Product Support Team Lead

Bus Planner is building a world‑class Client Services organization, and we are looking for an experienced, technically strong Product Support Team Lead to help scale our support function. This is a player‑coach role, ideal for someone who enjoys solving complex technical problems while developing and leading a high‑performing support team.

This role sits between the Support Manager and a team of Product Support Specialists, with an initial emphasis on hands‑on support that gradually shifts toward coaching, quality, and operational leadership as you ramp up on our product and processes.

Bus Planner builds market‑leading software solutions for K‑12 transportation departments across North America. We are on a mission to improve student transportation and empower the people who make it happen. We firmly believe that it takes both product innovation and stellar customer service to achieve our mission. Bus Planner has a 40‑year legacy in delivering winning products and services to its clients, and we are only getting started!

Hands‑on technical leadership

• Deliver high‑quality, hands‑on support to clients across North America via email and calls
• Troubleshoot advanced backend issues including data discrepancies, imports/exports, integrations, and performance concerns
• Work directly with databases (primarily SQL Server) to investigate, diagnose, and resolve client issues
• Support system integrations and templated outputs through XML configuration and transformation
• Partner with Product, Dev Ops, and Implementation teams to resolve cross‑functional issues and improve product reliability

Team leadership & coaching

• Coach and mentor Product Support Specialists through ticket reviews, call/email feedback, and real‑time guidance
• Help triage incoming work and ensure the right issues are handled by the right people
• Identify skill gaps and contribute to training plans, documentation, and onboarding materials
• Set the standard for support quality, communication, and ownership

Process & quality improvement

• Identify recurring issues and drive improvements in tooling, workflows, and documentation
• Help evolve support from purely reactive to more structured, proactive, and scalable
• Contribute to internal knowledge bases, troubleshooting guides, and client‑facing documentation
• Support reporting and analysis to help leadership understand ticket complexity, trends, and capacity needs

Successful candidates will work in our Waterloo office 4+ days per week during an initial ramp‑up and training period, with the potential for expanded remote flexibility following successful onboarding.

• 5+ years of experience in a client‑facing technical or product support role

• Prior experience leading, mentoring, or acting as a senior/lead support resource
• Proficient in SQL, including complex querying, schema interpretation, and data‑level debugging
• Strong proficiency in Windows environments (administration, configuration, command‑line operations)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical issues clearly to non‑technical users
• A calm, structured approach to problem‑solving and escalation handling
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills in a fast‑paced, high‑volume environment
• A continuous‑improvement mindset and interest in building better systems, processes, and teams

• Competitive salary with comprehensive health and wellness benefits

• Performance‑based compensation opportunities
• Flexible work hours and a supportive, collaborative team culture
• The opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of Bus Planner’s Client Services organization