Customer Relationship Manager (CRM)

Unilode Aviation

Elk Grove Village, IL • On-site

Full-time

Posted 5 days ago


Job description

Description:

The role of the Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) is to own and strengthen long-term customer relationships, ensure contractual commitments are delivered, proactively manage issues, and ensure the customer consistently realizes value. The CRM role acts as the primary interface between the customer and internal teams, driving trust, retention, issue resolution, and continuous improvement across the account portfolio.

The CRM leads cross-functional resolution of systemic, recurring, or high-impact service issues, ensuring customers receive timely, structured, and confidence-building communication while internal teams are aligned to clear governance and accountability.


Key Responsibilities

Customer Experience & Relationship Ownership, & Trust Building

Customer Focus, Collaborate, Business Insights, Courage

  • Act as primary customer interface for service experience, continuity, and customer confidence.
  • Maintain a deep understanding of each customer’s business, operational priorities, and strategic objectives.
  • Translate operational performance and risk control into clear, credible customer communication.
  • Build trust through structured engagement, transparency, and consistency across regions.
  • Lead regular customer meetings (operational, tactical, and strategic).
  • Act as customer advocate internally, ensuring issues are owned, prioritized, and resolved.

Escalation Leadership, Issue Resolution & Escalation Management

Ensures Accountability, Action Oriented, Courage, Drives results

  • Own customer escalations end-to-end, convening cross-functional teams to effective resolution.
  • Act as escalation point for customer concerns, maintaining calm, professionalism, and credibility under pressure.
  • Lead customer communications during disruptions, systemic issues, and recurring discrepancies.
  • Lead structured root cause analysis for recurring issues and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
  • Maintain escalation logs, actions and action plans, and closure accountability, ensuring sustainable fixes.

Customer Governance & Performance Cadence

Ensures Accountability, Customer Focus, Collaborates, Action-Oriented

  • Lead customer governance rhythm (service reviews, escalation cadence, monthly business reviews).
  • Ensure services are delivered in line with contractual commitments.
  • Monitor performance, service quality, and compliance, proactively addressing risks or gaps.
  • Ensure commitments and SLAs are understood, measured, and improved through disciplined follow-up.
  • Drive action closure and ensure communications are timely, structured, and transparent.

Cross-Functional Coordination & Assurance

Collaborate, Courage, Drives results, Business Insights

  • Coordinate resolution across OCC, Service Delivery, Digital, MRO, and Account Management.
  • Ensure internal teams have customer context for validations, audits, and corrective actions.
  • Reinforce agreed RACI and support customer-centric accountability across teams.

Performance Management, KPIs & Confidence Outcomes

Business Insights, Ensures Accountability, Financial Acumen, Drives results

  • Own customer experience performance outcomes for assigned accounts.
  • Govern operating KPIs (escalation volume/resolution time, repeat issue rates, NPS/relationship health).
  • Govern financial impact indicators (penalties, disputes, claims, cost of escalations).
  • Use discrepancy data to drive corrective actions and service improvement, supporting retention and renewal readiness in partnership with Account Management.

Continuous Improvement & Feedback Integration

Business Insights, Action Oriented, Collaborate, Courage

  • Translate feedback and escalation insights into operational, process, and policy improvements.
  • Support SOP and process updates and embed learnings into improved ways of working.
  • Manage change requests, scope discussions, and contract clarifications in collaboration with Commercial and Legal teams.
  • Support contract renewals through performance insight, relationship strength, and value articulation.

Our Values in Action:

  • Be humble and curious - Seeks to understand customer experience drivers, service realities, and root causes, using insight and feedback to improve outcomes.
  • Inspire, empower, and prosper - Builds confidence with customers and internal teams through calm leadership, clarity, and credibility during both stable operations and disruption.
  • Team up to be better - Works across functions to resolve issues collectively, prioritising shared outcomes over functional boundaries.
  • Be passionate about our customers - Champions the customer experience, ensuring issues are addressed with urgency, transparency, and care.
  • Take ownership and get things done - Leads escalations to closure, ensuring actions are completed and outcomes delivered.
  • Be eager to win - Drives improvement in customer confidence, satisfaction, and advocacy through effective issue resolution and governance.
  • Build a better future - Uses customer insights to strengthen processes, prevent recurrence, and improve long-term service experience.

The Small Print

The role of Customer Relationship Manager focuses on strengthening long-term customer relationships, ensuring contractual commitments are delivered, proactively managing issues, and ensuring the customer consistently realizes value. The CRM role acts as the primary interface between the customer and internal teams, driving trust, retention, issue resolution, and continuous improvement across the account portfolio. This document outlines the key responsibilities and expectations of the role, but is not an exhaustive list. Responsibilities may evolve in line with customer needs, operational requirements, and organisational priorities.

Requirements:

Skills & Experience

  • Fluent in Russian and English. Uzbek preferred.
  • Experience in air cargo, freighter operations, airport operations, GHA, ULD management, cargo terminal operations, or airside operations strongly preferred.
  • Experience engaging with GHAs, airport authorities, customs, cargo handlers, and airline operational teams preferred.
  • Experience working in Central Asia, CIS markets, or emerging aviation markets preferred.
  • Must be eligible to obtain and maintain airport security clearance and access permits required to operate within airport and cargo handling environments.
  • Experience in customer relations, service management, or operational support roles.
  • Proven ability to manage customer experience, escalations, and service-related issues.
  • Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to coordinate cross-functional resolution.
  • Experience working with operational data, KPIs, and service performance metrics.
  • Ability to communicate clearly and confidently with customers during both normal operations and disruptions.
  • Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple issues and priorities.
  • Experience supporting governance forums such as service reviews or performance meetings.
  • Experience in aviation, logistics, or operational service environments.
  • Exposure to escalation management frameworks or customer governance models.
  • Experience working across multiple stakeholders, including OCC, operations, and commercial teams.


Frequently asked questions

Q: What skills or qualities help someone succeed as a Relationship Manager?

A: To succeed as a Relationship Manager, key technical skills include proficiency in CRM software, data analysis, and negotiation techniques. Soft skills such as excellent communication, active listening, and emotional intelligence are also crucial, as they enable Relationship Managers to build trust, resolve conflicts, and foster long-term partnerships. By combining these technical and interpersonal strengths, Relationship Managers can effectively manage client relationships, drive business growth, and advance their careers through increased responsibility and professional recognition.

Q: What is the career path for a Relationship Manager?

A: A Relationship Manager's typical career progression involves starting as a Business Development Representative or Account Manager, where they build and maintain client relationships, before advancing to a Senior Account Manager or Relationship Manager role, where they oversee larger client portfolios and drive revenue growth. As they gain experience, they can develop skills in areas such as sales strategy, negotiation, and leadership, and move into senior roles like Director of Client Services or Head of Business Development, where they lead teams and develop business strategies. Long-term, Relationship Managers may pursue executive roles, such as Chief Revenue Officer or CEO, or transition into related fields like consulting or entrepreneurship, leveraging their expertise in client relationships and business development.



Unilode Aviation job posting for a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) in Elk Grove Village, IL with a salary of $49,800 to $103,900 Annually with a map of Elk Grove Village location.