Vice President, Client Success Partners

Safe-Guard Products International•Atlanta, GA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President, Client Success Partners leads the team responsible for Safe-Guard’s day-to-day relationships with its largest OEM and captive-finance partners. The role leads Client Success Partners and their paired Program Managers, and owns account plans, client health, renewal execution, and the overall relationship for every account in the portfolio. The Vice President will build the Client Success discipline from the ground up, including account plans, Client Health Assessments, a standard QBR, escalation and recovery playbooks, and shared goals between Client Success Partners and Program Managers. The role aims to provide every partner with a consistent, data-driven experience that proactively drives success for both Safe-Guard and its clients. Success is measured by client health, retention and renewal outcomes, on-time delivery of partner commitments, and the strength of the team built. The position is based in Atlanta, Georgia (Sandy Springs) with a hybrid work arrangement. Travel to partner and client sites may be required, up to 25%.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
At least 15 years of progressive experience in client success, strategic account management, or relationship management serving enterprise clients.
At least 8 years of people-leadership experience, including at least 5 years leading leaders and enterprise account teams.
Proven track record owning a portfolio of strategic, high-revenue accounts, with measurable results in retention, renewal, and growth.
Demonstrated experience building a client success function from the ground up, including account planning, health scoring, QBR standards, escalation playbooks, and career paths.
Strong commercial acumen, including master service agreements, renewals, rate and pricing structures, rebates, and invoicing, and the ability to build and defend a value case.
Executive presence and credibility with senior leaders at partner organizations and internally, including the ability to deliver difficult news directly.
Strong program and project management discipline.
Analytical and data-driven approach, with experience managing to scorecards, KPIs, SLAs, and root-cause analysis.
Proven ability to lead across functions without direct authority and build consensus among operations, sales, risk, legal, and technology partners.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams through organizational change while maintaining client commitments and team morale.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Ability to travel to partner and client sites as required, up to 25%.
Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
Must be able to successfully pass a background check.

Nice To Haves

MBA or other advanced degree.
PMP or equivalent certification.
Experience serving OEMs, captive finance companies, or large financial institutions.
Deep knowledge of automotive F&I products, including VSC, GAP, tire and wheel, and ancillary products, and dealer economics.
Third-party administration (TPA) experience.
Experience with work management platforms such as Asana, Jira, or Smartsheet.
Experience with AI-enabled productivity tools.

Responsibilities

Lead the Client Success Partner and Program Manager teams, including hiring, development, succession, performance management, and career paths.
Own the annual account plan for every partner in the portfolio, translating the growth thesis set by Partner Strategy into commitments with named owners and dates.
Establish and run the Client Health Assessment program, with consistent account scoring, corrective actions, and review cadence based on risk tier.
Own the QBR standard across the portfolio, ensuring Client Success Partners lead the agenda, presentation, and meeting, and that each QBR concludes with owners, dates, and a recap within 48 hours.
Own client escalations and recovery, including same-day acknowledgment, a single recovery plan, and proactive updates through resolution.
Partner with Partner Strategy on executive escalations and with Partner Operations to ensure root causes are fixed.
Lead renewal and repricing execution, including the renewal calendar, value case, and negotiations in partnership with Partner Strategy and Risk & Pricing.
Govern each account’s commercial health, including rate and pricing reviews, invoice approval, volume rebates, contractual obligations, and SLA reporting.
Maintain the operating model by routing partner and dealer requests through formal intake systems and aligning Client Success Partners and Program Managers on shared goals for on-time project delivery and launch success.
Build the Client Success playbook, including account plan standards, client communication cadence and templates, escalation playbooks, and documented processes and procedures.
Bring dealer economics into partner conversations, including penetration, F&I PVR, products per deal, and cancellation trends, and align partners and the field on targets with Sales & Dealer.
Build strong working relationships with Partner Strategy, Partner Operations, Sales & Dealer, Claims & Processing, Risk & Pricing, Legal & Compliance, Technology, and the ePMO.
Report portfolio health, risks, and renewal outlook monthly to the Chief Operating Officer and executive leadership through a single scorecard.
Protect partner commitments, SLAs, and in-flight launches through organizational change, and establish the Client Success function’s team charter, operating cadence, and culture.
Develop and manage the operating budget, staffing plan, and account coverage model, and champion AI-enabled tools that improve account insight and team productivity.