Director of Customer Success

Element451 is an AI-powered SaaS platform serving higher education. We help institutions modernize engagement, enrollment, and student success with intelligent automation and a product customers genuinely love. Our Account Management team owns the post-sale customer relationship across our growing base of colleges and universities — driving retention, expansion, and deep product adoption.

We’re hiring a Director of Customer Sucesss to lead our AM team and own net revenue retention. You’ll manage a team of 6 Account Managers, drive the expansion and renewal motion, and build the playbooks and processes that turn strong customer relationships into predictable revenue growth. You’ll report directly to the CRO and partner closely with Customer Success, Product, and Solutions teams.

This role is a great fit for someone who’s led an AM or CSM team in a B2B SaaS environment, has a track record of hitting retention and expansion targets, and knows how to build repeatable processes without losing the relationship-driven approach that makes account management work. Higher education experience is a strong plus but not required — what matters is that you understand complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles and long-term customer partnerships.

Own Retention & Expansion

• Own net revenue retention (NRR) targets across the AM book of business, including renewals, upsells, and cross-sells

• Build and manage the renewal pipeline with accurate forecasting, risk flagging, and proactive engagement - no surprises at contract end

• Identify and drive expansion opportunities by connecting customer needs to product capabilities, new modules, and higher-tier plans

• Partner cross-functionally to scope expansion deals and ensure smooth handoffs

• Develop pricing and packaging recommendations for renewals and expansions in partnership with the CRO

Lead & Develop the Team

• Manage, coach, and develop a team of 6 Account Manager with clear expectations, regular 1:1s, and structured feedback

• Set individual and team targets for retention, expansion, customer health, and activity metrics

• Build a performance culture: run pipeline reviews, deal coaching, and quarterly business reviews with the team

• Identify skill gaps and create development plans - especially around strategic account planning, multi-threading, and executive engagement

• Hire and onboard new AMs as the team scales, maintaining a high bar for customer empathy and commercial instinct

Build the Account Management Motion

• Design and implement the AM playbook: account planning cadence, health scoring, QBR frameworks, renewal timelines, and escalation paths

• Create segmentation and tiering for the book of business - ensure high-value accounts get strategic attention and long-tail accounts are managed efficiently

• Build repeatable expansion plays tied to customer lifecycle milestones (go-live, first year, contract anniversary)

• Establish clear handoff protocols between AM, Customer Success/Platform Enablement, and Support so customers experience continuity, not silos

• Implement and maintain accurate data in CRM - clean pipeline, account health tracking, and reliable reporting for the CRO and board

Be the Voice of the Customer

• Serve as the escalation point for at-risk accounts and own the save/recovery process

• Bring structured customer feedback to Product and Engineering — not just anecdotes, but patterns that influence roadmap prioritization

• Partner with Marketing on customer advocacy: case studies, references, and community engagement

• Represent the AM perspective in cross-functional planning (product launches, pricing changes, go-to-market motions)

• Net revenue retention meets or exceeds target (NRR > 110%)

• Renewal rate is predictable with minimal late-stage surprises — 95%+ gross retention

• Expansion pipeline is built and managed with the same rigor as new business pipeline

• Team has clear account plans, health scores, and QBR cadence for top-tier accounts

• AM team members have individual development plans and measurable performance targets

• CRO has reliable, accurate reporting on retention, expansion, and account health

• Cross-functional partnerships (Product, CS, Solutions) are working — not just defined

• 5–10 years of account management, customer success, or post-sale revenue experience in B2B SaaS

• 2+ years leading or managing an AM/CSM team — you’ve hired, coached, and held people accountable

• Track record of hitting NRR and retention targets in a recurring revenue business

• Experience building AM playbooks, account plans, and renewal/expansion processes — not just inheriting them

• Strong commercial instinct: you understand pipeline, forecasting, and how to turn relationships into revenue

• Comfortable in a high-growth environment where you’re building systems while running the team

• You think in segments: you know how to treat a $500K enterprise account differently than a $30K SMB account

• Experience with CRM management and pipeline hygiene — you care about clean data

• Higher education or EdTech experience is a strong plus but not required

• Confident partnering with executives and comfortable presenting to the CRO and CEO on book-of-business health

We’re building a customer-led growth engine. Our AM team doesn’t just renew contracts — they deepen partnerships, drive adoption, and surface the insights that shape our product. We believe retention is earned, not assumed, and expansion comes from genuine value delivery.

• Impactful, not Immediate – We prioritize meaningful, long-term outcomes.

• Progress before Perfection – We take action and learn as we go.

• Learners before Masters – Curiosity and humility fuel our growth.

• Together, not Alone – Collaboration is our superpower.

• Customer Success, not Support – We’re partners in our clients’ outcomes.

• 20 PTO days + 10 company holidays & Christmas Break Shutdown

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage

• 401(k) with 4% employer match

• Modern tech + opportunity to work with AI-driven tools

• Fast-moving, mission-driven culture

• High-impact work that improves access to higher education