Bilingual Customer Care Specialist

Position Title: Bilingual Customer Care Specialist 

Term: Full Time, Contract, Home based.

Reports To: Lead, Customer Experience

I. Scope and Summary of Primary Responsibilities

The Customer Care Specialist serves as a trusted first point of contact for CNIB and for the organizations and services supported by the CNIB Contact Centre, including CELA, Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada and CNIB SmartLife. Through compassionate, accessible and person-centred service, the Specialist listens carefully, understands individual needs and connects clients navigating vision loss, customers, donors, patrons and partners with appropriate information, programs, services and support. Success in this role requires strong bilingual communication, empathy, problem-solving, sound judgment, adaptability and the ability to effectively manage multiple priorities and systems. Each interaction helps strengthen trust in CNIB and the services we represent while positively shaping the overall customer experience.

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people's lives while developing experience across customer service, accessibility, technology, e-commerce, philanthropy and community-based services. The Specialist receives training across several CNIB and partner service areas and works as part of a collaborative team committed to delivering an inclusive and positive customer experience.

II. Essential Functions

The position entails, but is not limited to the following general responsibilities:

• Complete required training for all supported business lines, systems and service areas, meeting established training goals, timelines and schedules.
• Provide attentive and efficient customer service while simultaneously documenting interactions in databases, researching across platforms and identifying relevant information and resources. Maintain familiarity with available materials to respond quickly, accurately and confidently.
• Deliver timely, accurate and accessible customer service through inbound and outbound calls, email and other supported communication channels.
• Represent CNIB and the organizations and services supported by the Contact Centre with professionalism, empathy and a strong commitment to customer experience.
• Provide clear information about CNIB programs, services and community resources, helping callers understand and access the support available to them.
• Support people navigating vision loss by listening carefully, identifying their needs and connecting them with appropriate Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada programs and services. Book appointments and create accurate referrals to support timely access to services.
• Support customers with CNIB SmartLife products and services, including navigating the SmartLife website, providing information about available products, and maintaining familiarity with commonly requested items. Complete purchases and securely process payments through Shopify, support the returns process, track shipments and address shipping-related concerns.
• Support current and prospective donors by processing donations and responding to inquiries about giving options, fundraising initiatives and tax receipts. Identify and refer donation opportunities or complex inquiries to the Philanthropy team. When a donor requests to change or cancel a recurring gift, seek to understand their needs and, where appropriate, offer available alternatives such as pausing or adjusting the donation amount. Respect the donor's decision and process requested changes accurately and promptly in accordance with established procedures.
• Assist CELA patrons with registration, account maintenance, reading preferences and basic technical troubleshooting. When an issue cannot be resolved, book a technical support appointment or escalate it through the appropriate channel.
• Maintain current knowledge of CNIB and partner programs, services, policies and procedures to provide consistent and reliable information.
• Navigate multiple systems and sources of information while maintaining accurate and complete customer records.
• Respond calmly and compassionately to callers who may be emotional, frustrated or facing uncertain circumstances.
• Resolve inquiries and concerns whenever possible and escalate complex or sensitive situations according to established procedures.
• Apply feedback and coaching to strengthen individual performance and continuously improve the customer experience.
• Contribute to achieving team key performance indicators (KPIs), including call and email quality scores, responsiveness, accuracy, productivity and customer satisfaction.
• Protect personal information and maintain high standards of confidentiality, data integrity, productivity and service quality.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

III. Qualifications

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Fluency in English and French, with the ability to independently provide clear, professional and accessible customer service verbally and in writing in both languages.
• Strong customer service skills, including empathy, active listening and the ability to build trust.
• Excellent problem-solving, organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple inquiries, systems and priorities while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to remain calm and professional when supporting customers in challenging situations.
• Ability to research, interpret and apply information from multiple sources while assisting a customer in real time.
• Strong digital literacy, including proficiency with Microsoft 365 and the ability to quickly learn and confidently navigate multiplate technologies and platforms.
• Experience with Salesforce, Shopify or similar systems is an asset.

Experience and Education

• College diploma, university degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Minimum of two years of customer service experience, preferably in a contact centre environment supporting phone and email inquiries.
• Personal or professional experience related to blindness, vision loss, accessibility or assistive technology is an asset.

Work Environment

• The Contact Centre operates Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
• Employees must be available to work assigned shifts within these hours, which may include regular or rotating late shifts.
• Scheduling preferences will be considered where operationally possible; however, assigned shifts are based on service and staffing needs, and requests to change schedules may not always be accommodated.As this is a remote home-based position, employees are expected to maintain a professional, confidential and distraction-managed work environment.

CNIB is committed to accommodating applicants with disabilities and will work with applicants requesting accommodations at any stage of the hiring process.