Customer Success Manager, Middle East

Harvard Business Publishing (HBP) – the leading destination for innovative management thinking. We reach lifelong learners to improve the practice of management in a changing world. This mission inspires each of us to unlock the leader in everyone – including you!

The opportunity

The Customer Success Manager (CSM) – Middle East will be instrumental in expanding HBI’s presence across this important and rapidly evolving market – playing a key role not only in supporting customers, but in helping to shape and scale HBI’s footprint across the Middle East.

In close partnership with Sales, this role serves as a trusted advisor for professors, administrators, and deans — supporting onboarding, training, and ongoing engagement to ensure customers across the Middle East achieve their goals through effective adoption and sustained use of HBI products.

The CSM– Middle East will serve as the principal operational lead for regional implementations and strategic initiatives. With a strong focus on execution and driving customer outcomes, the CSM will advocate for the goals of our customers, strategize on how to help them meet those goals, and provide support to meet those outcomes. This includes developing deep product expertise and the ability to clearly articulate the value and use of HBI’s digital product portfolio. Through a combination of one-to-one and one-to many interactions, the CSM will ensure seamless customer experiences and measurable impact that drive both growth and long-term loyalty.

This role requires a sharp focus on operational excellence and proactive management of customer deliverables and support. The ideal candidate brings a strategic approach to customer relationship management, ensuring that daily interactions contribute to long-term satisfaction, retention, and impact. Success in this role requires a strong understanding of the customer lifecycle, exceptional communication and presentation skills, and the ability to engage diverse stakeholders. The ideal candidate also brings strong technical fluency and project management capabilities, including the ability to scope initiatives, build structured plans, manage cross functional deliverables, anticipate risks, and ensure on-time delivery.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Serve as a primary regional advisor to educators, administrators, and institutional stakeholders to ensure successful adoption and ongoing usage of HBI products and services.

• Lead tailored product demonstrations, workshops, and training sessions – both virtually and in-person – for individuals and groups of customers and prospects to support educational objectives.

• Oversee the implementation of new B2B customers, including high-touch onboarding, system configuration, and usage reporting, ensuring a premium experience for high-value accounts

• Develop and maintain deep knowledge of the HBI’s active learning pedagogy and product suite— including digital products, Admin tooling, partner LMS platforms, and more — and use that expertise to drive growth across the region:

  • Showcase HBI’s active learning approach and effectively connect product recommendations to educator and institutional objectives

  • Leverage in-depth of simulations and eLearning products to drive cross-sell and upsell opportunities and guide faculty in selecting the most effective course content.

  • Serve as a technical lead for LMS integrations, applying deep knowledge of standards (e.g., LTI 1.3 and LTI Advantage) to guide institutional partners through successful implementation.

• Provide responsive support to customers in the Middle East, managing Zendesk and JIRA case resolution in alignment with HBI’s service standards and SLAs. Escalate and document issues through established channels to ensure timely resolution by Product and Engineering teams.

• Collaborate with Sales and cross-functional teams to drive regional growth through strategic account planning, customer engagement, and special projects/programs that drive scalability, efficiency, product innovation, and growth.

• Serve as a visible HBI ambassador in the Middle East, partnering with Sales and Marketing to execute high-impact regional events that strengthen brand presence, drive adoption, and deepen institutional relationships.

• Track and report on key customer success metrics and delivery KPIs to monitor impact and drive continuous improvement.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING:

• 7-10 years of experience in customer success, customer onboarding, project management, or implementation roles – ideally within SaaS, EdTech, or B2B environments. Experience working with academic institutions, educators, or in the education sector is a plus

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present confidently to audiences and engage with a wide range of stakeholders – from faculty to deans

• Fluency in English. Arabic and other regional languages are a plus.

• Highly organized and self-directed, with a track record of owning outcomes and driving projects to completion

• Passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences and creating measurable impact through proactive engagement and personalized support

• Intellectual curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning, demonstrated by proactively seeking out resources and studying documentation to develop deep product expertise

• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and solving problems proactively in a fast-paced, evolving environment

• Proficient with tools such as Salesforce, Zendesk, Microsoft Office, and virtual collaboration platforms like Webex or Zoom

• Ability to quickly learn and become a power user of new technologies, with a curiosity for digital learning tools and platforms. Familiarity with LMS platforms and integration standards (e.g., LTI 1.3) is highly desirable

• Collaborative and flexible team player with the ability to work across matrixed, cross-functional team

• Growth-oriented mindset with a desire to stay informed about emerging technologies, educational trends, and customer success best practices

• Ability to travel up to 35-50% annually across the Middle East

What we offer

As a mission-driven global company, Harvard Business Publishing is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, trust, and engagement where everyone is welcome, valued, respected, and feels they belong. In addition to a competitive compensation and benefits package, we offer meaningful programs focused on career development and employee wellness, such as education reimbursement and early-release Summer Fridays!

HBP is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.