Associate Director, Call Center Operations

About the position Ascent is a leading provider of innovative financial products and student support services that enable more students to access education and achieve academic and economic success. Everything Ascent offers is designed with the best-in-class teams and technology to increase every student's ability to plan, pay, and succeed in their education and career. Ascent's planning tools and financing resources are co-created by students for those in college, graduate school, and career training programs. Ascent offers financial wellness education, student success services, and one-on-one and digital career coaching that put students' academic and professional goals within reach. Ascent has been widely recognized for its strong culture – named “Best Places to Work” by the San Diego Business Journal for the past 5 years – and as an industry leader – named “Best Student Loan” by NerdWallet for the past 3 years. Ascent is seeking an Associate Director, Call Center Operations to lead a dedicated team of 8-12 customer service and operational agents. This role is focused on day-to-day management, tactical planning, and process improvement to ensure efficient and high-quality customer support. The Associate Director will own and drive a set of strategic initiatives designed to improve scalability, consistency, and long-term performance of the call center. This includes partnering with senior operations leadership to translate business priorities into actionable plans, leading cross functional initiatives that enhance customer experience and efficiency, and building the operational foundation required to support growth, regulatory change, and evolving service models. This position is 2.5 days hybrid at the San Diego headquarters from 8:30am-5-00pm.

Responsibilities

• Identify, assess, and strategize solutions for operational bottlenecks impacting service quality, efficiency, and scalability across the call center
• Lead the development, organization, and continuous improvement of onboarding and ongoing training programs to ensure consistent performance, policy adherence, and agent readiness
• Partner closely with Compliance and Risk teams to design and maintain best in class call center practices that meet regulatory requirements while supporting a strong customer experience
• Develop and maintain a capacity model that aligns staffing levels with forecasted demand, maximizes available capacity, and supports efficient workforce planning
• Translate operational data, performance trends, and business priorities into actionable plans that drive sustained improvements in productivity and service delivery
• Serve as a senior operational leader for the call center, providing direction, structure, and accountability while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and customer focus

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, communications, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in call center or customer service operations, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or management role.
• 2+ years with HubSpot, Zendesk, or other comparable CRM systems
• Strong skills in team leadership, tactical planning, and process optimization.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal abilities.

Nice-to-haves

• Strategic thinker with a drive for operational excellence and innovation.
• Self-starter with a positive attitude and a collaborative, team-oriented approach.
• Commitment to supporting the success of students and the broader Ascent mission good team player who is approachable and dedicated to helping others succeed.
• Experience in financial services is a plus

Benefits

• Competitive pay with bonus, and comprehensive benefits package that includes, but not limited to:
• Compensation includes base salary of $95,000 - $120,000 commensurate with experience, plus bonus and options.
• Company Stock Options
• 401(k) + Company Match
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Annual HSA contribution of $1,650
• Life insurance, disability, and critical illness
• 14 Paid Holidays! Eleven (11) + Two (2) Community Days + Your Birthday!
• Snacks and drinks in the office
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Generous paid leave policies
• $2,000 Vacation Incentive Plan after 3 years + $1,000 Sabbatical Day
• Wellness, Work from Home funds, and more!

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