Director, Customer Success

Director, Customer Success – Canada & Healthcare

Nice to meet you!

We’re a leader in data and AI. Through our software and services, we inspire customers around the world to transform data into intelligence - and questions into answers.

We’re also a debt-free multi-billion-dollar organization on our path to IPO-readiness. If you're looking for a dynamic, fulfilling career coupled with flexibility and world-class employee experience, you'll find it here.

About the job

The Director, Customer Success – Canada & Healthcare is a key leadership role within the Americas Customer Success organization. This role is responsible for leading a team of managers overseeing Customer Success Managers (CSMs) and Renewal Specialists dedicated to driving customer adoption, expansion, and renewal of SAS solutions within the Canada and Healthcare segments. The Director will develop and execute plans and programs to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction, value realization, and revenue retention. This leader will play a pivotal role in shaping operational excellence, building leadership capability, and driving cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Revenue Operations, and other internal stakeholders.

The Director reports to the VP of Americas Customer Success and serves as a key member of the Customer Success leadership team.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Vision
   • Customer Success Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for customer success, retention, and expansion in the Canada and Healthcare segments. Align the team’s efforts with the broader SAS Customer Success strategy and corporate goals.
   • Operational Excellence: Drive continuous improvement in customer success and renewal processes, leveraging best practices and ensuring scalability as the business grows.
   • Customer Advocacy: Serve as an executive point of escalation for key accounts, advocating for customer needs while balancing SAS’s business goals.
2. Team Leadership & Talent Development
   • Manager of Managers: Lead managers responsible for managing teams of front-line Customer Success Managers and Renewal Specialists.
   • Build a High-Performing Team: Recruit, coach, and develop management-level talent. Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and performance excellence.
   • Leadership Development: Invest in the growth of people leaders on your team, ensuring they have the tools, resources, and support to lead their teams effectively.
   • Succession Planning: Identify future leaders within the team, creating development plans to build leadership bench strength.
   • Performance Management: Set clear goals and performance expectations for managers and their teams. Conduct regular performance reviews and ensure corrective action is taken as necessary.
3. Customer Retention, Expansion & Growth
   • Revenue Responsibility: Own the retention, expansion, and renewal outcomes for the Canada and Healthcare segments. This includes forecasting and delivering on renewal and expansion targets.
   • Customer Health: Lead efforts to monitor customer health and satisfaction across the customer lifecycle. Oversee processes to mitigate risk and prevent churn.
   • Accountability for Retention Metrics: Monitor and report on customer adoption, retention, and growth KPIs. Use these insights to guide strategy and support leadership decision-making.
4. Renewals Strategy & Execution
   • Renewal Accountability: Own the renewals strategy for the Canada and Healthcare segments, including forecasting, risk management, and revenue protection.
   • Negotiation & Deal Support: Provide strategic guidance to Renewal Specialist Managers on complex renewal negotiations. Serve as an escalation point for high-value or high-risk renewal opportunities.
   • Risk Management: Identify renewal risks and oversee strategies to mitigate customer churn, while preserving customer relationships and optimizing deal terms.
5. Cross-Functional Leadership
   • Sales Alignment: Partner with Sales, Licensing Operations, and Finance to create a unified approach to customer engagement, value realization, and renewals.
   • Executive Collaboration: Build partnerships with executive stakeholders, ensuring alignment between customer success, sales, and other internal teams.
   • Customer Insights & Advocacy: Represent the voice of the customer in cross-functional discussions with Sales, Product Management, and Marketing. Influence internal stakeholders to prioritize enhancements that drive customer value.
6. Operational Excellence & Business Management
   • Data-Driven Decision Making: Use analytics, insights, and forecasts to inform decision-making and provide regular updates to senior leadership.
   • Forecasting & Reporting: Provide leadership with accurate forecasts for renewals, adoption, and retention revenue. Proactively highlight risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
   • Governance & Compliance: Ensure that all customer success and renewal activities comply with corporate policies, pricing guidelines, and commercial terms.

Key Competencies & Leadership Capabilities

• Leadership: Ability to align teams and drive operational execution at scale.
• Manager of Managers: Demonstrated experience leading managers, with an emphasis on developing leadership capacity and fostering a culture of accountability.
• Data-Driven Mindset: Analytical approach to problem-solving, with experience using data and insights to drive strategy, improve processes, and achieve customer success goals.
• Operational Excellence: Ability to build and improve processes that ensure consistent, repeatable success for both customers and the internal team.
• Customer-Centric: Demonstrated ability to advocate for customer needs and balance customer satisfaction with company financial goals.
• Negotiation & Influence: Ability to influence key stakeholders and navigate complex negotiations with high-stakes accounts.

Required Qualifications

• Leadership Experience: 12+ years of experience in customer success, customer advisory, renewals, professional services, or account management roles, with at least 5 years in a "manager of managers" capacity.
• Industry Experience: Experience in the healthcare sector or Canadian market is preferable.
• Business Acumen: Ability to understand customer needs and develop strategies that balance customer satisfaction, adoption, and revenue growth.
• Change Management: Ability to lead teams through organizational change, process improvements, and business transformations.

Benefits highlights

• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental and vision plans and a health care spending account.
• Short- and long-term disability plans.
• Group RRSP matching program.
• Gym membership and fitness equipment reimbursement.
• Generous time away including vacation time, a variety of paid holidays, volunteer time off and unlimited sick days.
• Your well-being matters, and that’s why we support all dimensions of your well-being by offering programs that reduce stress and distractions to help you remain healthy and productive.

Diverse and Inclusive

At SAS, it’s not about fitting into our culture – it’s about adding to it. We believe our people make the difference. Our diverse workforce brings together unique talents and inspires teams to create amazing software that reflects the diversity of our users and customers. Our commitment to diversity is a priority to our leadership, all the way up to the top; and it’s essential to who we are. To put it plainly: you are welcome here.