About the roleThe Engagement Manager is a trusted partner to the client: accountable for the overall health, relationship, and strategic growth of a portfolio of accounts, from initial sale close-won handoff through delivery, renewal, and expansion. The EM connects client strategy, delivery execution, and commercial outcomes, leading with relationship and business acumen rather than technical depth. Day-to-day tactical execution is owned by the Project Manager and delivery project team(s), with whom the EM partners closely.
Responsibilities- Serve as the executive-level point of contact for client stakeholders; maintain strong sponsor and VP/C-level relationships where appropriate
- Set and protect the overall account strategy: how delivery success ladders up to renewal, expansion, and reference potential
- Own steering committee meetings end-to-end: set the agenda, frame the narrative, and run the room
- Lead other critical client meetings, alongside the executive sponsor as needed
- Proactively measure client satisfaction and address relationship friction before it escalates
- Own overall account health across all projects in the portfolio; lead a structured governance cadence (e.g. monthly/quarterly business reviews)
- Ensure delivery stays aligned to client business objectives, not just project plans
- Escalate and drive structured recovery plans on at-risk accounts, partnering with the PM and delivery team
- Report account health up to portfolio and practice leadership
- Own SOW health and change order conversations once the PM flags scope drift at the working level
- Monitor margin and commercial performance at the account level; partner with Finance/PMO on financial health reporting
- Serve as the post-sale relational owner of the account, keeping the relationship warm between active engagements
- Identify renewal and expansion opportunities within existing accounts
- Serve as the first point of contact when something threatens the relationship, not just the timeline
- Decide when and how to escalate internally or externally
- Lead escalation calls where trust, scope, or commercial terms are at risk (the PM still explains delivery detail)
- Work with Sales and practice leadership to align delivery performance with account strategy, renewals, and expansion
- Coordinate with Finance and delivery leadership for visibility into portfolio financial performance and forecast accuracy
- Bring in Practice Leads, Architects, or Solution Consultants as needed for complex conversations, without owning that technical depth directly
- Mentor and guide team members to strengthen client engagement skills and a client-centric approach
- Contribute to internal practice-building, delivery standards, and enablement efforts as the role and practice mature
- While the EM's primary focus is post-sale, the role also plays a limited but valuable part in pre-sales, helping build client relationships early and ensuring a smoother transition into delivery.
- Partner with Sales and Practice Leaders during strategic pursuits, bringing a delivery and client-relationship perspective into the sales process
- Participate in discovery sessions and executive conversations to help clients define business outcomes, not technical requirements
- Help shape solutions that are realistic to deliver and build client confidence before an engagement begins
- Lead the transition from sales to delivery, preserving relationship continuity and business context
Qualifications- 5+ years in a client-facing relationship, account management, or engagement leadership role within consulting, technology, or professional services
- Working knowledge of the Salesforce ecosystem and platform (clouds, common implementation patterns, partner landscape), enough to speak credibly with clients and internal delivery teams, without needing deep technical/architect-level depth
- Proven track record owning complex, multi-project client relationships and driving them to successful outcomes
- Exceptional interpersonal and executive communication skills; ability to build rapport and trust with senior stakeholders
- Strong commercial acumen: comfortable owning SOW, scope, and change order conversations
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a data-driven approach to account health and decision-making
- Working familiarity with delivery/project management practices, enough to partner effectively with a PM without duplicating their role
- Conflict resolution and escalation management experience
- Salesforce certifications (Admin, Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, or similar) - Preferred
- Experience supporting or partnering on sales pursuits - Preferred
- Experience leading executive business reviews or account planning conversations - Preferred
- Familiarity with professional services commercials and statements of work - Preferred
Compensation & BenefitsIn accordance with applicable law, the salary range provided is Verndale's reasonable estimate of the salary for this role. The actual amount may vary, based on non-discriminatory factors such as location, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities. In addition to salary, Verndale also offers a competitive benefits package.
Verndale is proud of the fun, diverse, and respectful company environment we enjoy on a daily basis. Competitive compensation and comprehensive coverage for medical, dental, life, disability and an RRSP savings plan are offered to all salaried, full-time employees. Ample company paid holidays and personal time off make having a work-life balance possible. For some roles, remote work is a definite possibility; we believe in hiring the best and keeping our own happy and motivated.
