Customer Operations Associate

Customer Operations Associate

Where Conviviality is at work. Pernod Ricard is a global premium spirits and wine company. We're the team behind leading brands such as ABSOLUT® Vodka, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Malibu®, Kahlúa® Liqueur, The Glenlivet® Gin, and Skrewball™ whiskey, as well as many more superior wines and exquisite champagnes!

Working at Pernod Ricard is all about igniting conviviality in all that we do. Derived from the French word, convivialité…it means human connection, authenticity, friendly, and jovial. Conviviality is energy and spirit with a splash of je ne sais quoi and is a core philosophy around how we live and work at Pernod Ricard.

Guided by our 4 core values: (1) grounded in the real; (2) fiercely authentic; (3) passion for challenge; and (4) connected beyond borders; we are team players, dream makers, trailblazers, movers and (cocktail) shakers. We have a passion for living life to the fullest, making new friends every day, and realizing our potential as people and as a business!

Position Summary:

The Customer Operations Associate (COA) is a key member of the Customer Operations and Supply Chain Teams, serving as the single point-of-contact for distributors and driving excellence in order management, claims resolution, and customer experience. The COA role combines strong customer service and order fulfillment expertise with advanced digital and analytical capabilities.

This role requires individuals who are extremely consumer-centric, highly organized, and digitally fluent, able to process orders and resolve discrepancies while also ensuring accuracy in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) transmissions and supporting continuous process improvement. The COA must be comfortable working autonomously in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment while proactively identifying opportunities to streamline workflows and improve system reliability.

Major Responsibilities / Accountabilities:

Order & Claims Management

• Receive and process customer orders within lead times, ensuring accuracy and compliance with criteria.
• Input orders, make order adjustments due to stock availability or customer requests, and monitor order progress.
• Use strong problem-solving skills to process claims, execute credits/debits, and manage returns for faulty stock, canceled orders, or shipment discrepancies.
• Process adjustments for unsaleable merchandise and transfer of inventory between distributors.

EDI & Systems Support

• Manage and verify daily EDI transmissions on customer orders, ensuring data integrity (e.g., SCC codes, pricing, allocations).
• Monitor, log, and troubleshoot EDI variances; escalate to IT or internal teams as necessary.
• Support the onboarding and testing of new customer EDI setups.
• Provide reporting and insights related to order quality, transmission accuracy, and claims activity.

Customer & Stakeholder Communication

• Act as the center-point of communication for assigned accounts, ensuring that all order, claims, and quality-related issues are tracked, reported, and resolved in a timely manner.
• Provide commercial support by serving as a revenue-driven partner to S&OP, Commercial, Marketing, and Finance teams, ensuring alignment between customer needs and business priorities.
• Consolidate and route complaints and quality issues to the appropriate internal group while keeping customers updated on resolution status.
• Collaborate with internal teams (Supply Planning, Logistics, Tech, S&OP, Finance) to ensure transparency, accuracy, and speed of information flow.
• Build and maintain strong external distributor relationships through clear, proactive, and professional communication.

Process & Data Improvement

• Actively participate in continuous improvement initiatives to simplify processes, reduce manual touches, improve efficiencies, and enhance system utilization.
• Identify and recommend enhancements to order management, EDI workflows, and claims processes.
• Maintain accurate and timely updates to the customer database and order history.

Nature & Scope:

This role works closely with internal teams across supply chain, IT, Finance, and Commercial, as well as external distributors and trading partners. The COA is expected to be proactive, data-driven, and process-oriented, with a strong customer service ethos.

Key Competencies & Qualifications:

Education:

Undergraduate degree in Business, Logistics or Supply Chain, Finance, Business Analytics or related field preferred.

Experience / Qualification:

• 3–5 years of experience in customer service, order management, logistics, or supply chain roles, preferably in the beverage or consumer goods industry.
• Experience with EDI order processing and troubleshooting preferred.
• Proven ability to deliver accurate results under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Digitally savvy, with advanced MS Word, MS Excel and MS Outlook skills required; experience with JD Edwards E1, Power BI, Hubble, MS PowerPoint an asset.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, able to prioritize effectively and ask for help if you're overwhelmed.
• Customer-centric mindset with strong communication skills (both verbal and written).
• Self-starter, capable of working independently while thriving in a collaborative, team-based environment.
• Continuous improvement orientation, with the ability to challenge the status quo and contribute to process and system enhancements.

Working Conditions & Travel:

• Hybrid (3 days in-office per week required).
• Minimal travel required (<5%).