Senior Customer Success Manager

Academia Ltd t/a Smartdesc; Hemel Hempstead; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Gym membership contribution

Health Cash Plan

Increased annual leave with length of

Job summary

Academia is seeking a Senior Customer Success Manager to become a trusted technology partner for a focused client portfolio, helping them shape IT strategies and roadmaps that improve organisational performance.

You will sit at the centre of customer relationships, delivering service insight, strategic planning and senior stakeholder engagement to turn IT costs into business enablers. Opportunity to grow in a high-profile CSM team.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in managed services and customer success within technology services.
• Proven ability to plan and run quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and client reviews.
• Strong grasp of IT service delivery, SLAs and escalation processes.
• Ability to translate IT insights into actionable recommendations for senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own a focused portfolio of customer relationships and be the trusted strategic contact for IT services and technology improvement discussions.
• Plan, deliver and document high-quality QBRs using IT Health Scorecards and roadmap recommendations.
• Guide customers through IT Health Scorecard and Roadmap strategies aligned to their goals and milestones.
• Proactively identify risks, trends, and lifecycle needs before they become issues.
• Identify whitespace for growth, optimization and efficiency relevant to the customer.
• Translate customer needs into clear, value-led service and project recommendations.
• Support retention and renewals by demonstrating ongoing value and future priorities.
• Coordinate with Service Desk, Projects, Security, Pre-Sales and commercial teams for joined-up outcomes.

Skills

MSP experience

Senior CSM

IT service management

QBRs

IT roadmaps

Stakeholder comms

Job description

This is a high-impact role within Managed IT Services for someone who wants to genuinely make a difference at the customers they work with.

As a Senior Customer Success Manager (CSM), you will become a trusted technology partner to a focused portfolio of our clients, helping them make better decisions, build stronger IT strategies and create technology roadmaps that genuinely improve how their organisations work, using our best-in‑class IT Managed Services.

Our CSMs play a uniquely influential and high-profile role. You will act as a critical friend, sitting at the centre of customer relationships providing service insight, strategic planning and working closely with senior leaders to turn IT from a cost into an enabler for our clients’ missions.

You will join a thriving CSM team and use our proven frameworks to help clients understand where they are today, where they need to get to, and what practical steps will move them forward. That means identifying risks before they become problems, spotting opportunities for improvement and translating technical insight into clear, confident recommendations that senior stakeholders can act on.

We deliberately cap the number of accounts each CSM owns so you have the time and space to build deep relationships and deliver meaningful value.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys building meaningful, long‑term relationships and wants to see the direct impact of their work.

You will help charities, education providers, public sector bodies and businesses get more from technology, while developing your own strategic, commercial, analytical and presentation skills in a team that values curiosity, ownership and customer advocacy.

Why is this role exciting?

This is not a traditional account management role. It is an opportunity to become a genuine strategic partner to customers who rely on technology to deliver important work every day. You will have the scope to influence IT decisions, shape long‑term roadmaps and help organisations become more secure, productive and confident in the way they use technology.

• You will work directly with senior stakeholders, helping them understand their IT landscape and make confident, informed decisions..
• You will use our IT Health Scorecard, QBR and Roadmap & Strategy frameworks to turn service insight into clear, practical recommendations that customers can act on.
• You will own a focused portfolio rather than being spread too thin, giving you the time to build proper relationships and deliver meaningful, measurable value.
• You will work across a varied customer base, including charities, education providers, public sector organisations and businesses where technology has a direct impact on people, productivity and mission delivery.
• You will be joining a high performing Customer Success function where your ideas, feedback and customer insight can help shape how we develop the service in the future.

For the right person, this is a role with real visibility, profile and purpose: a chance to combine relationship‑building, commercial awareness and technology leadership in a team that is ambitious about the value great Customer Success can deliver.

