📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Customer Support Director
Company: Tovala
Location: 1021 W Adams St, Chicago, IL
Job Type: Full-time
Category: Customer Support Management
Date Posted: 2025-06-24
Experience Level: 10+ years
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

Strategic leadership of the Customer Support team, driving service quality and scaling processes as Tovala grows.
Cross-functional collaboration with product, marketing, and operations to ensure customer support protocols align with business initiatives.
Data-driven decision making to improve response times, maintain high-quality support, and identify opportunities for business-wide improvements.
Budget management and cost-per-ticket optimization through process improvements and automation.
Team development and coaching for three existing managers, fostering a strong team culture and career growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a seasoned support leader with a blend of operational rigor, people development, and automation expertise to drive customer support excellence in a growing food-tech company.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Set the vision, metrics, and roadmap for the Customer Support team, aligning with Tovala's business objectives.
Coach and develop three existing managers, creating a strong team culture and defining career paths.
Improve forecasting, staffing, ticket routing, and fraud-prevention workflows to optimize resource allocation and response times.
Establish SOPs and documentation to enable fast, high-quality responses and ensure consistent customer support.
Own the CS budget and achieve cost-per-ticket targets through process improvements and automation.
Lead selection and rollout of AI/automation for triage, self-service, and QA to enhance support efficiency and quality.
Partner with the business to translate product and marketing efforts into clear customer support protocols.
Turn support insights into actionable improvements for product, marketing, and operations.
Own real-time monitoring and escalation protocols to ensure timely resolution of critical issues.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Management, or a related field. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Experience: 8+ years leading customer support teams, with a proven track record in managing people and distributed agent teams.

Required Skills:

Excellent project management skills
Proven track record in managing people and distributed agent teams
Hands-on experience implementing automation/AI tooling
Strong analytical skills: can build models, set KPIs, and act on data
Experience with hardware-plus-subscription businesses or food/CPG (preferred)

Preferred Skills:

Experience with customer support software and tools (e.g., Zendesk, Freshdesk)
Familiarity with SQL or other data querying languages
Knowledge of customer support metrics and best practices
Experience with Agile methodologies

📝 Enhancement Note: The ideal candidate will possess a unique blend of operational rigor, people development, and automation expertise to drive customer support excellence in a growing food-tech company.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements (N/A for this role)

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $140,000 - $180,000 per year (based on market data, geography, and internal placement)

Benefits:

Flexible paid time off (with a minimum of 15 days off required)
Comprehensive healthcare coverage
401k with match
Free Tovala Smart Oven and discounted Tovala meals
Paid holidays and winter holiday office shutdown
Recognition programs, continued learning stipend, casual dress code, in-office coffee, snacks and drinks, and Tovala swag

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Food-tech, reinventing home cooking to save consumers time.

Company Size: Medium (101-250 employees)

Founded: 2015

Team Structure:

Customer Support: 3 managers and a growing team of support agents
Cross-functional collaboration with product, marketing, and operations teams

Development Methodology:

Agile/Scrum methodologies for product development
Data-driven decision making and continuous improvement for customer support processes

Company Website: Tovala

📝 Enhancement Note: Tovala's customer support team operates in a dynamic, growing environment, requiring a strategic leader who can adapt to change and drive continuous improvement.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Customer Support Director Role: Strategic leadership and management of the Customer Support team, driving service quality and scaling processes as Tovala grows.

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Technical Impact: Directly influences customer satisfaction, retention, and overall business success through high-quality support and process improvements.

Growth Opportunities:

Develop and mentor three existing managers, fostering career growth within the team.
Expand the Customer Support team as Tovala grows, taking on additional management responsibilities.
Transition into a more senior leadership role within the organization, such as Vice President of Customer Experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential for the right candidate, with opportunities to develop their team, take on additional responsibilities, and advance their career within the company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site, collaborative workspace in the Chicagoland area.

Office Location(s): 1021 W Adams St, Chicago, IL

Workspace Context:

Collaborative workspace with open-concept offices and dedicated team spaces
Access to multiple monitors, testing devices, and development tools for support agents
Cross-functional collaboration with product, marketing, and operations teams

Work Schedule: Full-time, with flexible scheduling to accommodate customer support needs and maintenance windows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Tovala's on-site work environment fosters collaboration and cross-functional teamwork, enabling customer support agents and managers to work closely together and address customer needs effectively.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Phone or video screen to assess cultural fit and basic qualifications.
In-depth behavioral and situational interviews to evaluate problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills.
Case study or project presentation to demonstrate process improvement and automation expertise.
Final interview with key stakeholders to discuss fit and next steps.

