Position Summary

The Client Success & Operations Manager is a critical, multi-faceted role at the center of AI Studio's client relationships, service delivery, and day-to-day business operations. This individual serves as the primary point of contact for AI Studio's credit union clients, drives project management across all active engagements, and owns the operational infrastructure that keeps AI Studio running with excellence and efficiency.

This is not a siloed role - it is a connector role. The ideal candidate is equally at home building trusted relationships with credit union executives, managing a complex portfolio of engagements, and rolling up their sleeves to draft an SOW, update a policy or procedure, or build a process from scratch. Success in this role requires a rare combination of relationship intelligence, operational discipline, and project management rigor. It also requires knowledge of AI tools and capabilities, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to continuous learning.

This is a remote position with periodic travel required for client meetings, conferences, and other business engagements. Travel up to 50%.

Key Responsibilities

Client Success & Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary relationship owner for AI Studio's credit union clients - building trusted, long-term partnerships with credit union executives and leadership teams.
• Act as the day-to-day point of contact for client inquiries, engagement updates, program participation, and issue resolution.
• Onboard new credit union clients, ensuring a smooth, professional, and value-forward experience from initial engagement through active participation.
• Develop and execute a Client Engagement Plan - tracking participation across AI Studio's service offering, proactively identifying opportunities to deepen client value.
• Ensure that all client information, interactions, engagement history, etc is kept current.
• Collect and synthesize client feedback, surfacing insights that inform AI Studio's evolving service priorities and strategic direction.
• Support the team with reporting and strategic relationship outreach as needed.

Project Management

• Lead project management (advisory or technical engagements) - maintaining and executing project plans, timelines, milestones, deliverable tracking, and stakeholder communications.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams (internal staff, fractional experts, and external partners) to ensure on-time, high-quality delivery.
• Develop and maintain standardized engagement frameworks, templates, and tools to support consistent and scalable service delivery.
• Monitor engagement progress and proactively identify and resolve risks, blockers, or scope changes in coordination.
• Track and report on engagement performance metrics, client satisfaction, and delivery quality.
• Manage the full lifecycle of engagements from scope finalization and contracting through delivery and close-out.
• Provide project management support for internal initiatives, where applicable.

Business Operations & Administration

• Manage and maintain Statements of Work (SOWs) and Master Service Agreements (MSAs) in alignment with AI Studio's service offerings.
• Oversee AI Studio's billing and invoicing operations, ensuring timely, accurate invoices. Involves coordination with financial operations partners for processing and financial reporting.
• Develop, document, and continuously improve AI Studio's operational policies, procedures, and administrative workflows. Identify and help implement AI-first tools and systems for improved organization efficiency and scalability.
• Maintain accurate and organized documentation across all operational and risk/compliance functions, including contracts, templates, records, policies, procedures, etc.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory and business requirements across contracts, policies, and operational processes.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Operational Management, Communications, or a related field required plus a minimum of 5-7 years of progressive experience spanning client relationship management and/or project management OR High School Diploma or equivalent plus a minimum of 10 years of progressive experience spanning client relationship management, operations, and/or project management.
• Experience working within or directly supporting the credit union, CUSO, fintech, or financial services industry strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing SOWs, service agreements, or client contracts.
• Proven track record of successfully managing multiple complex client relationships and project engagements simultaneously.

Skills & Competencies

• Client Relationship Management: Exceptional ability to build trusted, professional relationships with senior executives and all levels, with a high-touch, high-intent approach.
• Project Management: Strong command of project management principles, tools, and practices - with the ability to manage concurrent, complex engagements with precision.
• Operational Excellence: Deep comfort with building and managing business operations, including policies, procedures, billing, contracts, and administrative workflows.
• Communication: Outstanding written and verbal communication skills - able to represent AI Studio professionally in client-facing, leadership, and partner settings.
• AI Fluency: Working knowledge of AI concepts and tools, with a genuine curiosity about how AI is reshaping the financial services landscape.
• Technology Proficiency: Comfort with CRM platforms, project management tools, AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, CoPilot, Gemini) and the Microsoft Office suite.
• Analytical Thinking: Ability to synthesize data, engagement feedback, and operational metrics into actionable insights and recommendations.
• Organizational Agility: Exceptional ability to balance competing priorities, manage ambiguity, and execute with discipline in a fast-paced, startup environment.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is more than an experienced operator - they are a passionate advocate for the credit union movement who understands what it means to be mission-driven. We are looking for someone who:

• Is a motivated self-starter who takes initiative, works independently, and demonstrates strong judgment in ambiguous situations.
• Brings a warm, credible, and professional style - able to build genuine rapport with credit union executives as comfortably as managing an internal process or deliverable.
• Approaches every client interaction and partnership with respect, empathy, curiosity, and a high-intent mindset.
• Thrives in a collaborative, mission-driven team environment and is willing to roll up their sleeves when the mission demands it.
• Is deeply organized and detail-oriented - understanding that polish, follow-through, and consistency are core to AI Studio's credibility.
• Is results-driven, resilient, and energized by the opportunity to build something meaningful in a growing organization.
• Is coachable, curious, and invested in their own professional development and the success of the organization.