Lead Student Success Manager

peopleworth; Johannesburg; Remote; ZAR 700 000 - 900 000; Full time

Job summary

A forward-thinking educational organization is seeking a Lead Student Success Manager to oversee learner experiences, engagement, and outcomes in professional and higher education. This full-time remote role involves strategic leadership and operational excellence, ensuring every learner receives exceptional support. Candidates should have significant experience in student success or customer success within EdTech, strong analytical skills, and a track record of driving satisfaction and retention.

Benefits

Collaborative work culture

Growth opportunities

Exposure to innovative education models

Qualifications

• Significant experience in student success or customer success in education environments.
• Strong analytical skills for interpreting learner data.
• Proven leadership in managing high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach a team of Student Success Managers.
• Design and oversee learner journeys to enhance satisfaction.
• Monitor and report on key engagement metrics.

Skills

Student success management

Team leadership

Analytical skills

Interpersonal communication

Customer success

Tools

CRM tools

Learning management systems

Job description

At peopleworth, we support work where people and performance thrive. As part of our Employer Group, we work with a variety of forward-thinking partners and are excited to share this opportunity that sits within our growing group.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Lead Student Success Manager to oversee learner experience, engagement, and outcomes across professional and higher education programmes. This role combines strategic leadership with a deep focus on operational excellence and learner-centred design. The position will lead a team of Success Managers to ensure every learner receives exceptional support from onboarding to completion, driving satisfaction, retention, and career-focused outcomes. This is a full-time, remote role based within UK or South Africa.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Student Success Managers to deliver outstanding learner experiences
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and data-driven improvement within the Student Success function
• Serve as the escalation point for complex learner cases, ensuring empathy, professionalism, and alignment with process standards
• Design and oversee end-to-end learner journeys that enhance engagement, progression, and satisfaction
• Partner with cross-functional teams in Product, Delivery, and Operations to ensure consistency across learner touchpoints
• Develop and implement scalable frameworks, playbooks, and learner communication strategies
• Monitor key metrics including learner satisfaction, retention, and completion, ensuring continuous improvement through data insights
• Report on learner engagement trends and performance outcomes to senior leadership
• Own a specialist area within the Student Success team such as systems optimisation, learner wellbeing, or resource development
• Drive innovation in learner support systems, digital engagement, and process automation

Requirements

• Significant experience in student success, learner engagement, or customer success within education or EdTech environments
• Demonstrated leadership in managing, coaching, and developing high-performing teams
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with proven experience interpreting learner data and sentiment insights
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and an ability to engage diverse learners with empathy and clarity
• Track record of driving learner satisfaction, retention, and completion outcomes
• Familiarity with CRM tools, community management platforms, and learning management systems
• Experience collaborating across departments to design and optimise learner journeys
• Deep understanding of the relationship between learner experience, outcomes, and operational effectiveness

Desirable

• Experience with postgraduate or professional learner engagement
• Background in service design, learner communities, or support automation
• Coaching or wellbeing qualification
• Understanding of digital skills development or emerging career pathways

Benefits

• Collaborative, people-centred performance culture
• Opportunities to grow in a fast-paced environment
• Exposure to innovative education models and learner experience design

Our Recruitment Process

The peopleworth Employer Group follows a fair, transparent, and multi-stage recruitment process designed to ensure mutual fit.

• Application Submission: Complete the online form and answer brief application questions.
• Initial Screening: Your application is reviewed for role alignment; successful candidates move to the longlist.
• Video Interview Stage: You'll be invited to record short responses to 3-4 role-specific questions.
• Live Interviews: Shortlisted candidates join first-round interviews (and, where applicable, second or third rounds depending on the role).
• Final Shortlist & Verification: Reference and background checks are completed.
• Offer & Contracting: Successful candidates receive formal offers and contract documents.
• Pre-boarding & Onboarding: Once accepted, you'll complete a pre-boarding process before officially joining your employing organisation within the Employer Group.

Throughout every stage, we value clear communication, respectful engagement, and timely feedback.