Portfolio Review Tips: (N/A for this role)

Technical Challenge Preparation: (N/A for this role)

ATS Keywords: (N/A for this role)

📝 Enhancement Note: Tovala's interview process focuses on assessing candidates' leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills, as well as their cultural fit within the organization.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure (N/A for this role)

👥 Team Culture & Values

Customer Support Values:

Champion the customer in all decisions
Put the team first, celebrating collective success
Get s#!t done (well), delivering high-impact work
Connect the dots, engaging with curiosity to learn and collaborate
Be direct, sharing perspectives openly and constructively
Embrace the obstacles, rising to meet challenges with urgency, resolve, and optimism

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional collaboration with product, marketing, and operations teams
Regular team meetings and one-on-ones to foster open communication and continuous improvement
Data-driven decision making and continuous learning

📝 Enhancement Note: Tovala's customer support team values a customer-centric, collaborative, and data-driven approach to delivering high-quality support and driving continuous improvement.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Scaling customer support processes to accommodate Tovala's rapid growth
Implementing and optimizing AI/automation tools for triage, self-service, and QA
Ensuring consistent, high-quality customer support across multiple channels and platforms
Balancing response time and cost-per-ticket targets through process improvements and automation

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Developing and mentoring three existing managers, fostering career growth within the team
Expanding the Customer Support team as Tovala grows, taking on additional management responsibilities
Transitioning into a more senior leadership role within the organization, such as Vice President of Customer Experience
Attending industry conferences, obtaining relevant certifications, and engaging with customer support communities to stay up-to-date on best practices and emerging trends

📝 Enhancement Note: Tovala's customer support team faces exciting challenges and growth opportunities as the company continues to grow and expand its customer base. The ideal candidate will embrace these challenges and drive continuous improvement in the customer support function.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Describe your experience leading customer support teams and driving process improvements.
How have you implemented AI/automation tools to enhance customer support efficiency and quality?
Can you walk us through a time when you turned customer feedback into actionable business improvements?
How do you approach staffing, forecasting, and ticket routing to optimize resource allocation and response times?

Company & Culture Questions:

How do you embody Tovala's values in your approach to customer support and team leadership?
Can you describe a time when you had to balance competing priorities and make tough decisions to achieve business objectives?
How do you foster a strong team culture and drive employee engagement within your team?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy: (N/A for this role)

📝 Enhancement Note: Tovala's interview process focuses on assessing candidates' leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills, as well as their cultural fit within the organization. Prepare for behavioral and situational interview questions that delve into your experience leading customer support teams, driving process improvements, and making data-driven decisions.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Customer Support Director position:

Submit your application through the application link provided.
Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in customer support leadership, process improvement, and automation.
Prepare for the interview process by reflecting on your experiences and developing thoughtful responses to potential interview questions.
Research Tovala's company culture, values, and business objectives to ensure a strong cultural fit and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and customer support industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Content Guidelines (IMPORTANT: Do not include this in the output)

Customer Support-Specific Focus:

Tailor every section specifically to customer support leadership roles
Include customer support methodologies, process improvement, and team management practices
Emphasize customer support metrics, KPIs, and data-driven decision making
Address customer support team dynamics, cross-functional collaboration with product, marketing, and operations
Focus on customer support career progression, team development, and leadership opportunities

Quality Standards:

Ensure no content overlap between sections; each section must contain unique information
Only include Enhancement Notes when making significant inferences about customer support processes, team structure, or company culture
Be comprehensive but concise, prioritizing actionable information over descriptive text
Strategically distribute customer support and leadership-related keywords throughout all sections naturally
Provide realistic salary ranges based on location, experience level, and customer support specialization

Industry Expertise:

Include specific customer support software, tools, and metrics relevant to the role
Address customer support career progression paths and leadership opportunities within the organization
Provide tactical advice for customer support process improvement, automation, and team development
Include customer support-specific interview preparation and behavioral interview questions
Emphasize customer-centricity, data-driven decision making, and continuous improvement in customer support processes

Professional Standards:

Maintain consistent formatting, spacing, and professional tone throughout
Use customer support and leadership industry terminology appropriately and accurately
Include comprehensive benefits and growth opportunities relevant to customer support professionals
Provide actionable insights that give customer support and leadership candidates a competitive advantage
Focus on customer support team culture, cross-functional collaboration, and customer impact measurement

Customer Support Focus & Portfolio Emphasis:

Emphasize customer support best practices, process improvement, and automation
Include specific portfolio requirements tailored to the customer support leadership role and level
Address customer support metrics, KPIs, and data analysis techniques
Focus on problem-solving methods, process optimization, and customer experience enhancement
Include technical presentation skills and stakeholder communication for customer support projects

Avoid:

Generic business jargon not relevant to customer support or leadership roles
Placeholder text or incomplete sections
Repetitive content across different sections
Non-customer support terminology unless relevant to the specific customer support leadership role
Marketing language unrelated to customer support, leadership, or customer experience

Generate comprehensive, customer support-focused content that serves as a valuable resource for customer support and leadership professionals evaluating career opportunities and preparing for technical interviews in the customer support industry.

Customer Support Director