Renewals Specialist: Elevate Retention & Growth

Cengage; Kentucky; On-site; USD 33,062 - 42,705; Full time

Job summary

Cengage, a global edtech company, is seeking a Lead Renewal Specialist to manage and drive customer renewals through proactive engagement, CRM dashboards, and close collaboration with sales and internal teams. You will own a renewal pipeline, prioritize by value and risk, maintain timely notes, respond within 24 hours, and pursue expansion opportunities across the product portfolio.

Monthly calls with account teams, regular renewal updates, and deep product knowledge will support retention,

Qualifications

• Manage renewal pipeline using CRM dashboards and track contacts, opportunities, quotes, and renewal stages.
• Maintain detailed notes on all customer interactions including calls, meetings, emails, and renewal activity.
• Complete renewal strategies by moving opportunities through defined stages and prioritizing by value and risk.
• Handle high-volume inbox with a 24-hour response-time goal.
• Prioritize high-value renewals to improve retention and revenue.
• Attend monthly sessions with sales to review renewal progress and coordinate on strategic plans.
• Collaborate with sales and internal teams; stay current on systems and processes.
• Develop product knowledge to identify expansion opportunities during renewal cycles.
• Log and track all customer activity in CRM for reporting and forecasting.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage a renewal pipeline using CRM dashboards, ensuring accurate tracking of contacts, opportunities, quotes, and renewal stages.
• Maintain detailed and timely notes on all customer interactions, including calls, meetings, emails, and renewal activity.
• Complete renewal strategies by working opportunities through defined stages and prioritizing renewals by value and risk level.
• Manage a high-volume inbox and maintain a customer response-time goal of 24 hours or less.
• Proactively prioritize and work the highest-value renewals in descending order to improve retention and revenue.
• Conduct monthly sessions with sales representatives to assess renewal progress and coordinate on strategic plans to boost renewals.
• Collaborate closely with sales reps and internal teammates to stay current on systems, tools, and processes.
• Attend bi-weekly Southeast and Northeast meetings to provide renewal updates, field questions, and support managers and teams.
• Develop product knowledge to find opportunities for expansion and new product growth during the renewal cycle.
• Accurately log and track all customer activity in CRM to support reporting, forecasting, and leadership visibility.

Skills

Organizational skills

CRM management

Communication

Prioritization

Collaboration

Customer focus

Product knowledge

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Cengage, a global edtech company, is seeking a Lead Renewal Specialist to manage and drive customer renewals through proactive engagement, CRM dashboards, and close collaboration with sales and internal teams. You will own a renewal pipeline, prioritize by value and risk, maintain timely notes, respond within 24 hours, and pursue expansion opportunities across the product portfolio.

Monthly calls with account teams, regular renewal updates, and deep product knowledge will support retention,