Sr. Client Success Specialist

At InStride, people are our purpose. We believe that investing in people is the most powerful way to drive success—for individuals and organizations alike. As a public benefit corporation, we partner with leading employers to unlock opportunities for their employees, providing access to top-tier education programs that align with their employees’ career goals and the company’s business goals. Our mission goes beyond skill-building; we're here to empower our partners’ employees to advance their careers, elevate their expertise, and achieve meaningful personal and professional growth. No matter the team you’re on, our dedication to the success of our partners and their employees is what drives us. If you're passionate about making a difference and driving educational and professional advancement, InStride is the place for you. To get a better feel for our culture, watch more here. Candidates must be located in one of the following states to be considered eligible for employment: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MA, MI, MO, NV, NH, NJ, NY, PA, OH, OR, TX, VA, WA, WI.

What we're looking for:

InStride is currently seeking a highly motivated and driven Sr. Client Success Specialist to support the team developing partner relationships and growth strategy, delivering on annual targets and retention/impact objectives, identifying expansion opportunities and improving overall client happiness. Successful candidates will achieve results through building trust and mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with their partners (focusing at the outset on satisfying the operational needs of franchise operators and their employees from two of our large franchise clients) and working closely with cross-functional teams across InStride and our academic network. We seek people for this role who bring an eye for business strategy and consultative skills, account and customer success management experience along with a proven track record to achieve business results through partnerships. This position reports to the Director, Client Success.

Skills we’d love to see you show off:

• Client Relationship Management: Exceptional ability to build trust and foster long-term partnerships through reliable follow-through and effective communication.
• Tailored Communication: Skilled at delivering clear, compelling presentations and conveying complex information persuasively to diverse audiences.
• Analytical Savvy: Proficient in analyzing data to uncover trends, solve problems, and make informed, data-driven decisions that drive measurable outcomes.
• Operational Excellence: Demonstrated ability to take initiative on optimizing processes, systems, and tools for enhanced efficiency.

Who you are:

2+ years or more of experience in client success and/or client services role Customer-first mentality with a focus on building and nurturing strong and lasting relationships both internally and externally Excellent independent judgment. Ability to consider, compare, and evaluate different courses of action, and make an informed decision in the best interests of the company Creative problem-solver that can envision and articulate solutions to complex and evolving customer issues and identify opportunities for improvement Demonstrate outstanding interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, with a consistently professional demeanor Committed to results, combining with a bias for speed and action with a high level of analytic accuracy and attention to detail Willing to travel as needed (up to 10%)

How you will create impact:

Partnership Growth:

• Responsible for revenue generation through learner enrollments and account growth year over year.
• Deliver and communicate return on investment for franchise operators throughout the customer lifecycle.
• Track, analyze and communicate key success metrics to develop and execute against goals internally and with our partners.
• Understand key operational elements of program design to ensure successful program growth and expansion.

Relationship Management:

• Serve as the primary point of contact and account owner for franchise operators at two of our large franchise clients.
• Develop and lead key client initiatives across your partners’ organizations and drive strategic engagement with them.
• Set and achieve partnership goals including enrollment, retention, engagement and the overall health of the partners / InStride relationships.
• Find opportunities for franchise operators to act as advocates (e.g. testimonials, case studies, interviews).

Learner Experience & Success:

• Develop deep subject matter expertise on the end-to-end experience of our learners, identifying potential barriers, challenges and opportunities.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to meet our business objectives and effectively coordinate with internal teams including marketing, product, academic partnerships, sales and support.
• Collect and synthesize significant feedback to advise on decision-making and product strategy.

Strategic Advice:

• Provide your clients with valued partnership and thought leadership.

Be a trusted, strategic advisor at the executive level and beyond ensuring your partners stay up-to-date on the latest product features, new academic programs, strategic workforce development solutions and key initiatives.

Operational Excellence:

Establish and lead a cadence of ongoing syncs with franchise operators. Support the delivery of regular business reviews with client leadership to evaluate success and align on upcoming opportunities.

• Understand partner outcomes by communicating with franchise operators, analyze customer health metrics, run Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys and gather other feedback.
• Support the Director, Client Success in providing up-to-date client information in Salesforce and other sources of documentation.
• Build presentation materials for various internal and external meetings.

Compensation

• At InStride, final offer amounts are dependent on multiple factors including location, depth of experience, interview performance and equity with other team members.
• We encourage you to talk with your recruiter to learn more about the total compensation and benefits available for this role.

Compensation range:

$75,000—$80,000 USD We are looking for someone who is not only technically skilled, but also enthusiastic about making a meaningful impact. If this description resonates with you, we're excited about the possibility of having you on our team. As a skills-driven employer, we encourage you to apply if there is a skill-fit, even in the absence of years of experience. Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At InStride, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this role! Benefits @ InStride As an organization that champions investing in people, it’s critical we walk the talk. That’s why InStride employees are eligible to enroll in 2,800+ online certificate and degree programs through our Step Forward program. Unlike traditional tuition reimbursement programs, InStride covers your tuition upfront, regardless of your course of study, degree type, or school - eligible to employees starting Day 1.

This role is also eligible for the following benefits:

401(k) plan with company match Flexible vacation policy Paid family leave Best-in-class health care benefits And more! InStride Diversity and Inclusion Statement At InStride, we foster a culture of belonging, we support authenticity and intersectionality, and we embrace and appreciate our differences. We do this by building a diverse pipeline of talent and ensuring equitable access to opportunities, information and leadership. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let your recruiter know. Policies & Disclosure InStride recommends employees have their COVID vaccinations. InStride may require employees to have COVID vaccination before entering the office or attending any InStride-related even in the future. However, we do not require this at this time. For questions on how we use personal information of job applicants, please refer to InStride's Job Applicant Privacy Policy. Beware of recruiting scams. InStride does not require a financial transaction or any financial account information to be eligible for employment. If you receive a message purporting to be from InStride asking you for a financial transaction, your financial account information, or any other sensitive information, please do not respond and let us know immediately at recruiting@instride.com. About InStride InStride is a human capital management company that helps organizations retain talent, upskill employees, and fill critical workforce roles through education programs. By breaking down barriers to learning, fostering career growth aligned with organizational goals, and simplifying program management, InStride delivers lasting impact. Partnering with forward-thinking companies like Labcorp, Adidas, and SSM Health, InStride drives meaningful social and business outcomes by providing access to life-changing education. Visit instride.com or follow InStride on LinkedIn for more information and up-to-date news.