Customer Service & Operations Manager

Job Description:

Huntsman is seeking a Customer Service & Operations Manager  to support the Polyurethanes Division in San Jose, Costa Rica. This position reports to the Supply Chain Director.

The Customer Operations Manager is responsible for leading Customer Service and Order Management operations across North and South America for the Polyurethanes business. Beyond ensuring exceptional customer service, this leader will drive operational excellence by building standardized processes, strengthening cross-functional collaboration, developing a high-performing team, and creating a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Success in this role requires balancing customer needs with business priorities while partnering closely with Planning, Manufacturing, Logistics, Procurement, Commercial, and Supply Chain to deliver reliable execution and an outstanding customer experience.

What We're Looking For

We are seeking a collaborative operational leader who thrives in a complex manufacturing environment and enjoys building structure, simplifying processes, and developing high-performing teams.

The ideal candidate combines strong operational discipline with exceptional relationship-building skills and can effectively influence across Planning, Manufacturing, Logistics, Procurement, Commercial, and Supply Chain functions to deliver outstanding customer outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and develop a high-performing Customer Service organization supporting North and South America.
• Foster a culture of trust, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Recruit, coach, mentor, and develop employees while building organizational capability.
• Create an engaging work environment that recognizes achievements and promotes employee growth.

Customer Operations

• Lead end-to-end order management and customer service operations.
• Ensure timely, accurate customer order fulfillment while balancing customer expectations with operational realities.
• Monitor and improve KPIs including OTIF, order cycle time, order accuracy, backlog, and customer satisfaction.
• Support customer escalations while maintaining a strong customer-centric mindset.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build trusted partnerships across Planning, Manufacturing, Logistics, Procurement, Commercial, Finance, and Supply Chain.
• Serve as the voice of Customer Service while balancing business priorities.
• Influence cross-functional decisions through collaboration rather than authority.
• Resolve conflicts constructively while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships.

Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Standardize, document, maintain, and continuously improve Customer Service processes.
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistent execution.
• Identify opportunities to simplify work, eliminate waste, and improve operational efficiency.
• Leverage Lean principles and data analytics to improve customer experience and operational performance.
• Lead cross-functional Continuous Improvement initiatives.

Business Partnership

• Translate business strategy into Customer Operations priorities.
• Participate in Sales & Operations Planning and business reviews.
• Identify organizational capability gaps and recommend improvements.
• Support transformation initiatives that strengthen Customer Service capabilities.

Qualifications 

You must possess the below minimum qualifications to be initially considered for this position. Preferred qualifications are in addition to the minimum requirements and are considered a plus factor in identifying top candidates. The candidate must have an unrestricted right to work for Huntsman in Costa Rica.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience within Customer Service, Customer Operations, Order Management, Supply Chain, or Operations in manufacturing or industrial environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading customer order fulfillment within complex supply chain environments.
• Experience creating, documenting, and implementing standardized business processes.
• Proven success leading organizational or process transformation initiatives.
• Strong experience partnering with Planning, Logistics, Manufacturing, Procurement, Commercial, and Supply Chain teams.
• Experience leading and developing people through coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Advanced English proficiency (C1 preferred).
• Valid passport and U.S. visa required.
• Ability to work from the AFZ Heredia office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Please note that additional in-office days may occasionally be required to support business needs.

Experience primarily limited to call center, contact center, or transactional shared service environments may not sufficiently meet the requirements of this role. Resumes in Spanish will not be considered.

Skills & Experience

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong operational leadership capabilities.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships across multiple business functions.
• Experience leading through influence in matrix organizations.
• Strong process improvement and standardization capabilities.
• Experience applying Lean, Continuous Improvement, or Operational Excellence methodologies.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to leverage KPIs and operational metrics to drive decisions.
• Strong conflict management and stakeholder management skills.
• High emotional intelligence and coaching capability.
• Ability to manage competing priorities within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong Microsoft Excel and data analysis skills.
• SAP Order-to-Cash experience preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or Master's degree.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (or higher).
• APICS certification.
• Experience within Chemicals, Polyurethanes, Manufacturing, or Industrial sectors.
• Experience leading Customer Service organizations through business transformation.
• Experience implementing best practices across multiple business units or regions.

Success in the First 12 Months

The successful candidate will:

• Build trust across Customer Service and key business functions.
• Stabilize and strengthen team engagement.
• Document and standardize core Customer Service processes.
• Improve operational KPIs through data-driven decision making.
• Reduce complexity and eliminate non-value-added activities.
• Strengthen collaboration with Planning, Manufacturing, Logistics, Procurement, Commercial, and Supply Chain.
• Develop team capabilities through coaching and structured development.
• Establish a culture of accountability, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

Additional Locations: