Location: Toronto, ON
Employment Type: Full Time - Permanent
Reports To: Co-President
Work Arrangement: In-Office
Compensation: $87,500+ Target 15% annual bonus
POSITION SUMMARY
About Athletic Knit
Founded in 1962 and proudly family-owned and managed ever since, Athletic Knit is a trusted manufacturer of team uniforms and apparel. We proudly serve thousands of dealers across Canada and the United States, supplying custom uniforms and apparel for sports teams, schools, and promotional companies. From our 150,000 sq. ft. facility in Toronto, we design, manufacture, and decorate AK-branded products worn by athletes at all levels of the game.
As the official team uniform supplier of the ECHL, our products are seen on the ice by professional teams across North America. Joining Athletic Knit means being part of a company with deep roots in the sports industry and a reputation built on quality, innovation, and customer service.
Why Join Athletic Knit
At Athletic Knit, we believe our success is built on our people. We provide employees with the tools, support, and opportunities they need to succeed while fostering a collaborative workplace where continuous improvement is part of our everyday work.
We're continually investing in technology to help our teams work smarter. Alongside our CRM and ERP systems, we're using Claude to support reporting, data analysis, and process improvement.
As a family-owned organization, we also recognize the importance of work-life balance and believe our best work comes from supporting our people both professionally and personally.
Why You'll Enjoy This Role
- Lead an established Customer Service team of 18 team members with the opportunity to shape its future.
- Work closely with senior leadership, with the ability to bring forward ideas and see decisions move quickly.
- Drive meaningful improvements across customer experience, systems, and cross-functional operation.
Role Summary
The Customer Service Manager leads Athletic Knit's Customer Service team while serving as the primary link between Sales, Production, Graphics, Shipping, and other business functions. This role delivers an exceptional experience for dealers and sales representatives by ensuring efficient order execution, developing and leading a high-performing team, and driving continuous improvement across customer service operations.
Success in this role will be measured not only by operational excellence, but also by the strength of the Customer Service team, the quality of cross-functional collaboration, and the experience of every dealer and sales representative who does business with Athletic Knit.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Leadership & Team Development
- Recruit, onboard and develop a high-performing Customer Service team.
- Provide regular coaching, one-on-one meetings, performance feedback, and annual performance reviews to support employee development.
- Build a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Ensure appropriate staffing levels and workload balance.
- Identify ongoing training and development opportunities to strengthen team skills and support future growth.
Customer Experience Leadership
- Own the end-to-end customer experience, ensuring every interaction reflects Athletic Knit's commitment to exceptional service.
- Resolve complex customer escalations professionally and efficiently.
- Identify recurring customer pain points and lead initiatives to eliminate their root causes.
- Champion initiatives that simplify processes and make Athletic Knit easier to do business with for customers and internal partners.
Operational Excellence
- Ensure the accurate and timely processing of stock and custom orders while maintaining high service standards.
- Oversee RMA, credit, and order exception processes.
- Establish, document, and continuously improve Customer Service procedures.
- Ensure consistent application of company policies and service standards.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Serve as the primary liaison between Customer Service and Sales, Production, Graphics, Shipping, and other departments to ensure alignment and seamless execution.
- Lead the resolution of cross-functional issues impacting customers.
- Identify recurring operational issues and work with leadership to implement sustainable solutions.
- Partner with leaders across the business to drive initiatives that improve efficiency, service quality, and the customer experience.
Systems & Continuous Improvement
- Own Customer Service workflows and processes within HubSpot, ERP, and related business systems.
- Ensure system data integrity, process compliance, and consistent adoption of established workflows.
- Recommend and implement workflow improvements and automation opportunities.
- Develop reporting that supports operational decision-making.
- Lead adoption of new tools, technologies, and best practices.
Performance & Reporting
Establish and monitor Customer Service KPIs, including:
- Customer response times
- Order accuracy
- Escalation trends
- Customer satisfaction
- Team productivity
- Service level performance.
Use performance data and customer feedback to drive improvements and enhance customer experience.
QUALIFICATIONS
Skills & Experience
- 5+ years of progressive Customer Service leadership experience.
- Experience leading and developing Customer Service teams within a manufacturing, distribution, or similar B2B environment.
- Experience identifying process improvements and successfully leading change initiatives.
- Proven ability to partner effectively with Sales, Operations, and cross-functional teams to solve problems and improve customer outcomes.
Technical Proficiency
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel for reporting and analysis.
- Experience using CRM platforms such as HubSpot.
- Experience with ERP and order management systems.
- Ability to analyze operational data and develop reporting to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
- Comfortable leveraging AI tools and emerging technologies to improve reporting, analyze data, and identify opportunities for process improvement
Leadership Competencies
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- A customer-focused mindset with a commitment to delivering exceptional service.
- Strong coaching and people leadership skills.
- The ability to build relationships and influence across teams.
- Sound judgement, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities.
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
- A calm, solutions-oriented approach in a fast-paced environment.
- A commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.
SUCCESS IN THE FIRST 12 MONTHS
The successful Customer Service Manager will:
- Build a highly engaged and accountable Customer Service team.
- Improve dealer and Sales Representative experience through stronger responsiveness, communication, and service delivery.
- Establish meaningful Customer Service KPIs and reporting.
- Build stronger alignment between Customer Service, Sales, Operations, and other internal teams.
- Simplify and improve Customer Service processes.
- Help make Athletic Knit the easiest company in our industry to do business with.
BENEFITS & PERKS
- Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits
- Paid vacation and sick days
- One-week paid holiday shutdown
- Professional development allowance
- Employee discounts
- Company events
- Free on-site parking
This job description outlines the key responsibilities, required qualifications, and general scope of the role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties, and additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed to support business objectives.
Athletic Knit may use technology, including artificial intelligence tools, to support aspects of the recruitment process. Any information or insights generated by these tools are reviewed by our hiring team, and all final hiring decisions are made by people.
Athletic Knit is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive recruitment process. If you require accommodation during any stage of the hiring process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.
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Pay: $87,500.00-$100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Dental care
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Vision care
Application question(s):
- Where are you currently located? If you're outside the GTA, are you willing to commute to our Toronto office five days per week?
- How many years of experience do you have managing a Customer Service team?
- Please describe your Customer Service leadership experience, including the industry or industries you've worked in (e.g., manufacturing, B2B, retail, etc.).
- Athletic Knit has been part of the team sports industry for over 60 years. If you are a sports fan, what are your favourite sports or sports teams and why?
Work Location: In person
