Vice President of Customer Success (VP-CS)
Executive
Summary
Hart InterCivic’s VP of Customer Success (VP-CS) drives customer satisfaction, retention, and growth via a customer-first approach that also ensures positive business outcomes. The VP-CS sits on the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), reports directly to the CEO, and possesses the blend of leadership, strategic thinking, problem solving and communication skills that fosters a culture of collaboration and accountability throughout the entire Company. The ability to understand our customers’ needs, expectations and challenges requires the VP-CS to have detailed knowledge of our products and the rigorous implementation of documented best practices, effective tools, and data-driven approaches.
The VP-CS not only oversees all aspects of Hart’s election operations, services and support teams but also works throughout the Company to ensure overall customer satisfaction and success. While the VP-CS and his/her teams troubleshoot daily customer challenges, the VP-CS also ensures that relevant information is methodically shared throughout cross-functional teams to inform and mitigate future recurrences. The VP-CS also builds relationships with customers and is an advocate for their needs within the Company while also balancing the needs of the business and value to the Company. The VP-CS champions the increase in customers’ lifetime value and improves customer retention rate by encouraging customers to upgrade and purchase additional products and services at all phases of the customer journey. The VP of Customer Success also works to reduce churn, limiting unproductive time spent by the Hart internal team and limiting loss of customers.
Responsibilities:
- The primary responsibilities revolve around optimizing the customer lifecycle to promote retention and expansion while also ensuring customers’ successful elections.
- Team Leadership and Development: Leading and managing the election operations, services, and support teams by ensuring teams are well-equipped to support customers effectively.
- Customer Retention and Expansion: Accountable for reducing churn rates and driving the growth of existing accounts. This involves developing and implementing strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Customer Onboarding and Training: Overseeing the customer onboarding and implementation process to ensure new customers are effectively welcomed and trained via programs that highlight the value propositions and functionalities of the product.
- Customer Advocacy: Acting as a voice of the customer within the Company, ensuring that customer feedback influences product development and business decisions. Building strong relationships with key customers to understand their business needs and challenges.
- Election Success: Guides internal Hart teams in preparing for upcoming elections and creating programs and processes to ensure customers are prepared for upcoming elections and are trained to utilize our products and services appropriately for successful elections every time.
- Customer Success Programs and Communications: Developing and implementing strategies and programs aimed at enhancing customer success initiatives.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Working closely with other departments, such as sales, product management, finance and marketing, to ensure a cohesive customer experience.
- Performance Tracking and Reporting: Utilizing analytics and reporting tools to measure the effectiveness of customer success activities
- Escalation Management: Managing and resolving complex customer issues ensuring high priority concerns have the appropriate cross-functional engagement and are addressed promptly and satisfactorily.
- Upgrades and Upsells: Working with sales and marketing to drive programs to increase revenue growth through upsells, upgrades, and additional product purchases throughout the customer journey.
- External Partner Relationship Management: Managing various third-party partnerships (e.g. third-party printer, poll book provider, etc.) to effectively support our product or service delivery, ensuring partners are appropriately contracted, monitored, and financially optimized to support business and customer needs.
- Legal Engagement: Assisting customers with public information requests that may be impactful to Hart (e.g., requests for Hart proprietary or confidential information) via engagement with legal counsel and internal teams sharing the responsibility (i.e. currently it is Corporate Communications and Government Affairs).
Qualifications:
- Elections Industry Experience: In-depth knowledge and understanding of the Elections industry environment.
- Leadership and Team Management: Proven leadership skills with experience managing and developing high-performing teams in a matrixed environment. Ability to inspire, mentor, and guide team members towards achieving common goals.
- Customer-centric Mindset: Strong dedication to understanding and meeting customer needs. Capable of building long-lasting relationships and advocating for customer interests within the organization.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop long-term strategies that align with business objectives. Skilled in identifying growth opportunities and potential risks.
- Analytical Skills and Detail Orientation: Strong analytical abilities to interpret customer data and derive actionable insights. Proficiency in utilizing metrics and KPIs to measure customer success.
- Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Capable of conveying complex information clearly and effectively to diverse audiences. Active, authentic listening skills to ensure customers feel heard and understood.
- Problem-Solving Aptitude: Adept at identifying issues, analyzing the root causes, and implementing effective solutions. Proven track record of managing and resolving conflicts and implementing changes.
- Project Management: Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Skilled and disciplined in prioritizing tasks to meet deadlines effectively.
- Process Orientation: Skill in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures.
- Product Knowledge: In-depth understanding of the company's products and services and the ability to dive deep to learn the product and understand the application of the product to the customer’s own processes. Ability to translate technical features into tangible benefits for customers.
- Interpersonal Skills: Ability to foster strong relationships with customers, team members, and cross-functional partners. Skilled in negotiation and conflict resolution with a balance of energetic, professional assertiveness and empathetic listening. Demonstrated “self-starter” – assumes responsibility and takes accountability.
- Flexibility: Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.
Required Skills and Experience:
- A bachelor’s degree, or the equivalent, is required.
- Elections industry experience is preferred.
- At least 10 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified is preferred.
- Austin, Texas location is preferred.
To Apply:
Email your resume and cover letter to Hart InterCivic Jobs.
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