Archipelago Companies (OluKai, Kaenon, melin, and Roark) Sr. Manager, DTC Customer Experience

Who We Are:

Archipelago Companies, a portfolio of highly successful consumer lifestyle brands, is seeking a talented and passionate individual with an entrepreneurial mindset to join our team. Our brands, including OluKai, Kaenon, Melin, Roark, and Tradewind Services are leaders in their respective markets, offering high-quality products and authentic marketing stories direct to consumers. At Archipelago Companies, we pride ourselves on our commitment to integrity, and we strive to create a culture of excellence in everything we do. If you are a driven and innovative individual with a passion for consumer brands, we invite you to apply for our open position and become a part of our dynamic and growing team.

About the Role:

We are seeking a strategic, execution-oriented leader to transform our Customer Experience function into a high-impact, insight-driven, and revenue-conscious organization. This role goes beyond traditional support. You will own the end-to-end post-purchase experience, transforming Customer Experience into a key driver of customer retention, brand loyalty, and operational excellence. You will lead a high-performing team, build scalable systems, and establish CX as a critical voice in shaping product, operations, and marketing decisions.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Team Leadership & Development

Lead and scale a team of 20+ agents and team leads across in-house and outsourced environments

Build a high-performance culture grounded in accountability, empathy, and continuous improvement

Recruit, hire, and onboard talent to support growth and scale

Design career paths, training programs, and leadership development for the CX team

Manage staffing, scheduling, and capacity planning to ensure optimal coverage across all channels (email, chat, phone, social)

Voice of the Customer (VoC) & Insights

Build and own a structured Voice of Customer program (feedback collection, tagging, reporting)

Translate customer insights into actionable recommendations across Product, Marketing, and Operations

Establish feedback loops that influence roadmap prioritization and business decisions

Customer Experience Strategy & Growth

Define and execute a forward-looking CX strategy aligned with brand, growth, and retention goals

Position CX as a driver of customer lifetime value (LTV), retention, and repeat purchase behavior

Partner with Growth/CRM teams to identify opportunities for upsell, cross-sell, and save strategies within customer interactions

Champion a customer-first culture across the organization

Operations, QA & Performance Management

Own CX performance metrics including CSAT, NPS, FRT, Resolution Time, Contact Rate, and Cost per Contact, with a focus on continuous improvement and efficiency at scale

Establish and manage quality assurance (QA) frameworks to ensure consistent service delivery

Develop scalable SOPs, escalation workflows, and operational playbooks

Lead capacity planning, staffing models, and workforce management across channels

Self-Service & Automation

Own and scale self-service strategy (Help Center, FAQs, AI/chatbots)

Drive contact deflection initiatives through proactive communication and automation

Identify opportunities to improve efficiency while enhancing customer satisfaction

Technology & Innovation

Oversee the CX technology stack (e.g., Gorgias, Aircall, AI tools)

Partner with Tech and Operations to build integrations, reporting dashboards, and automation capabilities

Continuously evaluate and implement tools that improve team productivity and customer experience

Cross-Functional Leadership

Act as the primary CX partner to Product, Operations, Marketing, and Fulfillment teams

Surface systemic issues impacting customers and drive cross-functional resolution

Influence company-wide decisions through customer insights and data

Vendor & Budget Management

Own relationships with BPO and outsourced support partners

Manage the CX budget including headcount planning, vendor contracts, and tooling investments

Optimize cost structure while maintaining high-quality service

Escalations & Crisis Management

Lead high-impact customer escalations and sensitive situations

Develop and execute playbooks for critical events (e.g., delays, recalls, service disruptions)

Ensure clear, proactive communication during customer-impacting incidents

Requirements & Qualifications:

Required

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

7+ years of customer service experience, with at least 2–3 years in a management or leadership role

Proven experience in a DTC e-commerce or retail environment

Demonstrated success improving CX KPIs and operational performance

Experience managing multi-channel support operations (email, live chat, phone, social)

Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into action

Excellent communication, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills

Preferred

Experience managing outsourced/BPO teams at scale

Familiarity with platforms such as Shopify, Full Circle, OMS tools, and logistics workflows

Experience with CX platforms such as Gorgias, Zendesk, Kustomer and AI-driven tools

Background in building or scaling CX functions in high-growth environments

What Success Looks Like in Year One

CSAT maintained above 4.75+/5 with a clear improvement roadmap for continuous improvement

Reduce contact rate by 10%

Improve first response and resolution times while maintaining quality standards

Launch and operationalize a Voice of Customer program influencing cross-functional decisions

Build scalable onboarding, training, and QA programs

Establish strong cross-functional partnerships that drive measurable improvements in product, fulfillment, and customer satisfaction

Location & Office Structure: This is an in-office hybrid position, mandatory 4 days per week in office in Irvine, CA with the option to work from home 1 day per week. On call as needed and subject to change without notice as per company guidelines.  

Compensation: The salary range for this position is $111,000 to $140,000 plus opportunity for annual bonus; salary is based on the experience that you bring to the position.

Benefits and Perks:

Complimentary chef prepared breakfast and lunch provided Monday - Thursday

Generous product gift program and all brand discounts

Growth opportunities within the Archipelago family of brands: OluKai, Kaenon, Melin, Roark

Company bonus program

5 year and 10 year Milestone Anniversary travel gifts

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance in accordance with plan guidelines

Company paid life insurance in accordance with plan guidelines

401k with employer match in accordance with plan guidelines

15 Days of PTO accrued annually, plus one additional day of PTO every year on your anniversary, and 3 Floating Holidays per year

Paid beach and giveback days, bi-annual team building events and other in-person celebrations

Work with talented and great people who share a love of the ocean lifestyle

Archipelago Companies values a diverse, inclusive, and entrepreneurial workforce and culture, and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [email protected]. Archipelago will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.