anticipate, mitigate and manage risk wherever they operate. In everything we do, we are committed to shaping a better future for our people, our clients, our communities and our planet. Every colleague has a part to play.

Role Purpose:

• The purpose of this role is to lead and develop Client Operations team in their execution of our business strategy, to ensure a positive customer journey, from planning to certification production through to invoice.
• Proactively lead, develop and engage Client Operations team including appropriate succession planning, recruitment, performance management and learning and development opportunities, to ensure that team achieve or exceed business objectives.
• Lead and influence the service delivery from planning to certification production through to invoice, ensuring strategic forward planning and resource availability, in line with or ahead of agreed business SLAs (this includes ensuring utilisation for FTE colleagues vs subcontractors is optimised and that travel time, assessor competencies/ activity codes, usage of subcontractors are considered).
• Lead and provide guidance to team managers to champion complex customer needs and to anticipate customer complaints, to support a positive experience.
• Take full accountability for the promotion of the portal by engaging with team managers to ensure that clients can use all aspects of the tool. Engage with team managers to encourage continuous improvement in this area.
• Direct team managers to ensure that the systems, processes and procedures for Client Operations team are communicated and understood by all colleagues. 
• Take accountability for ensuring compliance with internal procedures, contractual requirements, cost structures and budget constraints through appropriate monitoring and project management of teams as appropriate.
• Lead and influence service delivery in line with or ahead of agreed SLAs. Take accountability for analysing customer NPS results and manage follow-up actions cross geography.
• Lead the escalation of service delivery issues within or ahead of agreed SLAs. Proactively identify and propose improvements to processes and procedures.
• Support the Managers as deputy when required with the management and implementation of change to meet future business needs and to support operational excellence.
• Lead the promotion of a coaching culture and sharing best practise/ knowledge across respective teams, ensuring everyone is aware of planned changes/ Client Operations initiatives.
• Take ownership for the understanding of all LRQA products, services, systems and processes acting as a thought leader in this area.
• Encourage management attendance to relevant meetings to enable a full understanding of our products and rule changes which affect our working practices.
• Interface with Quality Assurance and Governance Dept on a strategic level (as required) to ensure team compliance with external accreditation requirements.
• Manage and implement change within the operations to meet future business / commercial demands by seeking improvements to increase LRQA’s competitive position through efficiency and productivity gains.
• Lead, manage and develop operational teams to build capacity and capability through recruitment, people engagement, performance management, and training/development to meet strategic and business objectives. Drive and encourage the management team to do the same with their staff.
• As a senior manager in Japan (Japan Leadership Team member), contribute to cross functional events/projects representing Client Operations function

Technical Qualifications/Requirements:

• Degree or equivalent qualification / experience
• Proven track record in managing operations / logistics / business, ideally have previous responsibility building organisational and technical capabilities.
• Sound knowledge of critical macro variables (e.g. legal, social, technological, health, economic, political and competitive forces) and industry business environment (e.g. competitors, general market forces, market trends, regulatory environments and political forces and realities) that affect the TIC industry.
• Experienced in formulating and implementing business plans and strategies to meet operational objectives
• Proven experience and knowledge of effective and timely management of budgets and financial processes relating to various project including pricing policies, budget setting, prioritising, delegating and monitoring of resource and project activities.
• Experienced in working with Marketing and Sales teams to support new and existing business development to achieve business objectives

Soft Skills:

• Results oriented, resilient, customer focused and process driven individual with the ability to build strategic relationships/alliances, build sustainable relationships with multi-cultural clients, identify and seize growth opportunities, influence multiple stakeholders at all levels both internally and externally and function within a complex highly matrix organisation.
• An assertive approach to problem solving with strong communication and diplomacy skills to guide, negotiate influence and persuade at all levels.

Diversity and Inclusion at LRQA:

We are on a mission to be the place where we all want to work and we are passionate about embracing different perspectives because we understand the value this brings to our business, our clients and each other. We are all about creating a safer and more sustainable future and our inclusive culture is right at the heart of our business.

Together our employees make our communities better and we want you to be part of our diverse team!

LRQA is a leading global assurance provider.  The integrity and expertise we bring to our partnership with clients support their journey to a safer, more secure and more sustainable future. (Group entities).

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