Title:  Director, Player Services

JOB SUMMARY

The Director, Player Services is the senior leader accountable for the strategy, performance, and culture of the TwinSpires Player Services organization, the multi-channel contact center (phone, chat, email, and AI-assisted channels) that supports TwinSpires and its affiliate brands. This role partners with the Senior Director to set the vision for how TwinSpires cares for its players and builds the people, processes, and technology to deliver it at scale. The Director is a confident, visible people leader who leads through managers, develops leadership talent, and builds a culture of accountability, engagement, and service excellence. A strategic thinker with a proven track record of building and running successful customer care organizations, the Director partners with Product, Technology, Marketing, Risk & Compliance, Finance, and HR to improve the player experience, protect revenue, and advance TwinSpires' business goals.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Establishes the multi-year vision, strategy, and operating plan for Player Services, aligning departmental objectives with TwinSpires' business goals for player growth, retention, and wagering handle.

2. Translates company priorities into measurable departmental goals, key performance indicators (KPIs), and strategic initiatives. Communicates expectations across the department and regularly presents performance results to senior leadership.

3. Partners with Customer Solutions and Risk leadership to incorporate the player's perspective into business decisions and represents Player Services in senior leadership discussions.

4. Builds and develops a high-performing leadership team through clear expectations, regular coaching, performance feedback, professional development, and succession planning for critical positions.

5. Oversees departmental talent management, including workforce planning, recruiting, onboarding, compensation recommendations, performance management, employee engagement, and recognition, in partnership with Human Resources.

6. Fosters a culture of trust, accountability, employee engagement, and continuous improvement to support employee development and retention.

7. Addresses employee performance and conduct concerns promptly, consistently, and fairly, including performance improvement plans and corrective action, in accordance with company policies and procedures.

8. Maintains overall accountability for contact center performance across all service channels, including service levels, speed of answer, abandonment rates, first-contact resolution, average handle time, quality, and player satisfaction.

9. Directs workforce management strategies, including forecasting, staffing, scheduling, and real-time operations, to balance service delivery, operational costs, and employee well-being across a seven-day, extended-hours racing schedule.

10. Ensures accurate, consistent, and compliant handling of player account inquiries, wagering transactions, deposits and withdrawals, account verification, and responsible gaming matters.

11. Provides oversight and direction for sensitive player escalations and VIP concerns, ensuring timely resolution while protecting player relationships and the TwinSpires brand.

12. Leads Player Services operational readiness for major racing events, including the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, Breeders' Cup, Triple Crown races, and other high-volume racing days. Oversees staffing, cross-training, contingency planning, and post-event evaluations.

13. Evaluates lessons learned from major racing events and implements operational improvements to strengthen processes, systems, and departmental readiness.

14. Advocates for the player experience across the organization by analyzing quality assurance results, player feedback, surveys, and contact-driver data to identify service gaps and collaborate with cross-functional teams on improvements.

15. Provides executive oversight of departmental training, quality assurance, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistent, compliant, and brand-aligned service across live and automated channels.

16. Ensures departmental adherence to applicable confidentiality, data security, regulatory, and company compliance requirements.

17. Performs other duties as assigned by management.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

1. Comprehensive knowledge of contact center operations, customer service strategies, workforce management, and performance measurement within a high-volume, multi-channel service environment.

2. Knowledge of TwinSpires products, platforms, and services, including an understanding of the horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering industries, or the ability to acquire this knowledge within a reasonable timeframe.

3. Strong strategic planning and organizational leadership skills, with the ability to develop long-term objectives and translate business priorities into actionable operational plans.

4. Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, mentor, and develop management teams while promoting accountability, employee engagement, and professional growth.

5. Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret operational data, evaluate performance trends, identify improvement opportunities, and make informed business decisions.

6. Sound judgment, conflict resolution, and decision-making skills, including the ability to respond effectively to complex, sensitive, or high-pressure situations.

7. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with frontline employees, management, senior executives, players, and external business partners.

8. Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to establish credibility, foster collaboration, and maintain productive working relationships across departments.

9. Ability to lead organizational change, implement process improvements, and support the adoption of new technologies, systems, and operational practices.

10. Ability to manage competing priorities, allocate resources effectively, and maintain operational performance in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

11. Demonstrated ability to maintain a professional, composed, and decisive leadership presence while exercising discretion and sound judgment.

12. Knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements, responsible gaming practices, confidentiality obligations, and data security standards relevant to Player Services operations.

13. Ability to evaluate staffing requirements, operational costs, and service performance to support effective workforce planning and resource allocation.

14. Proficiency in using contact center technologies, reporting tools, performance dashboards, and related business systems to monitor operations and support data-driven decisions.

15. Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion when handling sensitive player, employee, and business information.

16. Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and major racing events, based on operational needs.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

1. Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, or a related field required. Master's degree or advanced leadership development preferred. An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.

2. Minimum of eight (8) years of progressive experience in contact center operations, customer service, or customer care, including at least five (5) years of experience leading managers and multi-level teams.

3. Demonstrated experience building, developing, and leading high-performing customer service organizations, with measurable improvements in operational performance, service quality, customer satisfaction, cost management, and employee engagement.

4. Proven experience leading high-volume, multi-channel contact center operations, including managing peak demand periods, service disruptions, and other operational challenges.

5. Experience developing and executing strategic operating plans, establishing performance objectives, and aligning departmental initiatives with broader organizational goals.

6. Experience managing departmental budgets, workforce forecasting, labor costs, and vendor or outsourced service provider relationships.

7. Experience implementing, managing, or optimizing contact center technologies, including customer relationship management (CRM) systems, workforce management platforms, quality monitoring tools, and automated customer service solutions.

8. Experience analyzing operational performance data and using reporting or business intelligence tools to support strategic planning and business decisions.

9. Experience working in a regulated industry, such as gaming, wagering, financial services, or a comparable environment, strongly preferred.

10. Previous experience in the horse racing or pari-mutuel wagering industry preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORKING CONDITIONS

The following physical and mental demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
•    While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, sometimes for prolonged periods while working at a desk, on the phone, and/or on the computer; type on a computer keyboard; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; talk or hear; reach with hands or arms; walk or stand; and perform some repetitive motion activities.
•    Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, color differentiation, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
•    This position requires the ability to work effectively as part of a team, lead others, and concentrate on a variety of details when faced with interruptions and changing work priorities.
•    The mental demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions described above, including but not limited to: demonstrated ability to anticipate and solve practical problems or resolve issues; reason, calculate figures and amounts; collect, interpret, and/or analyze complex data and information and draw valid conclusions; interpret procedures and policies; and meet schedules in a dynamic and sometimes demanding work environment.
•    The noise level in this work environment is usually moderate. The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job in a typical office environment.