Amongst other tasks, you will be responsible for:

• Owning a focused portfolio of customer relationships, becoming their trusted strategic point of contact for IT services, strategy and technology improvement conversations
• Plan, deliver and document high-quality Quarterly Business Reviews that customers genuinely value, built around IT Health Scorecards, service insight and practical roadmap recommendations
• Guide customers through our IT Health Scorecard, Roadmap & Strategy frameworks, connecting technology decisions to their organisational goals, pressures and ambitions
• Proactively identify risks, service trends, lifecycle needs and improvement opportunities before they become urgent customer issues
• Identify whitespace for growth, optimisation and efficiency opportunities that are relevant, timely and genuinely useful to the customer
• Translate customer needs and service data into clear, value‑led recommendations for services, projects and continual improvement activities
• Maintain customer retention and renewals by demonstrating value, building confidence and creating a clear view of future priorities
• Act as the internal customer advocate, bringing together Service Desk, Projects, Security, Pre‑Sales and commercial teams to deliver joined‑up outcomes

For a Senior Customer Success Account Manager, this creates a brilliant environment to grow. You will be surrounded by technical specialists, service experts, commercial teams and strategic consultants, giving you the support and capability to solve real customer challenges and develop credible, outcome‑focused recommendations.

Key Skills:

• Previous experience within a Managed Service Provider (MSP) environment, with a clear understanding of IT service delivery, SLAs, and escalation models
• Proven experience in a Customer Success, Service Account Management, or Virtual IT Director / Virtual CTO‑style role within IT or technology services
• Strong understanding of IT service management concepts, including incident, problem, change, and service performance reporting
• Experience leading Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and structured client service reviews
• Ability to understand, interpret, and present IT health, risk, and performance data to non‑technical stakeholders
• Experience leading IT roadmaps, lifecycle planning, and technology improvement planning
• Full working knowledge of core IT domains, such as:
• Microsoft 365 and cloud services
• End‑user devices and identity management
• Networking and connectivity
• Cyber security fundamentals (e.g. backup, patching, MFA, endpoint protection)
• Experience collaborating with Service Desk, Projects, Security, and Pre‑Sales teams to drive customer outcomes
• Strong relationship‑building skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility at both operational and senior stakeholder levels
• Highly organised, with strong documentation and data discipline (CRM, customer records, QBR outputs)

Why Academia?

At Academia, we are redefining the landscape of IT services across education, business, public sector and nonprofit sectors. As an innovative and rapidly expanding technology company, we’re not just a supplier—we’re a trusted partner to thousands of clients nationwide.

With over 20 years of expertise, double‑digit growth, a team of over 270+ professionals and revenues exceeding £150 million in FY26, we’ve earned a reputation as a top‑tier IT solutions provider. Our dedication has been recognised with prestigious industry accolades, including the coveted CRN Reseller of the Year award.

Our ethos is simple: by delivering outstanding technology and ensuring it works seamlessly, we empower our clients to maximise their tech investments. Their IT success is our business.

We foster a culture rooted in our people, teamwork, innovation, integrity, ambition and a commitment to exceptional customer service. Backed by Strive Capital since 2020, we’re continuously expanding, exploring new frontiers with a strong financial and strategic foundation.

Our dedicated Lifecycle Services division exemplifies our promise to sustainability, offering comprehensive IT lifecycle solutions that reduce environmental impact.

At Academia, you’ll find more than just a job—you’ll find an opportunity to be part of one of the UK’s most exciting tech success stories. If you’re passionate about technology, eager to make an impact and ready to grow with a dynamic, supportive team, we’d love to hear from you.

A sneak peak at some of our employee benefits;

• Gymmembershipcontribution
• HealthCash Plan
• Increasedannualleave withlength ofservice
• Complimentary day off on your birthday
• Length of service bonus
• Free Will Writing service
• And so much more!

If you want to join a business where Customer Success is genuinely strategic, where your work helps organisations get more from technology, and where your ideas can help shape a growing managed services division, we would love to hear from you.

For more information on opportunities with Academia, visit our website.