Director, Client Services

About Silverchair

Silverchair is the premier independent platform partner for scholarly and professional publishers, dedicated to expanding the reach of the world’s most valuable knowledge. By connecting creators, publishers, and users, we amplify the impact of scholarship and enhance the accessibility of critical information. Our global teams build, maintain, and innovate platforms across the publishing lifecycle, facilitating submission, peer review, hosting, dissemination, and impact measurement.

The Silverchair Platform hosts critical research content from such prestigious publishers as Oxford University Press, the American Medical Association, and McGraw Hill, comprising more than 12 million articles and 97k books. ScholarOne Manuscripts is the world's leading scholarly workflow management platform, processing over 3 million manuscripts annually for 9,000+ journal sites and serving 1.1 million monthly active users. ScholarOne Conferences streamlines the academic conference lifecycle for 135+ conferences annually, supporting scholarly publishers and associations worldwide.

Silverchair is a remote-first organization with Silverchairians living and working in over ten countries supporting our clients and operations throughout the globe.

DEI Statement

At Silverchair, we celebrate and embrace diversity in all its forms. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment from the moment you consider joining our team. We actively encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply, believing that a variety of perspectives and experiences enriches our community, drives innovation, and strengthens our impact.

Equity and inclusion are at the core of our hiring practices, and we strive to build a team that reflects a broad spectrum of cultures, experiences, and viewpoints. We are particularly committed to increasing representation from groups historically underrepresented in technology careers. Your unique experiences and perspectives are not just welcomed but are integral to our collective success. Join us in our mission to create a culture that unites and brings out the best in all of us.

Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at Silverchair.

Overview

The Director of Client Services reports to the VP, Customer Care and is responsible for defining the strategic vision and operational design of Client Services as Silverchair grows. This position determines how Client Services should evolve to meet increasingly sophisticated client expectations while maintaining scalability, profitability, and team sustainability.

The Director shapes what excellent support looks like at Silverchair—designing service delivery models, organizational structures, and operational frameworks that position Client Services as a competitive advantage. This role translates strategic vision into working operations, making critical decisions about team composition, resource allocation, technology adoption, and process improvement. The Director oversees internal teams, third-party vendor staff, and contractors, ensuring seamless integration and consistent service excellence across all employment types.

As the architect of Client Services' future state, the Director leads continuous evolution of how we support clients, how teams operate, and how we measure success.

Essential Functions:

Service Design and Organizational Strategy:

• Design how Client Services operates including team structure, coverage hours, support channels, and escalation paths
• Define service standards and response frameworks that meet client expectations while remaining scalable and cost-effective
• Assess expansion needs including geographic reach and coverage models, supporting team stability as we grow
• Design organizational structure including team composition, leadership roles, and reporting relationships
• Determine the right staffing balance across employment types to meet current and future needs, building business cases for headcount requests, technology investments, and resource requirements
• Create career paths and development frameworks for team members

Leadership and People Management:

• Provide direction and leadership to the Client Services Manager and management team
• Directly manage employees and contractors, or determine the optimal management structure for these team members
• Foster a culture focused on continuous improvement, customer service, and operational excellence
• Mentor and develop direct reports, emphasizing strategic thinking and leadership growth
• Oversee performance management, career development, and succession planning for all Client Services staff
• Make hiring and termination decisions for employees and contractors within approved headcount
• Ensure effective collaboration across different employment types

Vendor Partnerships:

• Oversee relationships with third-party service providers, partnering with VP, Customer Care on vendor performance and contracts
• Ensure vendor capabilities align with service needs and integrate effectively with internal teams
• Serve as executive escalation point for high-stakes client issues

Financial Management and Performance:

• Develop annual department budgets with VP, Customer Care
• Define and track cost per ticket, resource utilization, efficiency metrics, and SLA compliance
• Forecast resource needs based on client growth and service volume trends
• Use data to drive improvements and hold teams accountable through clear expectations

Client Insights and Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Analyze patterns from client interactions to inform product and platform improvements
• Work with Sales and Customer Success to identify upsell, cross-sell, and expansion opportunities
• Track client health indicators that affect retention and growth
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Success on shared objectives
• Ensure Client Services Manager works effectively with development teams like WD-40
• Collaborate with VP, Delivery on prioritization and resource allocation

Technology, AI, and Process Improvement:

• Drive adoption of new technologies including AI and automation to improve efficiency
• Establish AI guidelines and ethical frameworks, building AI skills across all staff
• Lead technology implementations and AI initiatives that improve service delivery
• Identify opportunities for better data analytics, knowledge management, and self-service
• Work with Client Services Manager to monitor knowledge base and documentation effectiveness
• Model responsible AI use with appropriate human oversight

Required Skills:

• Proven ability to design and lead technical support organizations
• Strategic thinking with ability to turn vision into working operations
• Strong communication skills for working with executives, clients, and team members
• Budget management and business case development experience
• Experience managing distributed teams with different employment types
• People management skills including coaching, performance management, and talent development
• Data-driven decision making and problem-solving abilities
• Change management skills for leading organizational transitions
• Deep understanding of customer support operations and service delivery

Desired Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in business, computer science, information science, or related field; advanced degree preferred
• 7+ years progressive leadership in technical support or client services
• Experience designing service delivery models and organizational structures
• Experience with vendor partnerships and third-party service delivery
• Experience directly managing technical teams and individual contributors
• Software or SaaS company experience, preferably B2B or enterprise
• Publishing industry, academic technology, or scholarly communications background highly desirable
• Track record scaling support operations through growth and geographic expansion
• Familiarity with JIRA, knowledge management systems, and technical concepts like XML and APIs
• Experience implementing AI or automation in support environments

Silverchair is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. We are dedicated to ensuring a fair and inclusive hiring process for all candidates.

We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in the application and hiring process.

Disclaimer: At this time, we cannot sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.

No agencies please.

Salary Range: US$90,000-110,000