Senior Customer Liaison Specialist

About the role:

The Senior Customer Liaison Specialist manages complex and escalated customer matters involving alleged vehicle faults, vehicle damage, personal injury, legal claims, tribunal proceedings, executive referrals and regulatory obligations.

The role provides specialist technical and case-management support to Customer Liaison, Ford Legal and other internal and external stakeholders. The position conducts or coordinates vehicle-fault, accident and fire investigations; provides technical input into legal and tribunal matters; supports police enquiries; and manages or supports Australian Consumer Law mandatory reporting requirements.

The role exercises independent judgement, manages sensitive and high-risk matters, and provides recommendations to support timely and appropriate resolution. This is a senior specialist role with direct responsibility for two Customer Liaison team members.

What you'll be doing:

Complex Case Management

·Manage complex and escalated customer matters involving technical, legal, safety, financial or reputational risk.

·Assess customer cases and determine appropriate investigation, escalation and resolution pathways.

·Coordinate the resolution of legal claims relating to alleged vehicle faults.

·Manage executive referrals and other elevated customer matters.

·Prepare and maintain accurate case records, correspondence and supporting documentation.

·Support settlements and agreed outcomes in accordance with company policy and delegated authority.

Technical Investigation

·Conduct or coordinate investigations into alleged vehicle faults, including matters involving property damage or personal injury.

·Conduct or coordinate vehicle accident and fire investigations.

·Review vehicle history, service, warranty, repair, build and other technical information.

·Analyse evidence from customers, dealers, suppliers, insurers and other stakeholders.

·Provide clear technical advice and recommendations to support customer, legal, tribunal and internal decisions.

·Refer emerging product or technical issues to the appropriate Ford business function.

Legal, Tribunal and Police Support

·Support Ford Legal with litigation claims and other legally escalated matters.

·Prepare technical summaries, investigation findings, vehicle information and supporting evidence.

·Prepare technical statements and information required to support expert evidence and police enquiries.

·Provide technical input at Small Claims Tribunal and other consumer tribunal matters.

·Support Ford representatives at tribunal conciliations, mediations and hearings, including interstate travel where required.

·Ensure relevant documents and evidence are accurate, complete and available within required timeframes.

Australian Consumer Law and Compliance

·Manage or support the Australian Consumer Law Mandatory Reporting Process.

·Identify matters requiring regulatory, safety or legal escalation.

·Maintain appropriate records of regulatory assessments, reports and outcomes.

·Support responses to government departments, regulators and other authorised bodies.

·Ensure matters are managed in accordance with legislation, company policies and delegated authorities.

Stakeholder Management and Continuous Improvement

·Liaise with Ford Legal, Government Affairs, Public Affairs, Customer Experience, Product Development, Manufacturing, suppliers, dealers, insurers and customers.

·Provide guidance to Customer Liaison Advisors and contact-centre teams on complex technical or legal matters.

·Communicate case status, risks and recommendations to the Customer Liaison Manager and other stakeholders.

·Identify recurring customer, product or process issues and recommend improvements.

·Contribute to reporting on complex cases, legal exposure, technical trends and customer outcomes.

·Provide day-to-day direction, coaching and support to the Customer Liaison Analyst and Customer Liaison Advisor.

·Allocate and prioritise work to support the timely progression of customer, legal and tribunal matters.

·Review work quality and support consistent case-management practices.

·Escalate significant performance, conduct, workload or resourcing matters to the line Manager

General Responsibilities

·Maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive customer, legal, technical and commercial information.

·Maintain accurate records using relevant systems and technology.

·Maintain knowledge of Ford products, vehicle systems, dealer service processes, warranty processes and relevant legislation.

·Comply with company policies, procedures, occupational health and safety requirements.

·Undertake other duties consistent with the responsibilities of the role.

What you bring to the role:

Education

·A post-secondary, trade or equivalent qualification is required, with equivalent relevant experience considered in lieu.

·A qualification in automotive, engineering, mechanical, technical, legal studies, business administration or a related discipline is preferred.

·Qualifications or knowledge in Australian Consumer Law, legal studies, investigations, claims management or dispute resolution are desirable.

·Equivalent combinations of education, qualifications and relevant experience may be considered.

Experience

·3–5 years’ relevant experience is required, including experience in automotive technical operations, vehicle diagnosis, warranty claims, dealer service or technical investigation. Experience in complex customer disputes, legal claims, tribunal matters, regulatory enquiries or insurance matters is highly desirable.

·Demonstrated experience assessing alleged vehicle faults and interpreting vehicle history, service, warranty, repair or build information.

·Experience supporting legal claims, tribunal matters, regulatory enquiries, insurance matters or other complex customer disputes.

·Experience preparing technical reports, investigation summaries, formal correspondence or supporting documentation.

·Experience managing sensitive matters involving competing priorities, critical deadlines and potential legal, financial, safety or reputational risk.

·Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgement and provide recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Skills

·Strong technical understanding of vehicle systems, faults, repairs and warranty-related matters.

·Strong investigation, analytical and problem-solving skills.

·Working knowledge of Australian Consumer Law and customer dispute-resolution processes.

·Understanding of tribunal processes and litigation support requirements.

·Strong written, verbal, negotiation and presentation skills.

·Ability to explain complex technical matters clearly to non-technical audiences.

·Strong stakeholder-management and influencing skills.

·Sound judgement, discretion and attention to detail.

·Ability to prioritise competing technical, legal, customer and regulatory requirements.

·Competent Microsoft Office and case-management system skills.

·Strong customer focus and commitment to quality outcomes.

Other Requirements

·Ability to work autonomously while contributing effectively as part of a team.

·Ability to interact professionally with internal and external stakeholders.

·Ability to meet performance, quality and compliance expectations.

·Occasional travel, including interstate travel, may be required.