Account Manager, Customer Success - (Retention & Renewals) - 951

Lightcast•Moscow, ID

18d

About The Position

This role is responsible for owning retention, renewals, and long-term account growth across a defined portfolio of higher education clients. The Account Manager / Customer Success Manager serves as the primary post-sale owner of the client relationship, accountable for renewal outcomes, contract continuity, and long-term value realization across annual and multi-year agreements. You will partner closely with institutions to drive adoption, demonstrate ongoing value, and lead renewal planning through structured account strategy, QBRs, and value reviews. This role is consultative, commercially accountable, and focused on protecting and growing revenue through strong client partnerships.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in a Customer Success, Account Management, or hybrid CSM/AM role within a SaaS or technology environment.
Demonstrated experience owning renewals and retention, including renewal planning and pricing discussions.
Experience managing annual and multi-year contracts strongly preferred.
Experience supporting higher education or similarly complex, relationship-driven customers preferred.
Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
Comfortable using data, reporting, and presentations to support renewal and account strategy conversations.
Highly organized, proactive, and accountable for outcomes.

Responsibilities

Retention & Renewal Ownership
Own retention and renewal outcomes for a defined book of business, with direct accountability for renewal rates and churn prevention.
Lead renewal strategy well in advance of contract end dates, including value articulation, usage analysis, pricing discussions, and renewal recommendations.
Manage and negotiate renewals across annual and multi-year contracts, partnering with Sales and Legal as needed to close agreements.
Identify and mitigate renewal risk early through proactive account planning and stakeholder engagement.
Account Strategy & Relationship Management
Build trusted advisor relationships with key client stakeholders, including executive and institutional decision-makers.
Lead structured account planning, including QBRs, success plans, and forward-looking roadmaps tied to renewal outcomes.
Anticipate client needs and guide institutions in leveraging data and analytics to achieve strategic goals.
Customer Success & Adoption
Ensure successful onboarding, adoption, and time-to-value to support long-term retention.
Monitor account health and usage trends, intervening when engagement or outcomes fall below expectations.
Partner cross-functionally to resolve issues that could impact renewal or long-term account health.
Growth & Expansion
Identify and advance expansion, cross-sell, and upsell opportunities aligned to client needs and institutional priorities.
Support expansion conversations while maintaining ownership of the overall client relationship.