Client Service Operations, Manager
Client Service Operations • Southfield, Michigan • Full-Time
ABOUT PROOF
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.
ROLE OVERVIEW
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 & Quality, Technical Expertise, and Communication & Collaboration.
COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK
Execution & Quality
- Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: 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.
- Inquisitive: Ask why your team's metrics moved, not just whether they hit. Pull threads on weak signals before they become problems.
- Proactive: Anticipate problems before they hit — capacity, volume spikes, client risk, talent gaps — and bring them up with proposed fixes, not just warnings.
- Resourceful: 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.
- Owner Mindset: Held accountable for the team's KPIs, people, and escalations. Surface blockers with proposed solutions.
- Customer-Service Focused: 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.
- Responsible / Reliable: Do what you say you're going to do; the team plans against your commitments. Own mistakes without deflection. Close loops without being chased.
- Flexible / Adaptable: 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.
- Attention to Detail: 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.
Technical Expertise
- Computer Proficient: Fluent in the team's full tool stack — Proof platform, Omni, spreadsheets, Slack workflows. Set the standard for tool fluency on the team.
- Data Acumen: 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.
- Legal Document Knowledge: Accountable for the team's compliance with service-of-process and affidavit requirements. Partner with Legal Operations on ambiguous interpretations.
- Service Specialist Craft: 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.
Communication & Collaboration
- Mentorship & People Leadership: 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.
- Effective Communication: 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.
- Collaborative: 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.
- Approachable: 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.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE (FIRST 12 MONTHS)
- Team SLA attainment and quality metrics are stable or improving across 3+ consecutive quarters
- At least one Senior Specialist is on a documented development plan toward the next level
- Client escalations are trending down; root-cause patterns are being addressed systemically
- Cross-functional partners describe you as a thought partner, not just an executor
- The team operates predictably during your time off — the systems hold it together, not your direct involvement
QUALIFICATIONS
- 4+ years of operations experience with 2+ years directly managing a team; service-delivery, legal services, or regulated/SLA-driven environments preferred
- Demonstrated track record of owning and improving team KPIs — you can talk concretely about what you changed and what moved
- Direct performance management experience: hiring, coaching, PIPs, terminations
- Strong analytical skills; comfortable in Excel and a BI tool (Omni, Looker, or similar) without analyst support for routine questions
- Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable representing Operations in front of clients and cross-functional leadership
- Knowledge of service of process or legal services regulations a plus; NY rules a plus
ROLE DETAILS
- Full-time, in-person, Southfield office
- Must be available during normal business hours, with flexibility for escalations and coverage needs outside of them
- Health benefits including vision and dental; flexible time off
- Salary Range $80-$100k
E-Verify
This company participates in E-Verify, for more information view the Participation and Right to Work Posters.