Service Operations Manager Jobs in Detroit, MI (NOW HIRING)

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.