Client Service Operations Manager

<p><strong>Client Service Operations, Manager</strong></p> <p><em>Client Service Operations&nbsp; •&nbsp; Southfield, Michigan&nbsp; •&nbsp; Full-Time</em></p> <p><strong>ABOUT PROOF</strong></p> <p>Launched in 2018, Proof is a national platform for service of process supporting thousands of law firms across the United States. We connect law firms with process servers and enable electronic court filing through a modern, technology-driven platform — automating document ingestion, compliance, real-time job matching, and integrations with leading legal software. Today, Proof delivers over 60,000 documents per month through a network of ~2,000 contracted process servers.</p> <p><strong>ROLE OVERVIEW</strong></p> <p>The Operations Manager runs a service-delivery team end-to-end — directly managing Specialists, and accountable for the team's KPIs, client experience, and people development. The defining shift from Senior Specialist to Manager is people leadership; everything else in this role is downstream of doing that well. The role is evaluated against Proof's competency framework, organized into three areas: Execution &amp; Quality, Technical Expertise, and Communication &amp; Collaboration.</p> <p><strong>COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK</strong></p> <p><strong>Execution &amp; Quality</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Critical Thinking &amp; Problem Solving: </strong>Diagnose at the team and workflow level — distinguish one-off issues from systemic ones. Decide under uncertainty and document reasoning so calls are auditable. Own root-cause analysis through to verification. Escalations come with a recommendation.</li> <li><strong>Inquisitive: </strong>Ask why your team's metrics moved, not just whether they hit. Pull threads on weak signals before they become problems.</li> <li><strong>Proactive: </strong>Anticipate problems before they hit — capacity, volume spikes, client risk, talent gaps — and bring them up with proposed fixes, not just warnings.</li> <li><strong>Resourceful: </strong>Solve with what you have. Build team-level fixes that don't require new budget or new tools. Leverage peers and other teams effectively to unblock your team.</li> <li><strong>Owner Mindset: </strong>Held accountable for the team's KPIs, people, and escalations. Surface blockers with proposed solutions.</li> <li><strong>Customer-Service Focused: </strong>Accountable for the client experience your team delivers; hitting SLA is the floor, client outcomes are the bar. Operations point of contact for assigned strategic clients. Build operational empathy on the team.</li> <li><strong>Responsible / Reliable: </strong>Do what you say you're going to do; the team plans against your commitments. Own mistakes without deflection. Close loops without being chased.</li> <li><strong>Flexible / Adaptable: </strong>Translate organizational change into clear team direction within days, not weeks. Stay steady during incidents and reorganizations — the team's stress tracks below your own.</li> <li><strong>Attention to Detail: </strong>Held accountable for the team's escape rate. Own the QA program: what gets checked, how often, by whom. Spot quality drift in trend data before it shows up in client complaints.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Technical Expertise</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Computer Proficient: </strong>Fluent in the team's full tool stack — Proof platform, Omni, spreadsheets, Slack workflows. Set the standard for tool fluency on the team.</li> <li><strong>Data Acumen: </strong>Fluent in Omni and Excel; pull and act on team-level data without waiting for someone to build the report. Define and track KPIs that matter; push back on vanity metrics. Present data clearly to leadership and the team.</li> <li><strong>Legal Document Knowledge: </strong>Accountable for the team's compliance with service-of-process and affidavit requirements. Partner with Legal Operations on ambiguous interpretations.</li> <li><strong>Service Specialist Craft: </strong>Accountable for the team's research and craft quality — not personally executing the hard cases. Own the team's server-network relationships and the pricing/assignment framework. Coach Specialists through their hardest interactions.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Communication &amp; Collaboration</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Mentorship &amp; People Leadership: </strong>Directly manage Specialists; own hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, coaching, promotions, PIPs, and terminations. Run bi-weekly 1:1s with Senior Specialists and monthly 1:1s with team members. Develop at least one Senior Specialist toward the next level at all times.</li> <li><strong>Effective Communication: </strong>Set the communication standard for your team. Deliver hard feedback directly. Handle high-stakes client escalations end-to-end. Document decisions so the team can operate without you in the room.</li> <li><strong>Collaborative: </strong>Build strong relationships with peer Managers in CS, Sales, Product, and Marketplace. Resolve cross-team friction at your level. Treated as a thought partner, not just an executor.</li> <li><strong>Approachable: </strong>The team — and people from other teams — bring problems to you early because you're seen as steady and fair. Available without becoming a bottleneck.</li> </ul> <p><strong>WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE (FIRST 12 MONTHS)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Team SLA attainment and quality metrics are stable or improving across 3+ consecutive quarters</li> <li>At least one Senior Specialist is on a documented development plan toward the next level</li> <li>Client escalations are trending down; root-cause patterns are being addressed systemically</li> <li>Cross-functional partners describe you as a thought partner, not just an executor</li> <li>The team operates predictably during your time off — the systems hold it together, not your direct involvement</li> </ul> <p><strong>QUALIFICATIONS</strong></p> <ul> <li>4+ years of operations experience with 2+ years directly managing a team; service-delivery, legal services, or regulated/SLA-driven environments preferred</li> <li>Demonstrated track record of owning and improving team KPIs — you can talk concretely about what you changed and what moved</li> <li>Direct performance management experience: hiring, coaching, PIPs, terminations</li> <li>Strong analytical skills; comfortable in Excel and a BI tool (Omni, Looker, or similar) without analyst support for routine questions</li> <li>Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable representing Operations in front of clients and cross-functional leadership</li> <li>Knowledge of service of process or legal services regulations a plus; NY rules a plus</li> </ul> <p><strong>ROLE DETAILS</strong></p> <ul> <li>Full-time, in-person, Southfield office</li> <li>Must be available during normal business hours, with flexibility for escalations and coverage needs outside of them</li> <li>Health benefits including vision and dental; flexible time off</li> <li>Salary Range $80-$100k</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>E-Verify</strong></p> <p>This company participates in E-Verify, for more information view the<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OCufDqNnWYpQrx_bWMmuTKwo2qikY_Rz/view?usp=sharing">&nbsp;Participation</a>&nbsp;and<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BVUuXaPAFVk7gYvspmVTkv4RwMOYOqRM/view?usp=sharing">&nbsp;Right to Work</a>&nbsp;Posters.</p>