Advanced Specialist, Customer Success

Pearson; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Pearson Professional Assessments is seeking an Advanced Specialist, Customer Success to support our clients in delivering high-stakes assessments. The role blends contract, account and project management to meet timelines.

This senior position acts as a trusted partner across cross-functional teams, guiding governance and driving growth through expansion of existing accounts.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in client-facing contract and account management.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary relationship owner for complex strategic client accounts.

Skills

Senior client mgmt

Contract management

Account management

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Risk management

Negotiation

Assessment delivery

Tools

Project management tools

Job description

Advanced Specialist, Customer Success, this role aligns to industry titles such as Senior Contract Manager, Senior Programme Manager or Senior Account Manager.

Pearson Professional Assessments is seeking an experienced Advanced Specialist, Customer Success to directly support our clients in delivering high-stakes assessments.

The role involves a mix of contract, account, and project management to ensure the successful delivery of Pearson Professional Assessments products and services in accordance with contractual timelines and obligations.

This role is ideal for an experienced client-facing professional who has delivered strategic initiatives and operations, managed multiple client accounts, and is able to build strong client relationships.

This is a senior role, operating as a trusted partner to clients and an internal leader across cross-functional teams.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the primary relationship owner for complex, strategic client accounts, building long-term partnerships grounded in trust and credibility.
• Working with clients and teams across Professional Assessments, lead the end-to-end readiness and delivery of high-stake assessments and initiatives, ensuring alignment to client objectives, timelines, and contractual commitments.
• Own and manage service performance against client contracts, KPIs, and SLAs, ensuring delivery meets agreed commercial and operational outcomes.
• Navigate and resolve complex client challenges, balancing requirements with scalable and sustainable solutions.
• Proactively identify risks, issues, and dependencies, and drive mitigation actions to protect delivery and customer outcomes.
• Influence stakeholders (internal and external) to drive alignment, decision-making, and momentum.
• Lead client-facing governance, including executive updates, account reviews, and stakeholder engagement.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of service delivery, products, and customer success practices.
• Responsible for commercial growth through identification of opportunities, contribution to bids/tenders, and expansion of existing accounts.
• Provide informal leadership, coaching, and guidance to junior team members where required.

Skills, knowledge & experience

• Significant senior-level experience in client-facing contract and account management roles, managing high-value and strategic client accounts. Experience should include client retention responsibility and program/product expansion achievements.
• Strong commercial understanding, including contract management, SLAs, KPIs, and change control.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional projects with multiple stakeholders (internal and external).
• Knowledge and experience using project management tools and techniques.
• Proven ability to translate complex problems into structured, actionable solutions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels without direct authority.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Experience managing risks, issues, and delivery across scope, cost, quality, and timelines.
• Strong problem-solving, negotiation, and decision-making capabilities.
• Experience with the delivery of computer-based assessments and qualifications is preferred.

Working arrangements

We offer flexible working arrangements, including hybrid working, to support work-life balance whilst meeting business and client needs. A commitment to peak time delivery is required to fulfil global client needs.

We know you’ll do great work, so we give a lot back with some of the best benefits in the business. We know one size doesn’t fit all, so our workplace programs meet the different needs of our diverse teams, and their families too.

Please see our attractive UK benefits here: Pearson Jobs – Benefits

Who we are:

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing [e-mail].

Job: Customer Success

Job Family: GOTO MARKET

Organization: Assessment & Qualifications