Reports To: Director of Customer Care
Department/Team: Customer Care
Supervisory Responsibilities: None
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt (Hourly)
Location: Hybrid - work in the Lansing, MI office based on distance from the office.
Posting Range: $17.55 - $19.61 per hour
Why You’ll Love This Role:
At Michigan Virtual, we believe in a "Put Our Learners First" philosophy—ensuring every interaction prioritizes the needs of students, parents, and educators. As a front-line representative, your strong communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and customer-centric mindset will help shape the success of online learners across the state. If you’re detail-oriented, tech-savvy, and love making a difference in people’s lives, we’d love to have you on our team!
Watch this short video to see how your passion for helping others can make a meaningful impact in this role!
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Customer Care Assistant serves as the first point of contact for Michigan Virtual’s stakeholders, including students, mentors, teachers, parents, and staff. This role is responsible for building strong, positive relationships with stakeholders by delivering exceptional customer service. Service is provided by answering inquiries via the phone and an online ticketing system, and other digital communication channels, resolving issues related to course access, learning management system, student information systems, and system navigation. Additionally, the Customer Care Assistant provides internal support to Michigan Virtual staff, assisting with troubleshooting, system-related and general inquiries. The Customer Care Assistant also conducts course audits to maintain quality and ensure accessibility for users. As a key representative of Michigan Virtual, this role requires strong communication skills, technical aptitude, a customer-focused mindset, and the ability to provide timely and accurate support to ensure a positive experience for all stakeholders.
Michigan Virtual – Work that Makes a Difference
Michigan Virtual is a Lansing-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation where every employee contributes to advancing K-12 education through digital learning, research, innovation, policy and partnerships. We believe that we have a responsibility to innovate K-12 learning by designing systems that are more flexible and more equitable to meet the needs of all students, no matter their situation. We employ over 300 full- and part-time teachers, professionals, and other staff who like to have fun at work and are committed to making a difference for students, educators, and families in the state of Michigan. Our Strategic Plan outlines our strategic priorities to support Michigan's K-12 systems through 2030.
- Our Mission is to Maximize learning and teaching by bringing together the best in people and technology.
- Our Vision is to Be Michigan’s leader for innovation in education.
- Our Values are: Put Learners First, Act with Integrity, Champion Diversity, Commit to Excellence, and Cultivate Creativity.
We believe in a culture of caring. A people-first culture that strives to make every employee feel welcome, heard, valued, and empowered to contribute while also maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Find out more about our culture, workplace, and benefits that support our employees.
Work That Makes a Difference. Culture That Makes It Possible.
What to expect after you apply: Apply now and help us support education in Michigan! A member of our Human Resources team will review applications materials throughout the posting. Yes, all submissions are reviewed by a real person! If you are selected to move forward in the process, we will reach out with details. If you are not moved forward, we will let you know that, as well. We will start this process after the posting closes in mid August. We are planning for a start date in mid- September.
As a non-profit organization that received funding from the State of Michigan, we give preference to residents of Michigan in hiring decisions.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Maintains expert understanding of all products, services, and resources, and customer-facing technology platforms.
- Maintains high degree of competence in all software applications, learning management systems (LMS), student information systems (SIS), ticketing system (Freshdesk), customer relationship management (CRM) tools, standard practices, and processes.
- Identfies, researches, and maintains key relationships in the K-12 community.
- Advocates for customers by identifying, researching, and addressing customer needs.
- Facilitates customers’ effective use of courses, resources, and services.
- Conducts beginner level testing of courses, systems, and plaform enhancements from the customer perspective to ensure a quality experience.
- Works with other team members to ensure onboarding of new customers.
- Identifies, researches and solves Tier-1 and some Tier-2 technical issues for Student Learning Portal (SLP) and Professional Learning Portal (PLP) in conjunction with other team members to resolve issues.
- Creates internal documents and resources to improve customer experience with complex processes. Creates external documents and resources to share with the customer to walk through complex processes. Writes communication templates, process documents, and helps maintain the Customer Care database.
- Records customer interactions including details of inquiries, comments and actions taken in a ticketing system. A high level of accurate information collection is required.
- Resolves product or service inquiries by clarifying the customer's information request, investigating contributing factors, identifying solutions and taking action to assure satisfaction.
- Directs requests and/or unresolved issues to the appropriate resource and follows up to assure customer satisfaction.
- Communicates customer intelligence gathered regarding existing and potential products or services to appropriate internal departments. Collects, records, analyzes, and reports customer information regarding opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for action. Communication gateway between internal customers and external users about systems issues reported by external users.
- Maintains an expert degree of competence in the SLP and PLP and regularly contributes to application improvements.
- Leverages AI tools, where appropriate, to enhance efficiency and creativity in daily workflows, while exercising professional judgment to ensure accuracy, ethics, and data privacy. Uses AI tools to improve efficiency and the customer experience.
- Other duties as assigned.
OTHER DUTIES & TASKS:
- On occasion, may be required to travel for offsite support and training.
- Solicits feedback from the “field” (teachers/administrators) after new resources and services are launched.
- Contributes a customer perspective to cross-functional project teams.
- Gathers customer information for new sales leads.
- Triages customers in ticketing system to better assist customers during peak times, and unexpected volume.
REQUIRED EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, & LICENSES (minimum requirements):
- 2 years of college-level education required and/or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE (minimum requirements):
- 2-3 years demonstrated experience in customer service principles and practices.
- Demonstrated experience in relevant software applications and a variety of technologies including Microsoft Office products, Google Suite, and LMS.
DESIRED EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
- Experience in K-12 education and customer service preferred.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES (minimum requirements):
- Above average abilities in verbal and written communication and listening skills. Good grammar, spelling, and punctuation is required.
- Interpersonal skills and ability to present information to diverse groups (small and large).
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries and work harmoniously with diverse groups of stakeholder, students, parents, teachers, and staff.
- Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
- Problem analysis and problem-solving to assess alternatives and evaluate risks before making commitments.
- A working knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and applications relevant to the role, with the abilty to use AI appropriately to support productivity, create new value, strengthen human connections, and improve work processes.
- Attention to detail and accuracy.
- Desire to take initiative and to delver quality customer service.
- Adaptability and ability to work effectively under stress.
- Demonstrated commitment to contribute to a safe work environment.
- Ability to work a standard forty-hour which includes a hybrid schedule based on organizational needs.
DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:
- Experience with Freshdesk or other customer ticketing platforms. Knowledge of online learning, data privacy, conflict Resolution sills, documentation skills, and problem solving abilities.
WORK ENVIRONMENT and/or PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.
- The work environment is that of a typical office/classroom setting.
- Employees may need to remain in a stationary position for extended periods and use standard office equipment.
- The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
- Ability to see and hear within normal parameters with or without accommodations.
Michigan Virtual is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. We welcome applicants of all abilities. We will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in the application process and on the job. If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please contact us to discuss your needs.
