The Customer Service Manager is responsible for overseeing customer-facing operations and administrative functions related to university identification credentials, VolCard, for the entire campus and campus vending services. This position is also responsible for accounting functions related to Vol Dining, Vending, and Off-Campus Merchants Program. This position manages a front-office team who serve as the primary point of contact for students, faculty, staff, and visitors, ensuring high-quality customer service, operational efficiency, and fiscal accountability. This role has a strong focus on revenue stewardship, promotion of programs, and continuous improvement of services.

• Supervise, train, schedule, and evaluate front-office staff.

• Ensure consistent, professional, and responsive service to students, faculty, staff, parents, and external partners.

• Establish customer service best practices and procedures.

• Address and resolve customer concerns, complaints and escalated issues in a timely and effective manner.

• Work closely with New Student Orientation to assist with the new student experience.

• KPI reporting based on Vending data analytics.

• Develop and implement promotional strategies for vending services and off-campus merchants program.

• Monitor vending and off-campus merchant revenue, commissions, and expenses. Maintain vendor relationships.

• Define and achieve financial targets of Campus Vending. Identify ways to expand vending across campus. Use data analytics to evaluate locations and products. Redistribute machines and recommend strategies to maximize revenue. Recommend products and document/analyze issues based on analytics and customer feedback. Ensure staff perform vending checks and machines are in prime operating condition.

• Oversee accounting functions related to the Vol Dining program, including reconciliation, reporting, and internal controls including reconciliation of data between CS Gold, Banner, DASH, and Meal Plan Manager. Ensure daily reconciliation.

• Review all ledgers for accuracy before advancing them to the Associate Vice Chancellor and Vol Dining Director for the Aramark Contract.

• Assist with budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning.

• Ensure adherence to university financial policies, procedures, and audit requirements. Allocate resources and procurement planning to ensure the fiscal stability of the organization.

• Collaborate annually with Controller's Office on PCI compliance.

• Design functional specifications of needed VolCard Office software upgrades and enhancements for development by VolCard IT staff. Coordinate all new card designs with requesting departments and approve final card designs.

• Author and award various RFP and RFQ documents as needed for VolCard Office and Campus Vending. Create and monitor contracts for pricing, including supplies and equipment necessary for credential production. Monitor inventory, including audit controls.

• Collaborate with VolCard Technology Manager to create new CS Gold Location Groups, new customized dining plans as requested by Vol Dining, and new departmental user groups within CS Gold for the VolCard Office.

• Attend Departmental meetings in Director of Operational Services absences.

• Attend training and conferences necessary for optimization of position.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in business

• Experience: 5 years of experience as a supervisor with a strong computer and accounting background.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • The Manager Position must have extensive knowledge in accounting.

  • The skill and ability to use Excel to create and manage ledgers for daily/monthly reconciliations.

  • Microsoft Access and/or SQL knowledge is necessary to compare and locate issues with reconciliations.

  • Commitment to exceptional customer service and student support.

  • Strong organizational and problem-solving abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Management with a strong Accounting Background.

• Experience - 5 years of experience as a supervisor in a Campus environment with a strong computer and accounting background. Familiarity with Banner and Credential software.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Preferred knowledge of key performance indicators (KPIs) and how to create and manage them.

  • Ability to use Power BI and manage reporting tools.

  • SQL knowledge for navigating CS Gold.

  • Skill to manage multiple tasks at any given time.

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN

• Fully Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR13

• Anticipated hiring range: $85,000-$92,000

• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here

• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions For best consideration

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.

• Resume

• Cover Letter

About The College/Department/Division The VolCard serves as the passport to campus. A campus identification and access credential for students, staff, and faculty, the VolCard is accessible via mobile devices. The VolCard grants entry to housing facilities, dining services, academic buildings, campus events such as graduation, and includes a declining balance account that can be used at vending machines, on-campus meal locations and POD stores, off-campus merchants including grocery stores, and at VolShop locations. The VolCard Office oversees the issuance and management of the credential, ensuring smooth and reliable service. Additionally, the office is responsible for managing vending services across campus.