Director Client Engagement

Ascend Learning, LLC•Burlington, OR

2d•$154,100 - $220,330•Remote

About The Position

Ascend Learning, a leading healthcare and learning technology company, is seeking a Director, Client Engagement for its StaffGarden division. This role is a player-coach position, responsible for leading and developing the Client Engagement team while also managing a portfolio of strategic accounts. The Director will be a key decision-maker impacting the department and will act as an evangelist for the team's work. The role involves serving as a trusted advisor to nursing and clinical executives, driving adoption, program participation, satisfaction, and renewal for strategic health system clients. This includes growing partnerships by expanding StaffGarden's reach and identifying opportunities within the broader Healthcare Workforce Solutions (HWS) portfolio. The Director will also own the client service model, ensuring a clear vision for the client journey and building a supportive service model. The ideal candidate is generative, process-oriented, solutions-focused, and driven by achieving goals while developing their team and delighting clients.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
7+ years in a Client Engagement, Account Management, or Project Management role in a client-facing capacity.
Experience managing enterprise accounts, including contract renewals, and triaging support/product enhancement feedback.
5+ years in healthcare serving hospitals / medical centers / health systems ideally in the U.S.
Ability to travel up to 50% to hospital client sites, conferences and team meetings.
Demonstrated skills in Client Relationship Management, Strategic Planning, Project Management, Communication, Problem-Solving, Data-Driven Decision Making, Leadership and Team Collaboration, and Process Improvement.
Self-driven and proactive while working in a remote environment.

Nice To Haves

Master’s in a related field (e.g. MBA or MPH) preferred.
People leadership experience preferred, ideally leading client engagement, account management, or customer success teams while also carrying a book of business.
Experience with nursing professional development, clinical ladders, competency management, or Magnet programs strongly preferred.
Clinical background (e.g., RN) a plus.

Responsibilities

Own the relationship with client executives for a set of strategic StaffGarden clients, building and expanding relationships from implementation onward, and coordinating all client interactions.
Lead regular Enterprise Partnership Reviews (EPRs), setting agendas, assembling content, and ensuring value for client leaders.
Monitor measures of value and coordinate reporting to demonstrate StaffGarden impact.
Coordinate and oversee logistics for client reference calls with prospects.
Lead, mentor, and grow the StaffGarden Client Engagement team, including hiring, onboarding, goal setting, coaching, performance management, and career development.
Assign and balance account portfolios across the team, and serve as the escalation point for accounts managed by direct reports.
Model the standard for client engagement, coaching the team through real client situations.
Define and continuously improve the StaffGarden client service model, including client segmentation, engagement cadences, and handoffs.
Build, document, and maintain playbooks, templates, and tools for the team.
Partner with Delivery, Support, Product, and Sales to align handoffs, service levels, and escalation paths.
Act as a consultative partner by understanding client needs and aligning internal resources.
Develop a client scorecard and strategic account plan.
Communicate client health and roadblocks to leadership.
Ensure the client's voice is captured and shared with Product, Marketing, and Sales, and that appropriate follow-ups occur.
Field, prioritize, and advocate for development suggestions.
Ensure key customer contacts complete the annual Buyer Engagement survey.
Convey market needs, trends, and new opportunities for StaffGarden functionality quarterly.
Ensure users are properly on-boarded/trained, nurtured, and informed throughout the client journey.
Proactively intervene with clients to improve adoption, program participation, and value.
Appropriately escalate product issues internally and communicate timing and resolution to clients.
Lead commercial efforts for strategic accounts and oversee those managed by the team, including contract renewals and pricing negotiations.
Identify expansion opportunities within StaffGarden and across the broader HWS portfolio.
Partner with the Sales team to close StaffGarden expansion and cross-HWS opportunities.
Achieve key metrics including client contract renewal, revenue retention, NPS, utilization, EPR execution, program adoption, ROI demonstration, pipeline generation, and team performance.