WTTW, Chicago's PBS station, and WFMT, Chicago's classical music radio station, seek a service-oriented and collaborative Director of Member and Audience Services to lead customer service, gift processing, and constituent data management. The Director oversees the teams responsible for responding to members, viewers, and listeners, processing gifts and related transactions, and maintaining accurate, complete, and reliable constituent records. This position establishes service and performance expectations, manages daily operations, and uses reporting, quality measures and constituent feedback to strengthen accuracy, efficiency, and the overall member and audience experience. The Director also oversees the customer service response and reporting platform, supports the effective use of the donor relationship management database, and collaborates with departments across the organization on systems, processes, events, fulfillment, and other initiatives.
The ideal candidate is an experienced customer service manager, skilled coach, and practical problem solver with a strong commitment to service, accuracy, continuous improvement, and the mission and value of public media.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead member and audience services and gift-processing operations, ensuring responsive service, accurate work, and consistent application of department standards.
- Supervise, coach, and develop staff, including union-represented employees, while maintaining appropriate staffing, training, workflows, and performance expectations.
- Establish and monitor service, quality, productivity, and response-time measures, using operational data and constituent feedback to assess performance and identify priorities.
- Oversee Freshdesk and related customer service processes to support effective inquiry management, timely resolution, appropriate escalation, consistent documentation, and reporting.
- Ensure the timely and accurate processing, reconciliation, and documentation of gifts, pledges, payments, adjustments, refunds, and related transactions.
- Maintain effective practices for constituent data entry, record management, database hygiene, confidentiality, and data quality.
- Support the effective use of Tessitura and serve as a departmental resource for database management, querying, reporting, and analysis.
- Develop and present reports that provide insight into service activity, team performance, constituent needs, and department operations.
- Recommend and lead ongoing improvements to workflows, systems, policies, and service practices based on operational needs, performance results, and constituent feedback.
- Partner with internal departments and external vendors to implement systems and initiatives that support department and organizational priorities.
- Oversee member benefit fulfillment and support member and audience events, including communications, registration, ticketing, and follow-up.
- Resolve complex or escalated constituent matters and provide direct operational support during high-volume periods, campaigns, pledge drives, and events.
- Supervise employees in accordance with organizational policies and applicable collective bargaining agreements and participate in labor-relations activities as appropriate.
- Stay informed about relevant industry practices and emerging trends to support effective operations and continuous improvement.
- Work occasional nights and weekends in support of organizational activities.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS:
- Demonstrated ability to manage daily service operations, establish clear expectations and workflows, monitor performance, and maintain responsive, high-quality service.
- Strong organizational, project-management, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, identify operational issues, and translate findings into practical actions.
- Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Strong attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy, confidentiality, data quality, and responsive service.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams.
EXPERIENCE:
- 5 or more years of progressively responsible experience in customer service or contact-center operations, including at least two years supervising staff.
- Experience coaching and developing employees, addressing performance concerns, and supporting teams through changes in systems, processes, or priorities; experience supervising union-represented employees or working within a collective bargaining agreement is preferred.
- Demonstrated experience and proficiency with CRM database operations and customer support / response platforms for record management, gift processing, workflow tracking, response times, and reporting. Specifically, experience with Tessitura and Freshdesk a plus.
- Experience in membership, donor services, nonprofit fundraising, public media, arts and culture, education, or another mission-driven environment is preferred.
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree required.
ESTIMATED SALARY: $70,000 - $90,000
WTTW and WFMT are committed to providing comprehensive and affordable benefits. These benefits are available to eligible employees.
Window to the World Communications, Inc., the parent organization of WTTW and WFMT, is an Equal Opportunity Employer.