Partner Success Manager - Via Student Transit

via; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health coverage

401(k) with company match

Parental leave and wellness perks

Job summary

Via is seeking a Partner Success Associate for the Student Transit team in Chicago. You will serve as the face and voice of Via for school districts and local government partners, blending relationship management with data analysis and problem-solving.

You will drive service quality, support renewals and expansions, and work cross-functionally to ensure smooth program performance. A willingness to travel up to 50% is required as you scale our national Student Transit program.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of client-facing experience in sales, business development, customer success, account management, consulting, or B2G/education tech.
• Analytical: comfortable diving into operational data and translating numbers into insights.
• Self-starter who thrives in high-growth settings with ambiguity.
• Willingness to travel around 50% of the time.
• Excellent written and verbal presentation skills.
• Curiosity, resourcefulness, and willingness to learn.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted partner relationships with school district leadership, transportation directors, and operators.
• Drive service quality and efficiency by analyzing transit performance data and delivering actionable recommendations.
• Lead renewals and expansions by negotiating contracts and growing adoption and revenue.
• Champion partner needs internally by coordinating with product, operations, deployment, and marketing teams.
• Communicate clearly to audiences from school boards to frontline staff with tailored messaging.
• Build and scale playbooks to deliver a best-in-class partner experience as the Student Transit vertical grows nationally.

Skills

Client-facing

Analytical

Self-starter

Launch readiness

Strong communicator

Mission-driven

Job description

Via is using technology to transform transportation around the world. From changing a single person's daily commute to reducing humanity's collective environmental footprint - we've got huge goals.

As a Partner Success Associate on the Via Student Transit team, you will be the face and voice of Via for school districts and local government partners. This role blends strategic relationship management, operational data analysis, and consultative problem-solving. You will serve as a trusted, empathetic advisor to superintendents and transportation directors - understanding their needs and challenges, ensuring smooth program performance, driving service expansions, and driving long-term renewals in one of our fastest-growing business verticals.

For this quota-carrying role, we're looking for a customer-first , self-starting team player who thrives in ambiguity, communicates clearly and effectively, and is excited to roll up their sleeves and help accelerate the growth of a high-impact, mission-driven business. This role requires a willingness to travel around 50% of the time.

What You'll Do

• Build Trusted Partner Relationships : Serve as the primary point of contact for school district leadership, transportation directors, and operators, building durable, trust-based relationships through empathy, responsiveness, and a deep understanding of their priorities and challenges.
• Drive Service Quality & Efficiency : Analyze daily, weekly, and long-term transit performance data to understand what's working, identify challenges, and provide actionable recommendations that improve routing, student safety, and operational efficiency.
• Lead Renewals & Expansions : Partner with customers to understand their evolving goals, negotiate complex contract renewals and service expansions, and grow year-over-year adoption and revenue across your partner portfolio.
• Champion Partner Needs Internally : Build strong internal partnerships with product, operations, deployment, and marketing teams, bringing the customer perspective to the table and advocating for improvements that meaningfully address partner and student needs.
• Communicate Across All Levels : Deliver clear, compelling presentations and operational updates to audiences ranging from school boards and superintendents to frontline transit staff, adapting your approach to meet each audience where they are.
• Build and Scale Playbooks : Help establish best practices, success metrics, and operational workflows that enable us to deliver an exceptional partner experience as we scale the Student Transit vertical nationally.

Who You Are

• Partner Lead: You have 3+ years of client-facing experience, ideally in sales, business development, customer success, account management, consulting, or B2G/education tech.
• Analytical: You're comfortable diving into operational data, extracting meaningful insights, and translating numbers into clear strategic narratives.
• Self-Starter & Builder: You thrive in fast-paced, high-growth settings with ambiguity, taking ownership and solving problems proactively.
• Launch-Ready: You're excited to take ownership of service launches, coordinate across teams, and represent Via confidently and empathetically on the ground. You enjoy being on the move, meeting new people, and traveling frequently to help bring launches to life in cities around the world.
• Strong Communicator: You have exceptional written and verbal presentation skills, with a talent for translating complex operational models into simple, compelling concepts.
• Mission-Driven: You're excited about modernizing student transportation and improving access to education. Prior experience in transit, education, or public sector sales/CS is a plus; what matters most is curiosity, resourcefulness, and a willingness to keep learning.

What We Offer

Base Salary Range: $65,000-$75,000 per year plus variable pay and equity as part of a total compensation package. Final compensation will be determined by the candidate's experience, knowledge, and skills.

• Comprehensive health coverage, with low-cost dental and vision plans
• A 401(k) with company match and vesting
• Fully paid parental leave for new parents, with extended leave options
• Additional benefits (mental health, pet insurance, and other wellness perks)
• 20 days of paid time off (PTO) annually

Via is an equal opportunity employer.