Director, Customer Success

A significant opportunity exists for a seasoned Customer Success professional to guide and expand a substantial international team. This senior leadership position calls for an individual with a profound understanding of exemplary customer success practices and the proven ability to implement them on a global scale. The successful candidate will be instrumental in shaping the future of customer engagement for a leading technology organisation.

About the Role

This is a pivotal role overseeing a diverse team of approximately 26 Customer Success Managers (CSMs) spread across various international regions, including Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the broader EMEA area. The Director will be responsible for defining and executing a comprehensive global Customer Success strategy, ensuring it translates into actionable priorities with clear, measurable outcomes. A core focus will be on owning and continuously refining the organisation's Customer Success methodology, establishing a robust and consistent framework that governs customer planning, onboarding, adoption, value realisation, and overall customer health.

The incumbent will also play a crucial coaching role, nurturing CSMs to evolve into strategic customer advocates. This involves providing constructive guidance, challenging existing approaches, and setting high-performance expectations with consistent management rhythms across the entire Customer Success function. Building and maintaining a comprehensive knowledge base for the Customer Success team will be essential, fostering an environment of shared learning and best practices. Furthermore, the role demands close collaboration with Sales leadership to ensure seamless interdepartmental synergy and acting as a senior point of escalation for complex customer challenges. Representing the voice of Customer Success within the senior leadership team and identifying capability gaps to implement targeted development plans will be key to driving continuous improvement and accountability.

The responsibilities for this impactful position are varied and demand a strategic, hands-on approach:

• **Team Leadership and Development:** Lead, mentor, and develop a global team of roughly 26 Customer Success Managers. Foster a high-performance culture through effective coaching and performance management.
• **Strategic Planning and Execution:** Define and implement the global Customer Success strategy, translating it into specific priorities and measurable objectives.
• **Methodology and Framework Development:** Own, evolve, and standardise the global Customer Success methodology. Establish consistent frameworks for customer planning, onboarding, adoption, value realisation, and health monitoring.
• **Customer Engagement and Value Realisation:** Coach CSMs to become stronger strategic customer leaders, focusing on maximising customer value and product adoption.
• **Cross-Functional Collaboration:** Partner closely with Sales leadership to ensure effective collaboration and alignment.
• **Escalation Management:** Act as a senior escalation point for complex customer situations, ensuring timely and effective resolution.
• **Stakeholder Representation:** Represent the Customer Success function at the senior leadership level, advocating for customer needs and strategic initiatives.
• **Capability Building:** Identify skill and capability gaps within the team and develop and implement targeted training and development plans.
• **Continuous Improvement:** Champion a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and excellence throughout the Customer Success organisation.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this role, candidates should possess significant senior leadership experience within the Customer Success domain. A proven track record of successfully leading geographically distributed teams is essential. Deep expertise in Customer Success strategy, operating models, and performance management is required, alongside a strong history of coaching and developing Customer Success Managers. Experience in scaling Customer Success processes, particularly during periods of organisational growth, will be highly advantageous.

Candidates should demonstrate a thorough understanding of customer value realisation and product adoption principles. A highly data-driven approach, coupled with strong analytical skills, is crucial for informed decision-making. Exceptional executive communication and influencing skills are necessary to engage effectively with senior stakeholders and drive alignment. A strategic and structured approach to managing global operations is a must, along with strong commercial acumen.

This role is ideal for a leader passionate about building exceptional customer experiences and driving customer loyalty and advocacy on a global scale. The organisation itself is a recognised leader in AI and cloud technology, serving over 25,000 businesses worldwide and employing over 8,500 people across more than 30 countries.

In South Africa, senior customer success leadership roles are highly valued and can command competitive remuneration packages, often comprising a base salary and performance-related incentives. Common employers include technology firms, SaaS providers, and large enterprises with significant customer bases. Career progression typically involves moving into executive leadership positions within customer experience or related strategic functions.

• Significant senior leadership experience within Customer Success.
• Proven experience leading geographically distributed teams.
• Deep expertise in Customer Success strategy, operating models, and performance management.
• A strong track record of coaching and developing Customer Success Managers.
• Experience scaling Customer Success processes during periods of growth.
• Strong understanding of customer value realization and product adoption.
• Highly data driven, with strong analytical skills.
• Exceptional executive communication and influencing skills.
• Strategic and structured approach to global operations.
• Strong commercial acumen.