Director, Customer Success  - Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions

Overview

We are building a Customer Success Management capability within our Sales organization to fundamentally elevate how we grow and retain.

Corporate legal departments are under increasing pressure to control spend, improve efficiency, and demonstrate ROI, particularly as AI begins to reshape how legal work is delivered. Winning in this environment requires more than product differentiation; it requires a clear, quantified, and credible business case that resonates with General Counsel, Legal Operations, and Finance stakeholders.

The Director, Customer Success will operate as a core member of the Sales organization, partnering directly with account teams to shape customer retention strategy, quantify value, and influence expansion and cross sell buying decisions.

This is a highly commercial role with direct influence on pipeline quality, deal conversion, and expansion.

The Director, Customer Experience will build and lead the Customer Experience function for Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions. This role is accountable for protecting and growing ~$170M ARR across 175+ global clients by driving measurable customer outcomes, improving retention, and unlocking expansion across the ELM portfolio including TyMetrix 360°, Legal Bill Analyzer, and related offerings.

This leader will establish Customer Success as a core revenue engine, tightly integrated with Account Management, New Logo Sales, Marketing, Product, and Professional Services. The focus is on turning customer value into repeatable retention and expansion at scale.

Role Mandate

• Stand up a formal Customer Success function from the ground up
• Partner directly with Account Management on renewals and expansion
• Create a scalable model that supports both complex enterprise clients and long-tail accounts
• Embed value realization into every stage of the customer lifecycle

Key Responsibilities

1. Build the Customer Success Function

• Design and implement segmented coverage model:
  • Strategic: 6 to 8 accounts per CSM
  • Growth: 15 to 20 accounts per CSM
  • Scaled: 30 to 40 accounts per CSM
• Hire and onboard ~8 CSMs aligned to 2026 rollout plan
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and engagement model across lifecycle
• Define handoffs from Sales and PSG into Customer Success

2. Own Retention and Co-Own Expansion

• Own Gross Retention Rate across the install base
• Co-own Net Revenue Retention with Account Management team
• Drive proactive renewal planning across all segments
• Lead “Get to Green” program for at-risk (red/yellow) accounts
• Partner on expansion plays including LBA cross-sell and platform adoption

3. Drive Value Realization and Adoption

• Implement structured success plans tied to customer business outcomes
• Ensure adoption of TyMetrix 360° and Passport.
• Build value frameworks leveraging benchmarking data and Expert AI capabilities
• Translate implementation into measurable ROI and executive-level value stories

4. Operationalize Customer Health and Risk

• Establish customer health scoring model in Salesforce
• Build early warning indicators tied to usage, support, and engagement
• Create standardized risk mitigation plans and executive escalation paths
• Integrate with Top 25 Client Command Center and weekly executive reviews

5. Lead Cross-Functional Alignment

• Partner with:
  • Sales for new logo handoff and expansion alignment
  • Account Management for renewal ownership and account planning
  • Product to influence roadmap via customer insights
  • PSG / Delivery to ensure implementation aligns to value realization
  • Marketing for advocacy, references, and lifecycle engagement
• Act as the voice of the customer across the organization

6. Build Scalable Systems and Discipline

• Define KPIs, dashboards, and reporting cadence across CS function
• Drive Salesforce hygiene for customer lifecycle visibility
• Implement playbooks for onboarding, adoption, renewal, and expansion
• Establish weekly operating rhythm aligned to forecast and pipeline reviews

Key Performance Indicators

• Gross Retention Rate (primary ownership)
• Net Revenue Retention (shared with Account Management)
• Renewal rate across 2026 high-risk cohort
• Reduction in red and yellow accounts
• Adoption rates of TyMetrix 360° and LBA
• Expansion pipeline generated from install base
• Customer health score improvement
• Time to value post-implementation

Leadership Expectations

• Operates as a revenue leader, not a support function
• Takes ownership of retention number with same rigor as new logo sales
• Brings structure and discipline to a currently undefined function
• Drives alignment across teams without creating friction
• Focuses on scalable models, not one-off account heroics

Qualifications

• 10+ years in SaaS or enterprise software customer facing roles
• Proven experience building or scaling a Customer Experience function
• Strong track record in retention and expansion within complex enterprise accounts
• Experience with platform adoption and transformation programs
• Deep understanding of SaaS metrics and customer lifecycle management
• Executive presence with ability to engage General Counsel and Legal Ops leaders

To maintain a fair and genuine hiring process, we kindly ask that all candidates participate in interviews without the assistance of AI tools or external prompts. Our interview process is designed to assess your individual skills, experiences, and communication style. We value authenticity and want to ensure we’re getting to know you—not a digital assistant. To help maintain this integrity, we ask to remove virtual backgrounds and include in-person interviews in our hiring process. Please note that use of AI-generated responses or third-party support during interviews will be grounds for disqualification from the recruitment process.

Applicants may be required to appear onsite at a Wolters Kluwer office as part of the recruitment process.

Compensation:

Compensation range listed is based on primary location of the position.  Actual base salary offer is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skills, experience and actual hiring location. Your recruiter can share more information about the specific offer for the job location during the hiring process. 

Wolters Kluwer offers a wide variety of competitive benefits and programs to help meet your needs and balance your work and personal life, including but not limited to: Medical, Dental, & Vision Plans, 401(k), FSA/HSA, Commuter Benefits, Tuition Assistance Plan, Vacation and Sick Time, and Paid Parental Leave. Full details of our benefits are available upon request.