DataKind is looking for a Senior Manager, Customer Success!

DataKind is looking for an experienced, values-driven customer success manager who is ready to make a major impact on student graduation rates by supporting the users of DataKind’s data science based Student Success software and to help us deliver on our next decade of data science solutions for positive social impact. If you’re a problem-solver eager to embrace challenges as opportunities, you’re a strong communicator who delights in seeing customers succeed, and you are a detail-oriented support specialist committed to advancing equity, we want to bring you on board! 

Location

This is a remote position that can be based anywhere in the U.S. and requires the majority of working hours each day to fall between 8am and 6pm Eastern Time. 

Salary Range
The salary range is $102,000 - $107,000.

This range is based on DataKind’s senior manager salary band, which was created using market data from NYC-based nonprofits. Actual salary within this range will be based on the candidate’s experience and internal salary equity scan of active employee(s) with similar role and experience.

About the Opportunity 

DataKind has developed a Student Success Tool (SST) to help advisors identify students that would benefit from additional support by predicting the likelihood of timely graduation, as profiled in the New York Times. We’re now working to scale this tool, based on its initial success, and we are looking for talent to help us scale the product and support schools in using it.

The Senior Manager, Customer Success will be a critical member of DataKind’s growing education portfolio, currently focused primarily on post-secondary education outcomes. Reporting to the Vice President, Technology, The Senior Manager, Customer Success will contribute to DataKind’s global target of 115 institutions as active users of the software by December 2026, and sustained use and measurement of performance for those users through December 2028. This individual will be responsible for managing customer issues and for identifying advocates and champions within our customer base who can assist in spreading the positive value of the Student Success software to prospective customers and the public. 

What You’ll Do 

The Senior Manager, Customer Success Education Products will be responsible for the following in addition to any other project assigned by the Vice President, Technology:

Customer support: The Senior Manager, Customer Success will be the primary point of contact for education customers within their portfolio using DataKind’s student success tool software. This individual will be the frontline support for the customers to ensure that those customers have a positive and smooth experience with DataKind from software customization to implementation to ongoing use. 

Customer education: The Senior Manager, Customer Success helps customers within their portfolio learn how to use DataKind’s student success software through the production, use, and support of training materials for onboarding and routine use and troubleshooting.  They onboard new customers and ensure that existing customers are supported and oriented to new product releases.

Customer retention: As the customer’s primary point of contact for the student success software for their designated portfolio, the Senior Manager, Customer Success will be the primary individual supporting customer retention and sustained engagement with DataKind through regular customer engagements (e.g. emails, meetings, and events.)

Customer Relationship Management System (CRM): The Senior Manager, Customer Success will be the manager of DataKind’s CRM and will provide regular reporting and updates to cross-functional teams for awareness. 

Internal collaboration: The Senior Manager, Customer Success represents the “voice of the customer” within cross-functional teams. They’ll be expected to regularly share customer feedback with product teams and contribute suggestions to the product roadmap that represent the customer experience. The Senior Manager, Customer Success will support marketing and fundraising teams with key customer stories, reporting, and other knowledge sharing. They will make recommendations for key external events for DataKind to participate in and where appropriate, will represent DataKind at those events as part of the broader education support team.

Client documentation: Maintain documentation of all client engagements within their portfolio in DataKind’s CRM, managing the platform to ensure it is designed and used in a way that is valuable to DataKind, and providing regular reporting and updates to cross-functional teams. Log all client engagements in the CRM, evaluate the data across clients, and use the findings to inform client strategy.

How You'll Be Assessed

As the Senior Manager, Customer Success, you will be measured on the following outputs in your role:

• Piloting a CRM for Student Success software institution acquisition and support, including:
• Working with the technology team to design and create a CRM instance to support Student Success software activities;
• Creating initial CRM workflows for the Student Success software team's use;
• Capturing customer data and interactions, and develop a plan for training team members on CRM use; and
• Maintaining the CRM system and ensure all client communications are tracked and documented at least monthly.

• Fully defining and documenting the customer journey from prospect to renewal - providing narrative reports and process diagrams for extending the journey to other potential products in the DataKind portfolio.
• Conducting a full SWOT analysis and audit of the current onboarding process, proposing and designing revisions to improve it, and identifying key metrics to measure the success of updates to the process.
• Implementing a process for soliciting customer feedback, analyzing the data, and sharing customer insights broadly that guide future product iterations and enhance customer experience. 
• Developing and maintaining a user FAQ for the Student Success software for common questions and concerns, and providing useful insights to the Product and Engineering team for future version releases.
• Ensuring support satisfaction from customers and adherence to company-established Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for time to response and engagement.
• Hosting customer events aligned to the conference season, occurring at least at 10% of events where DataKind has a presence. 
• Aligning with industry-based retention metrics (e.g., percent retained in rolling six months or by academic year) and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications 

• Alignment with DataKind mission and values and experience working across lines of difference (culture, identity, and time zone).
• 5+ years of experience in building relationships within a technology product’s customer success, customer support or developer relations process.
• Ability to foster client relationships with a sales-oriented approach.
• Familiarity with data science and AI products and how machine learning models work at the user level, preference for candidates who have provided client support and education for these types of technical products.
• Knowledge of education related products and services and the ability to navigate the sales cycle for academic institutions.
• Self-motivated, results driven and persistent in the face of challenges (bounce back from hearing no).
• Preference for candidates with a network of contacts in higher education space especially with public education institutions and systems.
• Preference for candidates with knowledge and experience working with higher education institutions.

About DataKind

DataKind is a global nonprofit dedicated to harnessing the power of data science and artificial intelligence (AI) in the service of humanity. DataKind matches skilled volunteers from academia and industry with visionary changemakers, collaboratively designing innovative solutions to tough social challenges. 

People are at the center of our process: DataKind follows human-centered design principles that focus on questions such as “why?”, “for whom?” and “should we?” before we get going on the “what?”. We’ll continue our work until all people and all communities can use digital technology for the outcomes they want to see, with an emphasis on including those who have historically been excluded from the technology sector or will be impacted by the intervention.

Why Work with DataKind

At DataKind, we believe that people are the most important asset to delivering on our mission. Working with us means that you will have:

• Flexibility in your working schedule. More than just adjustable hours, we include shared time off and bi-weekly meeting-free days.
• Generous leave policies: Paid Parental Leave, 14 paid holidays annually and unlimited PTO! At DataKind, we encourage everyone to take a minimum of 20 vacation days a year.
• Access to an outstanding health plan. We pay 100% of medical, vision, and dental benefits for employees and 72% for spouse/domestic partner and dependent coverage.
• Support to plan for your future. We offer a 401(k) plan and match employee contributions up to 5% of the annual salary.
• Opportunities to learn and grow. Each year, we budget funds for each staff person to access ongoing professional development support.
• Wellness Reimbursement Program. Employees can be reimbursed for wellness and lifestyle purchases that are meaningful to them.
• DEI commitment. DataKind is committed to a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment in our day-to-day work and via special initiatives driven by our DEI Steering Committee.

Encouraging Applicants of All Backgrounds

We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply, especially people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. 

We are an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other category/characteristics protected by law. No matter one’s background, the new Vice President, Development must value and advocate for inclusion and equity.

Applicants must have a U.S.-based permanent address and be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.