Customer Operations Manager

About This Role

Want to work and play in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains? Cascade Designs—home to Therm\-a\-Rest®, MSR®, Platypus®, SealLine®, PackTowl®, and VariLite®—is now headquartered in Reno, Nevada. Located just over an hour from Lake Tahoe and enjoying 300 days of sunshine each year, Reno is the perfect destination for outdoor adventurers of every level.

We’re seeking passionate, driven, and curious individuals who not only love the outdoors, but bring that same energy into their work every day.

Our Brands

Therm\-a\-Rest® \| MSR® \| Platypus® \| SealLine® \| PackTowl® \| VariLite®

Position Overview

As a key member of the Customer Operations team, the Customer Operations Manager plays a critical role in protecting the service reputation of Cascade Designs’ family of brands while ensuring an exceptional customer experience.

This role sits at the intersection of customer experience, operations, eCommerce, marketing, warranty, and product feedback. You will shape how the support organization scales—building systems, processes, and insights that enable consistent, high\-quality service while reducing friction for both customers and internal teams.

This position is ideal for someone who thrives in operational complexity and can translate strategic direction into clear, repeatable processes.

A strong emphasis is placed on leveraging AI and automation to enhance the customer experience while maintaining a human\-centered approach.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a specialized Customer Operations team, fostering a culture of ownership, responsiveness, and high service standards
• Own the configuration, optimization, and administration of Zendesk, including workflows, automation, and reporting
• Partner with technical teams to integrate Zendesk with internal systems, ensuring scalability and reliability
• Drive thoughtful implementation of AI and automation to improve efficiency and response times without compromising quality
• Manage support operations, including ticket workflows, escalation paths, and service level targets (SLAs)
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement continuous process improvements
• Develop and maintain a robust knowledge base to support internal teams and customer self\-service
• Analyze customer feedback, contact drivers, product issues, and review sentiment
• Serve as a cross\-functional partner to Product, eCommerce, Marketing, Quality Assurance, and Shipping teams
• Collaborate with Marketing to optimize customer\-facing warranty and support content across brand websites

What Success Looks Like

• Strong accountability and clear service standards drive improved response times and customer satisfaction
• Zendesk and related systems are optimized, reducing manual work and enabling focus on high\-value interactions
• Customer insights are consistently analyzed and shared, influencing product and operational decisions
• Customer Operations is viewed as a strategic partner across the organization

Minimum Requirements

• Hands\-on experience with customer support platforms, including administration, reporting, and optimization (Zendesk preferred)
• 4\+ years of experience leading customer service, customer experience, or customer operations teams—ideally in consumer products or manufacturing
• Experience implementing AI\-assisted support tools, chatbots, or self\-service solutions
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, or related field—or equivalent experience
• Strong leadership and coaching experience with customer\-centric teams
• Able and willing to work in an open office environment

Additional Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage workflows, SLAs, and escalation processes in a fast\-paced environment
• Experience working cross\-functionally with Product, Operations, Marketing, eCommerce, QA, or Engineering teams
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including handling escalated customer situations
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable insights
• Highly organized with strong prioritization and decision\-making abilities
• Demonstrated ability to identify trends and drive operational or product improvements
• Builder mindset with deep knowledge of modern support technologies
• Leadership style that fosters ownership, structure, and engagement

Benefits

• 3 weeks paid time off annually
• 10 paid holidays \+ 3 floating holidays
• Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
• 401(k) with company match
• Company\-paid life insurance
• Gear loaner program and pro deal discounts
• $100 annual product credit \+ employee discount on Cascade Designs gear

About Cascade Designs

Founded in 1972, Cascade Designs began with a simple goal: to provide a more comfortable night outdoors. Today, we are the parent company of some of the most respected brands in the outdoor industry.

We remain committed to manufacturing many of our products in our own U.S. and European facilities, ensuring the highest standards of quality. Our core purpose is to create innovative, useful, and long\-lasting products that enhance our customers’ outdoor experiences.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Cascade Designs, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, disability, or any other status protected by law.

Additional Information

The responsibilities outlined above are not intended to be all\-inclusive. Additional duties, responsibilities, and qualifications may be required or assigned as needed.