Customer Onboarding and Escalation Specialist - Grand Rapids MI

Applied Innovation is seeking a self-motivated, highly organized individual to fill a full-time opportunity in our Operations Project Management Department. The Customer Onboarding & Escalation Specialist is responsible for supporting a positive customer experience after implementation and providing structured ownership when customer issues require escalation and coordination across multiple departments. This role serves as both a proactive customer onboarding resource for large, complex, or strategic accounts and a reactive escalation owner for customer-impacting issues across the broader customer base.

This is a full-time, onsite position located at 5555 Glenwood Hills Pkwy SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512,with standard hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM.

• Lead structured post-implementation onboarding for large, complex, or strategic customer accounts.
• Conduct 30/60/90-day customer health checks to validate successful deployment, adoption, service readiness, and customer satisfaction.
• Identify early risks, unresolved issues, training needs, process gaps, and customer concerns before they become larger escalations.
• Coordinate with Account Management, Operations, Service, Supply Chain, Billing, Contracts and other internal teams to resolve onboarding and post-onboarding issues.
• Serve as the accountable owner for customer escalations that meet defined criteria, regardless of account size. Take ownership of issues from initial escalation through final resolution.
• Develop escalation action plans, assign owners, track progress, and maintain clear communication with internal stakeholders.
• Provide timely status updates to leadership and involved teams on active escalations, risks, barriers, and resolution progress.
• Document root cause, corrective actions, lessons learned, and process improvement opportunities following escalations.
• Maintain accurate records of onboarding activity, escalation history, customer risks, and resolution outcomes.
• Partner with leadership to identify recurring trends and recommend improvements to onboarding, implementation, support, and escalation processes.

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Client-focused mindset with a professional and courteous approach.
• High attention to detail with strong organizational skills.
• Strong conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
• Dependable and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to work effectively in a team-oriented environment as well as independently.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, service-driven setting.
• Proven proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Excel, and Word.
• Understanding and alignment with the organization’s core values.

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• 3+ years of customer service, account management, operations, or project management experience.
• Proficiency with computers and multiple software programs.

• Medical, dental, and life insurance on the 31st day of employment
• Short-term disability
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Paid volunteer time
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match program
• Onsite fitness center
• Opportunities for professional growth and advancement