SVP, Customer Success

Job Summary

The SVP, Customer Success drives the operational strategy and has input into the strategic direction of the customer experience through oversight of our Customer Success Management and Technical Account Management teams responsible for Post Implementation product adoption and value realization support for Commercial, Enterprise and Strategic customers. The SVP, Customer Success consults on strategic initiatives and opportunities in partnership with key internal stakeholders (including Sales, Account Management, customer retention and Technology) to drive innovation and value for iCIMS customers. The SVP, Customer Success is recognized as an influential leader within and outside the organization, consistently working with abstract ideas or situations across functional areas of the business. An ideal candidate will have a strong Customer Success background across multiple geographies on a global basis with enterprise customers. The SVP, Customer Success reports to the Chief Operating Officer.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the COO to establish the vision and strategy to drive world class excellence within Customer Success teams
• Develop and implement short and long-term strategic plans to meet key business objectives including increasing renewal rates , product adoption and reducing churn, identifying opportunities for up-sell to drive revenue growth, and support new business growth through greater customer advocacy and reference-ability
• Lead the Customer Success team by providing vision, planning and prioritization for team resources and delegating and assigning projects, duties, and objectives
• Offer vision and guidance to consistently evolve the maturity of iCIMS best practice
• Consult on strategic initiatives and opportunities to drive innovation and value for customer
• Partner with key internal stakeholders (including Sales, Account Management and Technology) to drive a seamless and continuously improving experience for internal and external customers
• Partner with the COO, Services, Technical Support and Revenue operations  to provide strategic and operational guidance to drive innovation and value for customers
• Focus on the performance, culture and overarching processes to ensure they are aligned with corporate and customer objectives and provide the best customer experience and consistently achieve productivity, SLA performance and customer satisfaction targets
• Oversee the improvement of process efficiencies within the project methodology
• Focus on building and improving process efficiencies within the Customer Success team to drive Customer Experience Second to None
• Assume a leadership role in the development and management of Resource Allocation, Project Scope, and issues
• Assist with the development of new project related iCIMS Services
• Work closely with other team members on various projects and initiatives
• Establish and maintain relevant controls and feedback systems to monitor the operation of the department
• Assist the team on escalated issues and deals with customers in a professional and effective manner
• Manage considerable P&L responsibility for Customer Success organization
• Maintains superior product and process knowledge, staying abreast of new enhancements that will impact the customer adoption and experience.
• Stays abreast of market conditions and industry best practices and apply to philosophies and processes, presenting recommendations as necessary for the company to remain competitive• Provide guidance and accountability for Customer Success team members across the customer life cycle
• Manage all aspects of performance and development of direct reports and provide situational leadership to a high performing team to encourage engagement and professional growth
• Develop and maintain C-level and senior-level customer relationships at key accounts and network with high potential prospect to provide key leadership and oversight
• Be an inspirational leader and create a vibrant, inclusive culture that inspires people to do their best work
• Foster collaboration and a shared culture within team as well as across the full Services organization
• Lead and coach the team, structuring appropriate training and development and eliminating roadblocks to team performance
• Partner with Talent team on the acquisition and retention of people resources to fulfill team mission successfully; own the selection process
• Partners with Talent Development team on training initiatives to ensure customer success team has optimal knowledge to support our customer effectively
• Consistently ensure that business is conducted with integrity at all times and that behavior aligns with iCIMS policies, procedures, and core competencies
• Establish and maintain a budget staying within spending parameters
• Measure departmental performance by implementing and refining metrics, and reporting to stakeholders as appropriate
• Deliver the target financial performance from the accounts (growth in bookings and revenue)
• Achieve high customer satisfaction (referenceability, advocacy, Net Promoter, etc.)
• Provide effective status updates and dashboards regarding the delivery of the team
• Ensure team utilization targets are met
• Hold leaders and teams accountable to deliver in line with key metrics and deliverables
• Provide reporting and metrics to Executive leadership on the progress against set strategy and objectives

Qualifications

• The ideal candidate should have a minimum 15 years of experience in proven leadership and global enterprise software and services
• Minimum of 10 years of customer success experience
• Minimum of 7 years of directly managing a team
• Exceptional customer orientation focus and success in creating a superior Customer Experience across geographies
• In-depth expertise of the Customer Success function along with the ability to understand business strategies, company goals, and external factors affecting governance of company activities
• Proven experience scaling a customer success function and teams across geographies to support a growing global enterprise customer base
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional partners and upper management to impact decision-making
• Must have an ability to think strategically and objectively and effectively translate data into actionable insights/strategies
• Highly articulate communicator who can convey important messages in a clear and compelling manner at all levels of an organization internally and externally
• Demonstrated track record working with C suite Executives and Boards, equally comfortable addressing large public audiences or senior level customers
• Exceptional problem-solving ability, and practical experience in delivering complex solutions in a fast-moving, high-growth global business landscape. Adaptability in pressure situations, and empathy for clients and staff
• A self-starter with the demonstrated ability to take initiative, who can proactively identify issues/opportunities and recommend actions
• Strong results orientation with a proven track record of flawless execution and strong attention to detail
• Strategic analysis/creative problem solving, business judgment and financial acumen are required
• Excellent product and process knowledge
• Proven success in leading high-performance teams, achieving results through others, and being a strong team player
• Ability to organize and manage multiple, and at times competing priorities
• Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing with the Executive Team, management peers, and internal and external customers
• Has a contagious and positive work ethic, inspires others, and models iCIMS core competency behaviors
• Strong leadership qualities, as well as the ability to inspire and develop a team
• Global SaaS support experience preferred
• Passion for inclusion and diversity
• Travel approximately 30%
• Experience using Salesforce and/or other key account management platforms

Education/Certifications/Licenses Required:

• BA/BS or equivalent in Technology, Business, Six Sigma or related field