Customer Success Manager (California)

Informed K12; California, Northern (MO, KY); Hybrid; USD 156,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage 100% for employees

Uncapped PTO

Monthly productivity allowance

New hire remote setup stipend

Monthly wifi reimbursement

Annual office supply stipend

Skills development stipend

Job summary

Informed K12 is seeking a Senior Customer Success/Account Leadership professional to work remotely within CA or the Western US, with travel. You will guide school districts through complex transformations, align stakeholders, and drive sustained adoption of district-wide solutions.

You will partner with superintendents and cabinet-level leaders to design value-driven programs, manage risk, and grow account impact through data-informed storytelling and strategic planning.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in a role with single-point ownership of complex, multi-stakeholder projects or accounts.
• Experience driving success within ambiguous and highly complex, multi-stakeholder environments, ideally K12.
• Track record of navigating competing priorities, aligning stakeholders and delivering results under pressure.
• Demonstrated experience solving problems with technology and driving adoption with end users.

Responsibilities

• Navigate complex situations, bring structure and a clear path forward despite ambiguity.
• Diagnose root causes and connect actions to measurable outcomes.
• Design technical solutions and map product capabilities to district needs; present bold yet grounded paths.
• Own the account plan and narrative, outlining current position, future goals, and success metrics.
• Build deep relationships across cabinet to operational staff and manage stakeholder expectations.
• Use data storytelling to show progress, drive adoption, and identify expansion opportunities.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Program management

Strategic thinking

Change management

Consultative partnering

Data storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

Customer success

Job description

Location

Remote. Candidates must be located in CA or in the Western US near a major airport, with approximately 30% travel.

About the Role

Are you passionate about social change and excited to work alongside Superintendents, Cabinet leaders, and district administrators on the most complex operational and social challenges facing public schools today? This role puts you at the center of that work.

Transforming how a school district operates is not a software problem. It is a change management problem.

You will be working inside organizations with layered bureaucracy, competing priorities, and leadership that answers to school boards, unions, state regulators, and the public. Your job is to navigate all of that, build trust across every level of the org, and drive the kind of sustained adoption that actually changes how a district runs.

The best CSMs in this role think like consultants. They challenge their clients when it is the right thing to do. They apply technical knowledge to translate product capabilities into real district solutions. They use data to tell a story, and they build the internal momentum that makes transformation stick.

What You'll Do

Navigate Ambiguity and Drive Clarity

• Step into complex, ambiguous situations with competing priorities, unclear ownership, and political dynamics — and bring structure, clarity, and a confident path forward
• Diagnose root causes rather than just treating symptoms; connect your actions to outcomes
• Adapt when priorities shift; adjust plans to meet clients where they are while keeping long-term goals in focus

Design Solutions and Drive Strategic Impact

• Design and apply technical solutions in a high-pressure, complex environment, connecting product capabilities to district needs and presenting bold but grounded paths forward
• Develop deep understanding of client business priorities, goals, and risks
• Own the account plan and narrative: "Here's where you are. Here's where we're going. Here's what greatness could look like."
• Craft business-aligned success plans that drive maturity and ROI
• Escalate early risks and own mitigation strategies using data and evidence

Build Deep Relationships Across Stakeholders

• Foster deep and meaningful connections across multiple stakeholders — from cabinet-level leaders to operational doers — capably activating those connections to effectively drive impact
• Know when to show up as an executive and when to build informal backchannels; adjust your communication depending on the person you're speaking to
• Position yourself as a consultative, reputable partner who earns trust through credibility and follow-through

Drive Accountability and Progress

• Maintain account momentum by aligning internal teams and clients around shared goals
• Hold both clients and internal teams accountable to timelines, outcomes, and commitments
• Escalate when needed, but more importantly, unblock proactively

Prove and Grow Value

• Use data and storytelling to show progress, drive adoption, and frame impact in terms that matter to each audience
• Identify new use cases and opportunities for expansion that are tied to business outcomes

Who You Are

You are someone who wants your work to matter.

You are energized by mission-driven work and motivated by the idea that the work you do can directly impact how schools operate and, ultimately, how students are served. You don’t just want to support customers, you want to help them win.

You thrive in environments where the real decisions are being made. You enjoy partnering closely with leaders, earning trust quickly, and becoming a thought partner they rely on. You care about outcomes, and you take pride in seeing your work translated into real, visible impact.

You’ve built your career at the intersection of client partnership and organizational change. You understand the difference between a customer who is satisfied and who is truly successful, and you know how to close that gap.

You think in systems and frameworks, but you’re not rigid. You move quickly, adapt easily, and bring structure to complex, ambiguous environments. Where others see blockers, you see opportunities to create momentum.

Most importantly, you’re proactive. You don’t wait for problems to surface. You anticipate them, navigate them, and help your customers stay ahead.

What We Look For

Required

• 6+ years in a role with single-point ownership of complex, multi‑stakeholder projects or accounts (customer success, consulting, enterprise client services, or complex program management)
• Experience driving success within ambiguous and highly complex, multi‑stakeholder environments, ideally K12
• Track record of success navigating competing priorities — aligning stakeholders, holding others accountable, and delivering results under pressure
• Demonstrated experience solving problems with technology — evaluating options, selecting and implementing tools, and driving adoption with end users.

Preferred

• Experience in K-12 education or public sector
• Experience in a startup or early‑stage environment, creating and designing new processes and practices from the ground up.

If You...

• Want to do rewarding, high‑stakes, high‑impact work in public education
• Think in frameworks, influence with empathy, and build trust quickly
• Feel comfortable challenging clients and your own teammates when it's what's right
• Want to help school districts win — not just adopt software

...we want to get to know you!

Benefits and Perks

• Healthcare coverage covered at 100% for employees & 35% for all dependents
• Uncapped PTO
• Monthly productivity allowance (work where you thrive! This covers a co‑working space, coffee shop, working lunch)
• New hire stipend for remote office set‑up
• Monthly wifi reimbursement
• Annual personal office supply stipend
• Stipend for skills development (begins at 1‑year anniversary)

Compensation

The on‑target earnings (OTE) for this role are $156,000-$185,000 per year.