Customer Operations Specialist

Job Purpose

This role supports Cipla’s Customer Service functions by serving as a key point of contact for customers, managing backorders, general order processing, patient interactions, pharmacovigilance inquiries, and customer product allocations. This role will coordinate workflow between marketing, supply chain, and customer service teams to ensure accurate and timely communication regarding product availability and delivery timelines. This role will play a critical role in capturing customer feedback and ensuring it is routed to the appropriate department for prompt and effective resolution.

Key Accountabilities

Accountability Cluster: Major Activities / Tasks

• Support the specific customer service strategy & various interactions with third-party vendor as appropriate or needed on specific responsibilities related to Customer Service.

• Review reporting requirements for the customer service vendor and ensure their performance accuracy.

• Work with the team to maximize and perform in-house responsibilities.

• Support communication and data requirements distributed between Cipla colleagues.

• Manage input of product information into customer systems.

• Monitor key tracking and reporting mechanisms to ensure product performance.

• Ensure accuracy in data reporting from and to the third-party vendor.

• Support customer & patient communication on product & order questions.

• Reply to customer emails regarding product availability and pharmacovigilance protocols.

• Direct questions and/or requests to the appropriate internal team members.

• Respond with approved data points or guidance from the appropriate Cipla contact.

• Develop and create open order reports and backorder reports on a weekly basis.

• Develop customized reports based on customer requests.

• Proactively communicate with customers before receiving their questions.

• Establish timely communications as agreed to with customers.

• Support the head and manager of Customer Service on the daily orders above allocation process.

• Interact with supply chain and marketing colleagues to ensure orders are released in a timely manner.

• Work with the third-party vendor on daily open order reports that have not shipped due to over allocation.

• Work with marketing and supply chain teams to determine what can be released and what should be cancelled or kept on hold.

• Collaborate with customer procurement departments and Cipla sales team to determine proper communication back to customers.

• Support the Failure to Supply/Penalty process based on what did or did not ship to customers against their forecast.

• Work with the sales team to help prepare for customer meetings and trade shows.

Business Systems Support and Development

• Work with Cipla IT, Finance, and Contracts team to help develop and enhance business systems.

• Represent the needs of the customer service processes to maximize business systems.

Major Challenges

• Collaborate with Customer Service team members to ensure monthly allocations are set with marketing and supply chain.

• Work closely with these colleagues to ensure daily orders flow to UPS and that orders above product allocations by customer are properly checked and released.

• Ensure that business systems are functioning correctly for orders to properly process.

• Ensure that customer/patient questions are routed for appropriate answers.

Key Interactions

Internal:

• Supply Chain, Marketing, US Sales to gather, analyze, and contribute key inputs into product orders and launch management.

• Contracts & Pricing for pricing execution and sales orders.

• Director of Marketing/Sales to provide concise updates to product orders over allocation.

• US Market Colleagues to help communicate updates on launches as well as overall office activities.

External:

• Customers/Patients, and UPS at many levels to understand and service the customer expectations around existing products, future launches, and overall market changes and daily order management.

Dimensions

• 70+ products marketed in the US.

• Estimated ~10 launches per year.

• Current revenue projections of $600+ million for FY25 and growth for follow-on years.

Key Decisions

Decisions:

• When to release orders and when to interact with marketing and supply chain colleagues.

• Interaction with Supply Chain and Sites to maximize inventory availability & security.

Recommendations:

• Processes with UPS and US colleagues.

• Sales opportunities based on customer inquiries.

• Support to help reduce Failure to Supply Claims.

• Communications / order timelines to customers.

Skills & Knowledge

Educational Qualifications:

• A minimum of a high school degree is required and five years of total work experience in a pharmaceutical setting, preferably with experience in large portfolios and dynamic, fast-paced customer environments.

• A four-year degree, preferably in business, marketing, or supply chain operations emphasis is preferred with a minimum of 3+ years.

Other Skills:

• Strong customer orientation.

• Experience working alongside analysts and management in the pharmaceutical space. Generic experience preferred.

• Understanding of supply chain & manufacturing process is not essential but a plus.

• Basic understanding of key marketing functions and strategies is essential.

• Strong proficiency in verbal and written communications and presentation development is essential.