Principal Manager, Customer Experience & Customer Service Operations

DEADLINE TO APPLY IS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2026, AT 11:55 PM

Be ready to rethink your assumptions about the public sector. Dedicated and motivated colleagues? Beautiful, high amenity building for on-site work and collaboration? Flexible schedules and hybrid work options? Yes, yes, and yes!

ABOUT THE UNIT

MTC, through the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA), collects toll revenues and invests those funds in projects that support bridges, roads, and the Bay Area transportation network. As part of this responsibility, BATA manages the regional FasTrak Customer Service Center (CSC), which provides customer account management, transaction processing, contact center operations, web services, payment processing, customer communications, and violation processing for electronic toll collection at Bay Area bridges and express lanes. The CSC is operated by third-party service providers that support both customer-facing services and the underlying technology platforms, including the back-office system, website, payment systems, and contact center technologies. BATA also serves as the regional coordinator for customer service policies, business rules, and operational requirements that support multiple toll operators throughout the region.

The FasTrak Customer Service Center is one of the largest tolling customer service operations in the United States, supporting more than 4.4 million customer accounts, processing approximately 170 million toll transactions annually, and handling more than 2M customer contacts each year across multiple service channels. The CSC supports toll collection and customer service operations for multiple toll operators throughout the Bay Area.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Under the general direction of the Assistant Director, the Principal Manager, Customer Experience & Customer Service Operations serves as BATA's lead for customer service operations, customer experience, and CSC performance oversight. This position provides leadership for FasTrak customer service programs, oversees CSC contractor performance, and works with internal and external stakeholders to ensure customer, operational, and business needs are reflected in policy, operational, and technology decisions. The position evaluates performance and customer experience trends, identifies opportunities for improvement, develops recommendations, and supports the implementation of customer-focused programs and service enhancements.

This position works closely with peers responsible for system enhancements, system operations, financial operations, customer communications, and marketing to support CSC services and initiatives. The position manages five or more staff and multiple consultants and collaborates with regional toll operators, including MTC bridge and express lane programs, the Golden Gate Bridge, and other tolling agencies throughout California and the nation.

MTC is seeking an experienced operations leader to serve as BATA's principal subject matter expert on customer service and customer experience. The ideal candidate will have experience overseeing outsourced service providers, developing customer-focused policies and operational improvements, and building productive relationships with contractors, toll operators, consultants, and internal stakeholders. The successful candidate will balance diverse stakeholder interests, use data and customer insights to drive service improvements, and ensure the customer perspective is incorporated into current and future FasTrak initiatives.

Responsibilities of the Principal Manager, Customer Experience & Customer Service Operations include, but are not limited to, the following:

Customer Service Program Management

• Serve as BATA's primary subject matter expert on customer service operations and customer experience.
• Integrate customer considerations into operational planning, policy development, and implementation.
• Develop and implement initiatives that improve customer satisfaction, service quality, and operational performance.
• Evaluate customer trends, complaints, escalations, and feedback to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Manage specialized customer account programs and related operational relationships, including fleet, governmental, and other non-revenue accounts.
• Oversee the retail partner toll tag distribution program, ensuring inventory availability and strong partner relationships.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and legal counsel to resolve customer service, operational, regulatory, and policy issues.

Vendor Performance Oversight

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with CSC contractor leadership.
• Monitor and evaluate contractor performance against established service levels, key performance indicators (KPIs), and operational requirements.
• Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual performance reviews.
• Review staffing plans, operational readiness plans, quality assurance results, and improvement initiatives.
• Identify and address operational risks, service issues, and performance concerns.
• Partner with contract administration staff regarding performance expectations and operational requirements.

Customer Experience and Policy Development

• Serve as the voice of the customer within BATA and represent customer interests in agency initiatives.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to evaluate and develop recommendations related to customer-facing business rules, policies, procedures, fees, communications, and service delivery practices.
• Assess operational and customer impacts associated with tolling initiatives, system enhancements, and policy changes, and communicate recommendations to stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Monitor industry trends and best practices related to tolling, digital engagement, customer service, and customer experience.
• Provide subject matter expertise to support future FasTrak programs, enhancements, and operational initiatives.

Stakeholder and Program Management

• Coordinate with regional toll operators to support consistent customer service practices and operational objectives throughout the Bay Area.
• Build consensus among stakeholders with differing business priorities, operational requirements, customer service objectives, and technology constraints.
• Represent BATA in regional, statewide, and national toll industry forums and working groups.
• Support strategic planning activities related to future CSC services, tolling initiatives, and customer experience improvements.
• Lead cross-functional coordination among business, technology, operations, communications, consultants, and vendor teams to support CSC initiatives and operational improvements.
• Lead operational planning, stakeholder coordination, business readiness activities, and implementation efforts associated with future CSC procurements and service transitions.

Operational Governance and Continuous Improvement

• Monitor and report on operational performance, customer satisfaction, and customer experience metrics.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements, automation, and service enhancements and collaborate with stakeholders to evaluate, prioritize, and implement solutions.
• Serve as the primary management contact during major operational incidents and coordinate cross-functional response efforts.
• Oversee investigations of significant operational and customer service issues, ensuring appropriate root cause analysis and corrective action.
• Develop executive-level reports, presentations, recommendations, and briefings.
• Support the implementation of new technologies, business processes, and operational capabilities that enhance CSC performance and customer experience.
• Manage the procurement, inventory, distribution, and operational controls associated with FasTrak toll tags and related customer service materials.

Staff and Consultant Management

• Direct, supervise, coach, develop, and evaluate assigned staff, fostering professional growth, accountability, and high performance.
• Establish priorities, allocate resources, and set performance expectations for staff and consultant resources.
• Manage consultant work plans and deliverables supporting CSC operations and strategic initiatives.
• Build team capabilities in customer service, business processes, and performance management to support long-term program success.
• Promote knowledge sharing and cross-training to strengthen operational resiliency.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and customer-focused work environment.

The Principal Manager, Customer Experience & Customer Service Operations will perform other job-related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Customer Service and Customer Experience

• Knowledge of customer service operations, customer experience principles, customer journey management, and service delivery performance.
• Experience developing customer-focused policies, business rules, operational procedures, and service standards.
• Ability to analyze customer feedback, operational data, and performance metrics to identify trends and drive continuous improvement.
• Understanding of customer satisfaction measurement and customer experience improvement methodologies.
• Familiarity with customer service technologies, including:
  • Customer account management systems
  • CRM platforms
  • IVR and contact center technologies
  • Workforce management and quality monitoring tools
  • Payment processing systems
  • Digital customer service channels

Vendor Performance Management

• Experience overseeing outsourced customer service operations.
• Ability to build productive partnerships with service providers while maintaining accountability for performance outcomes.
• Experience conducting operational reviews, evaluating KPIs, monitoring service-level performance, and developing corrective action plans.

Stakeholder Leadership

• Ability to build productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong facilitation, negotiation, consensus-building, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Experience representing customer service interests within a complex organizational environment.

Tolling Operations Knowledge

• Familiarity with toll collection systems, customer account management, payment processing, transaction processing, violation programs, and back-office operations is desirable.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and
abilities listed. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Education and Experience: Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in planning, civil engineering, environmental science, business or public administration, or a related field, and seven (7) years of increasingly responsible professional experience administering
programs in a field related to assignment area.