About the role: (about 2-4 sentences highlighting key aspects of the role)
The Customer Success Manager (CSM) is responsible for the overall engagement, success, and retention of assigned customer accounts. Acting as both the internal advocate for the client and the external representative of Blackbaud, the CSM ensures that client objectives are met by fostering trusted relationships and strategic communication. This role also involves collaborating cross-departmentally to address client needs, identify opportunities for growth, and support client goals with innovative solutions. This individual contributor role is responsible for driving the adoption and success of Blackbaud’s platform, ensuring client satisfaction, and accountability for revenue growth and retention.
What you’ll do (Job duties and responsibilities)
Drive Platform Adoption and Retention: Serve as the strategic leader for assigned accounts, ensuring the successful adoption and use of Blackbaud products to achieve client business objectives and promote client retention.
Develop Customer Success Plans: Work collaboratively with clients to build comprehensive success plans that outline critical goals and the strategies to achieve them.
Strategic Communication: Establish a proactive communication cadence (weekly, monthly, quarterly) tailored to client needs, and facilitate meetings that review progress, share key insights, and align on next steps.
Trusted Customer Advocate: Cement yourself as a trusted advisor, leveraging empathy, critical thinking, and active listening to understand client needs and provide tailored solutions.
Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Partner with Sales, Marketing, Professional Services, Product, Operations, and Support to resolve issues, manage escalations, and communicate client feedback that informs product development and process improvements.
Monitor Key Performance Metrics: Track and report client achievement of key performance indicators (KPIs), providing insights both internally and to customer stakeholders.
Support and Training Identification: Work with the Training team to identify additional client training opportunities that enhance product knowledge and usage.
Champion the Customer’s Voice: Serve as the customer’s advocate, raising up key insights and feedback from customers to the internal Blackbaud organization.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of Blackbaud's current and upcoming product offerings and incorporate feedback to enhance customer engagements.
What you’ll bring (Job requirements)
Technical Proficiency: Adept at engaging in consultative technical discussions and providing light technical solutions. Experience with CRMs (e.g., Salesforce) and CSPs (e.g., Gainsight) is advantageous.
Exceptional Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to handle strategic conversations and deliver concise, respectful, and value-driven messaging.
Customer-Centric Approach: Demonstrated ability to understand customer needs, anticipate challenges, and respond with urgency to deliver exceptional service.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Ability to analyze complex problems, think logically, and make sound business decisions that benefit both Blackbaud and the customer.
Organization and Time Management: Proven skills in managing multiple projects and priorities, meeting deadlines, and maintaining a high level of productivity.
Team Collaboration and Emotional Intelligence: Strong interpersonal skills, showing empathy, tact, and diplomacy in managing client relationships and supporting colleagues.
Adaptability: Comfort working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a proactive attitude to adapt to evolving client and business needs.
Data-Driven Mindset: Experience leveraging analytics, reports, and trends to measure success, improve client outcomes, and enhance product usage.
Self-Motivation and Learning: Demonstrated desire to grow professionally, pursue continuous learning, and set personal goals that align with team success.
Core Competencies
Active listening, empathy, and ability to create positive and impactful client experiences.
Strong problem-solving abilities, independent decision-making, and confidence in judgment.
Proficiency in aligning work with company objectives and understanding the impact of individual actions on business metrics.
Proactive communication with an emphasis on building trust, managing expectations, and maintaining accountability.
Effective collaboration with a focus on teamwork, supporting others, and contributing to the collective success of the team.
Ownership and responsibility in delivering quality work and addressing issues constructively.
Advanced level English
Ability to work US East Coast hours
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Blackbaud is a digital-first company which embraces a flexible remote or hybrid work culture. Blackbaud supports hiring and career development for all roles from the location you are in today!
Blackbaud is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining an inclusive work environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.
Top Skills
What We Do
Blackbaud unleashes the potential of the people and organizations who change the world. As
the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact, Blackbaud
expands what is possible across the nonprofit and education sectors, at companies committed to
social responsibility, and for individual change makers. Built specifically for fundraising,
nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and
education management, Blackbaud’s essential software accelerates impact through unmatched
expertise and powerful data intelligence. Millions of people across more than 100 countries
connect, give, learn, and engage through Blackbaud platforms.
Why Work With Us
We’re here to fuel impact that
creates a better, more connected
world.
When nonprofits, social impact
teams, schools and individual
change-makers have powerful and
effective foundational infrastructure,
they transform our communities and
our world.
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