The RoleThe Associate Director of Customer Success is a hands-on leader responsible for driving partner outcomes, retention, and expansion across a portfolio of Upswing's institutional partners. This role manages and develops a team of HEROs (Higher Education Relationship Officers) while also owning a personal book of business.
This is a highly cross-functional role that blends strategic account management, people leadership, and revenue responsibility, with a strong focus on engagement, utilization, and long-term partner success. MUST BE eligible to work in the U.S. Upswing DOES NOT offer visa sponsorship. If you need visa sponsorship now or in the future, please DO NOT apply.
Key ResponsibilitiesPartner Success, Retention & Expansion- Own retention and expansion goals across a defined portfolio of Upswing partners, including a personal book of business.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to institutional leaders, aligning Upswing services with partner goals around student success, equity, and retention.
- Identify and execute expansion opportunities (additional services, programs, or campuses) in collaboration with Sales, Product, and Marketing teams.
- Lead renewal conversations and contribute to forecasting and revenue planning.
- Proactively manage risk, addressing adoption or satisfaction issues before they impact retention.
Engagement & Utilization- Drive strong engagement and utilization of Upswing services across partner institutions.
- Analyze usage, outcomes, and trends to identify opportunities for improvement, growth, or deeper impact.
- Partner with HEROs to develop and execute engagement plans that increase awareness, usage, and measurable outcomes.
- Translate data and insights into compelling partner narratives and executive-level updates.
Team Leadership & Development (HEROs)- Manage, coach, and develop a team of HEROs to deliver consistent, high-quality partner experiences.
- Set clear expectations, goals, and performance metrics tied to retention, expansion, and engagement.
- Support HEROs in strategic account planning, executive communication, and problem solving.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the team.
Cross-Functional Collaboration- Work closely with Sales, Marketing, Product, and Operations to ensure a seamless partner experience from onboarding through renewal and expansion.
- Provide partner feedback and insights to inform product development, service enhancements, and go-to-market strategy.
- Contribute to the evolution of customer success processes, playbooks, and reporting.
Qualifications- 5-7 years of experience in customer success, account management, or client services, preferably in ed tech, SaaS, or higher education.
- 3+ years of people management experience, with a track record of developing high-performing teams.
- Experience owning revenue outcomes, including renewals and expansion within an existing customer base.
- Strong data literacy with the ability to interpret usage and outcomes data to drive strategy and partner conversations.
- Exceptional communication skills, with experience engaging senior-level stakeholders.
- Passion for higher education, student success, and equity-focused solutions.
What Success Looks Like- High retention rates and consistent expansion across the partner portfolio.
- Strong engagement and utilization of Upswing services at partner institutions.
- A high-performing, well-supported HERO team with clear growth and development paths.
- Trusted, long-term partnerships where Upswing is viewed as a strategic partner-not just a vendor.
