Position SummaryThe Service Operations Manager is responsible for improving operational performance across Global Services functions, including Service Coordination, Remote Technical Support, On‑Site Technical Support, and Parts & Materials. This role drives measurable improvements in efficiency, customer experience, and cost-to-serve by optimizing people, processes, and enabling systems. The successful candidate brings deep service operations expertise working in a high mix low volume service environment, strong cross-functional leadership, and experience implementing scalable workflows, tools, and continuous improvement practices that improve throughput, quality, and predictability. This role will partner closely with service leaders, the business units, and IT to align operating models and execution to defined KPIs/SLAs and to ensure the service operation is supported by effective systems, data, and governance.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Performance Leadership (People/Process/System)
- Responsible for end-to-end service delivery workflows across Service Coordination, Remote Support, On‑Site Support, and Parts & Materials; identify constraints, handoff issues, rework drivers, and system gaps.
- Establish & enforce operating norms (daily/weekly performance reviews, tiered escalation, cross-team prioritization) and translate insights into actionable improvement plans.
- Deliver measurable improvements in KPI including response time, resolution speed, first-time fix, utilization, and cost-to-serve.
KPI, SLA, and Capacity Management
- Maintain a KPI framework aligned to service outcomes; create visibility through dashboards, scorecards, and management reporting.
- Identify capacity constraints and workload drivers; recommend staffing models, tiering structures, scheduling improvements, and workload balancing.
- Implement leading indicators to proactively manage risk (e.g., aging backlog, parts readiness for scheduled visits, repeat incident rate, escalation volume).
Process Improvement & Lean Execution
- Own continuous improvement initiatives using Lean/CI tools (value stream mapping, root cause analysis, standard work, visual management, A3, Kaizen, 5 Whys).
- Drive reduction of waste (handoffs, motion, waiting, overprocessing, rework) and improve flow between teams.
- Build scalable process documentation and governance to sustain improvements and minimize drift.
Systems Enablement & Workflow Automation
- Partner with IT/system owners to evaluate and enhance service enabling tools (e.g., case management/CRM, field service management, knowledge base, parts logistics/ERP, scheduling/dispatch, reporting tools).
- Translate operational needs into system requirements and user stories; help prioritize a roadmap that reduces manual work and improves data quality.
- Accelerate adoption: training, SOPs, job aids, change management, and feedback loops to ensure tools support real workflows.
Cross-Functional Alignment & Change Leadership
- Serve as the “connector” across functions to ensure consistent prioritization and coordinated execution.
- Facilitate alignment with Product/Engineering on defect trends, product reliability issues, knowledge gaps, and serviceability improvements.
- Own communication plans and stakeholder engagement to ensure changes are understood, adopted, and sustained.
Customer & Business Outcomes Focus
- Improve customer experience through better predictability, faster resolution, and fewer repeat events.
- Improve operational efficiency through reduced cycle time, improved utilization, better parts readiness, reduced escalations, and lowered cost-to-serve.
- Support strategic initiatives related to service transformation, scalability, and recurring revenue readiness.
Where is this opportunity located?
Position has opportunity to work from a US Based home office with strong preference given to candidates in the Brookings, SD area. This position is open to candidates eligible to work in the United States.
Qualifications
To be considered for Services Operations Manager, we require the following:
- Bachelors degree required.
- Demonstrated success in service operations, technical support, field service, or service supply chain/parts operations (or equivalent combination).
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional processes and system improvements in complex service environments.
- Demonstrated ability to lead with curiosity, assess current challenges, define an improved future state, and support the growth and development of others through change.
- Demonstrated success with service delivery best practices: triage, escalation, dispatch/scheduling, service logistics, knowledge management, and field execution.
- Expertise with service systems and workflows (e.g., CRM/case management, field service tools, ERP/parts systems, knowledge base platforms, reporting/BI). Salesforce Preferable.
- Proven ability to define, operationalize, and manage KPIs/SLAs with clear accountability and performance routines.
- Strong analytical ability: process mapping, metrics interpretation, and turning data into prioritized action.
- Ability to influence without authority; strong facilitation, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
- Experience supporting complex, uptime-critical customer environments and technical products where service execution impacts customer operations, event schedules, and real-time performance.
- Effectively exercise discretion and independent judgment.
- The selected individual must be able to travel by air and ground and comply with the Daktronics Driver Eligibility Policy to begin and maintain employment. This requirement will be verified through a motor vehicle record (MVR) check conducted in accordance with applicable federal, state, provincial, and local laws.
- Fluent in English, written and verbal.
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
- Daktronics does not sponsor, renew, or extend immigration visas for this position.
Desired traits
- Lean / Continuous Improvement certification (Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, Kaizen certification, or equivalent).
- Operational Experience with Salesforce Service Cloud, Field Service Lightning.
- Experience in technology-enabled service environments (remote diagnostics, digital support, connected devices/IoT service models).
- Skill and expertise with field service economics (utilization, travel optimization, parts cost, warranty/cost-to-serve analysis).
- Skill and expertise with Remote Support economics (utilization, occupancy, first contact resolution, average speed to answer, cost per contact, etc.).
- Experience in managing SLA driven service activity.
Ready to make an impact? Apply now and start your journey with Daktronics.
