Head of Support

## Job Summary

The Head of Support leads Mercans' AI-first global product support function, driving automation, self-service, and root cause elimination to reduce support demand. The role oversees L3 Engineering, AI Operations, and a 24/7 Support Engineering team, ensuring SLA compliance, customer satisfaction, operational excellence, and close collaboration with Product, Engineering, Compliance, and Configuration teams.

## Key Responsibilities

### AI Strategy & Automation

* Define and execute the AI-driven support strategy, including intelligent triage, auto-resolution, predictive support, and self-service.
* Lead implementation of AI/ML support tools and automation initiatives.
* Partner with AI teams to continuously improve customer support agents and automation capabilities.
* Increase AI auto-resolution while reducing manual intervention and ticket volume.

### Support Operations & SLA Management

* Own SLA performance across all clients and report operational metrics to leadership.
* Monitor ticket volume, resolution times, customer satisfaction, first-contact resolution, auto-resolution rates, and recurring issues.
* Drive continuous improvement through root cause elimination, knowledge management, and product feedback.
* Conduct regular operational reviews and implement corrective actions.

### Leadership & Team Development

* Lead L3 Engineering, AI Operations, and Support Engineering teams.
* Recruit, mentor, and develop high-performing support professionals with strong technical and AI capabilities.
* Manage 24/7 support coverage, shift planning, and on-call processes.
* Foster a culture of continuous improvement where every support issue contributes to product enhancement.

### Cross-Functional Collaboration

* Partner with Product, Engineering, Compliance, and Configuration teams to resolve recurring issues permanently.
* Manage executive customer escalations and serve as the highest operational escalation point.
* Oversee client allocation and workload balancing to ensure optimal service delivery.

## Skills & Qualifications

* Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (Master's/MBA preferred).
* Minimum 7 years of SaaS product support or service delivery experience, including at least 3 years in a leadership role.
* Proven success reducing support demand through automation and process improvement.
* Experience implementing AI/ML support technologies, chatbots, intelligent routing, and LLM-based solutions.
* Strong knowledge of ITSM platforms (Jira, YouTrack, or similar), SLA management, analytics, and support operations.
* Excellent leadership, communication, stakeholder management, and data-driven decision-making skills.
* Experience managing technical support, AI, and engineering teams.
* Experience in Payroll, HCM, or FinTech SaaS is highly desirable.

## Key Performance Goals

* Reduce open support backlog from **147 to fewer than 60 tickets within 90 days**.
* Achieve **100% AI-based ticket categorization and routing within 60 days**.
* Reach **30% AI auto-resolution** for L1/L2 tickets within **90 days**.
* Implement **24/7 global support coverage** within **45 days**.
* Deliver **20 permanent root cause resolutions** through the L3 Engineering team within **90 days**.
* Sustain a **20% month-over-month reduction** in ticket creation for **two consecutive months** within the first 90 days.
* Continuously improve SLA performance, customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and AI adoption through automation and proactive support initiatives.