Manager of Client Success

Smith.ai•San Francisco, CA

2d•$110,000 - $165,000

About The Position

Smith.ai is hiring a Manager of Client Success to build and lead its Client Success function and ensure clients view the company as a critical partner in their business success. The role is accountable for retention and expansion, owns a defined segment of the client base, leads and develops a dedicated team, and personally manages relationships with high-value clients. It works in a shared leadership structure with Client Onboarding and Client Support to coordinate the client journey from onboarding through renewal and beyond. The manager will help shape client segmentation and support based on complexity and strategic value, develop scalable processes and playbooks, and improve the client experience. The position combines strategic planning with hands-on execution in a fast-moving, growth-stage environment, requiring ownership, sound judgment, adaptability, and collaboration across departments. The role uses client success tools and data to monitor retention, expansion, client health, sentiment, and team performance, and turns insights into actions and improvements. It is a full-time position with a base salary of $110,000–$165,000 per year, eligibility for equity, and a competitive benefits package.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in Client Success or Account Management, including experience in a SaaS or technical product environment.
At least 2 years of experience managing and developing teams, including coaching talent, driving accountability, and improving performance.
At least 2 years of direct experience driving retention and expansion revenue within an existing client base.
Proven experience building or meaningfully improving Client Success playbooks, processes, and decision frameworks.
Strong business judgment and a genuine client-first mindset, with the ability to balance client needs and long-term business success.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to navigate difficult client conversations, coach team members, and communicate clear plans across departments.
Highly analytical, with the ability to use data to identify trends, assess risk, and make decisions.
Bias toward action and comfort making decisions with imperfect information, taking ownership, and adjusting based on feedback.
Comfort operating in ambiguity and in a growing company.
Collaborative leadership style, with conviction in ideas and openness to feedback and different perspectives.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Vitally or comparable Client Success platforms such as Gainsight or ChurnZero.
Experience supporting SMB clients at scale, particularly across a segmented client portfolio.
Familiarity with legal technology or professional services businesses.
Experience helping build or evolve a Client Success function in an early- or growth-stage company.

Responsibilities

Own retention and expansion outcomes for a defined segment of the client base; identify opportunities to strengthen relationships and grow accounts.
Personally manage high-value client relationships and ensure Smith.ai delivers meaningful business value as a trusted partner.
Identify at-risk accounts, understand churn drivers, and develop strategies to improve client health and long-term retention.
Partner with Sales on client handoffs and account-growth opportunities.
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Client Success team, setting clear expectations and accountability for performance and client outcomes.
Coach team members through complex client situations and develop their judgment, communication, and account management skills.
Foster ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement, and hire and develop talent.
Build, refine, and maintain scalable playbooks for onboarding transitions, account health, escalations, renewals, and expansion.
Help shape client segmentation and support according to complexity, business needs, and strategic value.
Identify client experience gaps and improve the processes, tools, and workflows that address them.
Balance immediate client needs with longer-term operational improvements that enable scale.
Coordinate with the Senior Manager of Client Onboarding and Senior Manager of Client Support to provide a consistent client journey.
Partner with Sales, Product, and Operations to surface client feedback, resolve recurring challenges, and improve the overall client experience.
Navigate complex client and organizational situations with sound judgment, clear communication, and a bias toward action.
Use client success tooling and data to monitor retention, expansion, client health, sentiment, and team performance.
Translate data into actionable insights, identify trends and risks, prioritize improvements, and use metrics to drive accountability and continuous improvement.
Leverage Vitally and other tools to improve visibility, consistency, and effectiveness across Client Success.