Sr. Director, Client Success - Retirement Services

adpinternalcareers; Louisville (KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

ADP is hiring a Senior Director, Client Success (Retirement Services) within the Small Business Services organization. You will lead a team of 5 leaders and manage escalations, partnering with Payroll, Sales, and other units to resolve complex issues and drive client satisfaction.

In this hybrid role based in Louisville, KY (with travel ~20%), you will define client success strategy, focus on retention, and develop talent while delivering measurable outcomes across client base and internal

Qualifications

• 12+ years in client service, customer success, or support operations.
• 5+ years of progressive managerial experience (Leader of Leaders).
• Executive presence with ability to influence at senior levels.
• Proven experience in client retention, escalation management, and service recovery.
• Experience leading high-volume, complex support environments.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a client success strategy that drives satisfaction, retention, and long-term value.
• Anticipate challenges and identify opportunities to enhance the client experience and service delivery.
• Use client insights and performance data to shape priorities and enterprise initiatives.
• Lead multi-functional client success teams for complex issue resolution and retention goals.
• Partner across Sales, Product, Account Management, Operations to align on client needs.

Skills

Client advocacy

Strategic thinking

Data-driven decisions

Cross-functional influence

Leadership

Team development

Communication skills

Travel readiness

Job description

We are hiring a Senior Director -- Client Success (Retirement Services) within our Small Business Services organization.

In this position as the Senior Director Client Success, you will support the teams that provide advanced Tier 2 support and escalation management for clients, associates, and internal business partners. This function serves as a centralized point of contact for complex issues that require specialized expertise, ensuring timely resolution and a seamless service experience. The team is responsible for managing escalated client and associate concerns, supporting client retention and loyalty initiatives, and partnering with functions such as Payroll, Sales, and other business units to resolve issues, provide guidance, and drive positive outcomes. Through proactive problem-solving, cross-functional collaboration, and end-to-end ownership of escalations, the team helps enhance client satisfaction, associate experience, and overall business performance.

The success of this position is measured by the quality, client retention, productivity and associate advancement and retention results for the assigned client base and direct reporting teams.

As the Senior Director, you will report directly to the VP/GM, Retirement Services. You will manage a team of 5 leaders along with several indirect reports across multiple locations.

WHAT YOU’LL DO: Responsibilities

• Define and execute a client success strategy that drives client satisfaction, retention, and long-term value
• Anticipate business challenges and identify opportunities to enhance the client experience, improve service delivery, and increase operational efficiency
• Use client insights, feedback, and performance data to shape priorities, inform enterprise initiatives, and influence strategic decisions
• Make high-impact decisions that strengthen service delivery, retention outcomes, and operational direction

Champion Change

• Lead proactive client engagement, service recovery, and retention strategies that reduce escalations and deepen client relationships
• Identify root causes of client dissatisfaction and drive improvements across processes, tools, and service delivery models
• Lead high-visibility initiatives that improve scalability, efficiency, and overall client outcomes

Foster Collaboration

• Partner across Sales, Product, Account Management, Operations, and other business units to align on client needs and business priorities
• Serve as a senior escalation point and strategic advisor for complex, high-impact client issues
• Bring cross-functional teams together to resolve issues, improve the client experience, and advance enterprise priorities

Grow Our People

• Lead, inspire, and develop leaders across client success functions
• Establish clear performance expectations and provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and development
• Build bench strength through thoughtful succession planning and talent development
• Maintain staffing strategies that support business needs and team effectiveness

Execute Every Day

• Lead multi-functional client success teams responsible for complex issue resolution, client loyalty and retention, and internal partner support
• Ensure effective case management, prioritization, and resolution aligned to service level expectations, quality standards, and client needs
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators, including resolution time, retention, client satisfaction, and escalation trends
• Manage resource planning, budgeting, and workforce alignment to support performance and growth
• Ensure adherence to policies, procedures, and quality standards
• Provide leadership support and coverage across teams as needed

Build Trust & Belonging

• Ensure thoughtful, high-touch handling of sensitive or high-impact client situations
• Build trust and credibility with clients and internal stakeholders through sound judgment, consistency, and client-centered decision-making
• Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, and shared commitment across client success teams

TO SUCCEED IN THIS ROLE: Requirements

• This is a hybrid role (3 days in the office, 2 days at home). Candidates will sit in either our Louisville, KY, El Paso, TX or Florham Park, NJ offices with a proven track record of managing teams in both a virtual and in-office setting.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in client service, customer success, or support operations; within the years of experience, must possess at least 5+ years of successful and progressive managerial experience (Leader of Leaders)
• Strong ability to hire, assess and develop talent
• Must possess great leadership qualities with the focus on a team-based approach using collaboration and driving an engaging and inclusive culture
• Proven experience in client retention, escalation management, and service recovery
• Experience leading high-volume, complex support environments
• Must possess an “executive” presence and skills to build strong, working relationships from front-line associates to senior executives as well as clients
• Excellent time management, communications, decision making, presentation, leadership, and organization skills
• Acts as the executive escalation point for internal and external issues
• Skilled in setting aggressive measurable goals and objectives and being measured against them; motivated by the challenge of achieving specific, challenging, and focused results
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to manage clients and associates virtually in an effective way
• Ability to travel quarterly to other ADP offices ~20%

A college degree is great but not required. What's more important is having the skills to do the job. Other acceptable experiences could include:

• Experience noted above, OR
• Military experience where skills including teamwork, adaptability, organization, and follow-through will help you build team and client relationships, identify solutions, and achieve success

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

• Client advocacy and relationship management
• Strategic thinking with a strong focus on execution and results
• Data-driven decision-making and analytical problem solving
• Strong communication and cross-functional influence
• Ability to lead in a fast-paced, high-volume environment
• Proven ability to build, develop, and retain high-performing teams

BONUS POINTS FOR THESE: Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading Tier 2 support, retention and loyalty, or escalation teams
• Strong understanding of service operations metrics, contact center environments, and enabling technologies
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale, cross-functional initiatives
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority in a matrixed organization
• Experience designing and implementing proactive client success strategies and engagement models

YOU'LL LOVE WORKING HERE BECAUSE YOU CAN:

• Be yourself in a culture that values equity, inclusion, and belonging and create a safe space for diverse perspectives and insights.
• Belongby joining one of nine Business Resource Groups where you can connect globally with networks and allies who share common interests and experiences.
• Grow your careerin an agile, fast-paced environment with plenty of opportunities to progress.
• Continuously learn.Ongoing training, development, and mentorship opportunities for even the most insatiable learner.
• Be your healthiest.Best-in-class benefits start on Day 1 because healthy associates are happy ones.
• Balance work and life.Resources and flexibility to integrate your work and your life more easily.
• Focus on your mental health and well-being.We’re here to provide exceptional service to our clients, and none of that happens without each of us taking care of ourselves and being there for one another.
• Join a company committed to giving backandgenerating a lasting, positive impact upon the communities in which we work and live.
• Get paid to pay it forward.Company-paid time off for volunteering for causes you care about.