Team Lead, Support

About OpenEd

At OpenEd, we’re opening the world to every learner. With over 100,000 students served and growing rapidly, families trust us as a partner to the most precious thing in their lives, their children. Our vision: a future where education is no longer constrained by geography, rigid models, or outdated systems. Our mission: to give every student customized, world-class education and resources, empowering families and opening millions of doors for learners across the country.

Our Culture (The Foundation of Everything We Do)

Culture at OpenEd is intentional. It’s defined by what we promote—and what we tolerate. Our latest eNPS (employee net promoter score) of 76 places OpenEd in the top .1% of technology companies. Our values aren't just words; they are non-negotiable principles that guide every decision:

• Customer First – Obsessed with delivering value; we fight tirelessly for our learners and families.

• Hard Choices, Easy Life – Face challenges directly, swiftly, and transparently.

• I Did > We Should – Action over theory; bring experiments, not just opinions.

• Learn Out Loud – Share your growth openly; feedback is a gift, ego is the enemy.

• Prioritize Ruthlessly – Excellence in the few critical areas over mediocrity everywhere.

• Fast AND World Class – Speed doesn’t compromise quality.

• Strong Opinions, Weakly Held – Advocate passionately, adjust readily.

• Make Others Famous – Elevate your colleagues, partners, and community.

We're currently accepting applications from those living in: AR, AZ, CO, FL, GA, ID, IN, IL, IO, KS, MA, MD, MN, MO, MT, NC, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV.

About the Role

The Team Lead, Support is the frontline operational leader of the Support team. This is a player-coach role: you spend about half your day in the queue working alongside the team, and the other half leading it—owning the daily systems that keep Support running, coaching agents, and turning ticket trends into proactive improvements.

You’re the first point of escalation and the person the team turns to first. Staying hands-on in the queue keeps you credible with the team and close to what families actually experience.

How You'll Spend Your Time:

• ~50% in the queue: working tickets and chat, handling complex and escalated cases, and covering high-volume periods such as newsletter sends and enrollment surges.

• ~50% leading and operating: coaching, weekly reporting, knowledge base upkeep, Facebook operations, and proactive trend work.

Essential Functions/Your Immediate Impact:

Develop the Team

• Run biweekly 1:1s, coaching through real examples and giving clear, constructive feedback.

• Develop and deliver team training on new platform features, program updates, and policy changes so the team stays current.

• Ensure the team has the knowledge and resources to advocate for families effectively within program constraints.

• Grow each team member toward their goals, helping every team member meet quality and service standards.

• Mentor team members on complex troubleshooting and escalations.

• Serve as the primary point person for agent questions in Slack, keeping the team unblocked and informed.

• Help onboard and ramp new hires to confidence and consistency.

• Balance empathy with accountability so the team does its best work without burning out.
  

Frontline Support and Escalations

• Provide frontline coverage across tickets and chat.

• Serve as the point of escalation for complex tickets and wallet issues.

• Hold the line on quality, tone, and response-time standards.

• Step in during backlogs and high-volume periods.
  

Reporting and Trends

• Pull and manage weekly team metrics, tracking CSAT against the 93% target.

• Watch ticket themes and flag staffing, volume, and systemic risks early.

• Turn recurring trends into proactive snippets, deflections, and chat flow fixes.

• Allocate resources strategically to the highest-impact problem areas.
  

Knowledge Base

• Keep the internal knowledge base accurate and current as policies, timelines, and programs change.

• Close documentation gaps and recommend improvements to macros and workflows.
  

Facebook and Community

• Fully own the team’s Facebook support operation, including the Support Question of the Week series.

• Respond to and monitor inquiries and comments, and escalate sensitive or high-impact issues.

• Attend team meetings as requested or required.

• Lead by example to foster an environment that is supportive of OpenEd’s values and represent OpenEd with a high level of integrity and professionalism.

• Adhere to all federal, state and/or local regulations, OpenEd policies and procedures, and other compliance obligations.

• Perform other duties as assigned.
  

Qualifications/Job Requirements:

Experience

• Several years in customer support or customer experience, including lead, senior, or mentor responsibility where you coached, trained, or owned team outcomes.

• A track record of developing people: onboarding, training, mentoring, and helping teammates reach their goals and standards.

• Experience handling complex escalations and sensitive customer situations with discretion and good judgment.

• Comfort owning recurring operational work end to end, such as reporting, knowledge base upkeep, or a support channel.

• Bonus: experience managing a social or community support channel.
  

Success Metrics

• Team CSAT at or above 93%, with strong SLA adherence and reduced backlog.

• A team that grows: members progress toward their goals and consistently meet quality and service standards.

• Consistent 1:1s, reliable weekly reporting, and responsive daily support the team counts on.

• An accurate knowledge base and a steady stream of proactive improvements.

• Fast, confident ramp for new hires.
  

Who You Are

• Strong written communication, with the ability to set and model the team’s tone and quality bar.

• Sound judgment on when to escalate versus resolve, and how to direct the team’s effort toward the highest-impact work.

• Analytical comfort reading ticket trends and CSAT data and turning them into proactive fixes.

• Calm and steady under pressure, especially during high-volume periods.

• Self-directed and adaptable in the face of changing programs, policies, and state requirements.

• Collaborative and open to feedback, and models continuous learning for the team.

• Empathetic with families and teammates, but decisive when it counts.

• Familiar with HubSpot or a similar help desk platform, and comfortable in knowledge base tools.

• Commitment to maintaining flexible availability during traditional business hours in the Mountain Time Zone.

• Familiarity with Google products such as Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Forms, Sheets, etc.

• Access to a smartphone, high-speed internet, computer, webcam, and headset.

• Must be eligible to work in the U.S.
  

Reporting Line

This position reports to the Head of Support.

Work Context

Body positioning: Ability to sit and make repetitive motions at a desk all day.

Vision: Ability to effectively use a computer screen, interpret written/printed materials, and other appropriate paperwork. This is an all-day consistent need.

Environmental conditions: Ability to focus in an environment with background noise if applicable.

EEO Statement

OpenEd is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

OpenEd participates in E-Verify.