At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic customer engagement and drive product adoption for maximum value.
- Company: Join Blackboard, a leader in educational technology with a focus on customer success.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, travel opportunities, and a chance to make a real impact.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for growth and collaboration across teams.
- Why this job: Be a trusted advisor and help shape the future of education technology.
- Qualifications: 7-10 years in Customer Success or Account Management within SaaS.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Location: This role is open only to candidates residing in England or Scotland due to operational constraints.
About The Role
Our Customer Success Management team ensures that customers realize maximum value throughout their Blackboard journey. The role of the Senior Customer Success Manager (Sr CSM) is to lead strategic engagement with customers to understand their goals, drive product adoption, influence long-term outcomes, and identify growth opportunities. The Sr CSM operates as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders and ensures strong alignment between customer objectives and Blackboard’s capabilities. This role works collaboratively across Blackboard teams to deliver a seamless customer experience while supporting strategic initiatives that contribute to retention, expansion, and long-term partnership success. The ideal candidate brings a strong customer-first mindset, excels at building executive-level relationships, and consistently drives measurable business outcomes across the customer lifecycle. This role requires travel 30-50% of the time.
Responsibilities
- Leading the development and execution of strategic account plans to ensure customer objectives are achieved and value from Blackboard solutions is maximized.
- Serving as a trusted advisor to senior and executive stakeholders, guiding customers on best practices, adoption strategies and long-term success.
- Driving product adoption and value realization across Blackboard solutions, using data and insights to inform engagement.
- Partnering closely with Sales to identify, shape, and support expansion opportunities, contributing to growth and retention outcomes.
- Playing a key role in renewal strategy and execution, ensuring alignment on value and positioning for successful outcomes.
- Providing strategic guidance and recommendations to help customers solve complex challenges and achieve institutional goals.
- Proactively monitoring customer health, identifying risks, and leading mitigation strategies for at-risk accounts.
- Acting as the primary point of coordination across internal teams, ensuring alignment and effective delivery for the customer.
- Influencing internal stakeholders to drive improvements in customer experience, product adoption and service delivery.
- Maintaining a high level of expertise across Blackboard solutions to support value-driven, outcome-focused conversations.
- Managing and maintaining accurate account plans, activities and customer data within systems such as Salesforce and Planhat.
- Supporting customer engagement through community participation, events and strategic programmes.
- Representing Blackboard as a trusted partner and building strong relationships across customer organisations.
Required Skills And Experience
- 7–10 years of experience in Customer Success, Account Management or related customer roles within a SaaS environment.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex or high-value customer accounts.
- Strong track record of driving customer outcomes, retention and growth.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage effectively with executive stakeholders.
- Strong commercial awareness and ability to contribute to renewal and expansion strategies.
- Advanced problem-solving, critical thinking and strategic planning capabilities.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across a matrixed organisation.
- Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple priorities and competing demands.
- Strong emotional intelligence and relationship management skills.
- Experience working with CRM and Customer Success platforms such as Salesforce and Planhat.
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
Preferred Skills And Experience
- Advanced degree.
- Fluency in European languages.
About Blackboard
Blackboard advances teaching excellence and unlocks the full potential of technology to deliver meaningful outcomes. We empower institutions to deepen connections between educators and learners, inspire engagement and drive long-term academic success across the full learner journey.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country where the role is based at the time of hire and must maintain that authorization for the duration of employment. The company does not provide visa sponsorship or immigration support for this position.
This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities at any time.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Blackboard is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, gender, age, colour, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other legally protected factor.
Senior Customer Success Manager in Scotland employer: Blackboard
At Blackboard, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic work culture that prioritises employee growth and collaboration. As a Senior Customer Success Manager, you will not only engage with senior stakeholders to drive meaningful outcomes but also benefit from our commitment to professional development and a supportive environment that values innovation and customer success. Located in the UK, this role offers unique opportunities for strategic engagement and travel, ensuring that your contributions directly impact our customers' journeys and long-term partnerships.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Customer Success Manager in Scotland
✨Get to Know the Company Culture
Before jumping into applications, it’s super helpful to understand the vibe at Blackboard. Check out their social media, read reviews on sites like Glassdoor, and see how they engage with customers. It'll give you clues on their values and help tailor your conversation during interviews.
✨Join Customer Support Communities
Dive into online communities like those on Reddit or LinkedIn where customer support pros hang out. Participating in discussions or asking questions can make you more visible to potential recruiters and help you learn about job openings at companies like Blackboard before they even post them.
✨Attend Job Fairs or Networking Events
Look out for local job fairs or events specifically for customer support roles. This is your chance to meet hiring managers face-to-face, and you might even get the opportunity to interview on the spot!
✨Show Off Your Skills with Customer Interactions
In the customer support world, showcasing your communication skills is key. Consider creating a short video introducing yourself or even doing a mock call to showcase your abilities. It's a memorable way to stand out, especially if you can share this during your interview process!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Customer Success Manager in Scotland
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Communication Skills:In customer support, clear communication is key. Make sure your CV highlights any experience you've had in customer-facing roles and your ability to resolve issues. Don't shy away from including specific examples of how you've gone above and beyond to help customers – this really shows your potential in the role.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to Blackboard:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Tell us why you want to work at Blackboard specifically. Mention any unique aspects of our company that resonate with you and how your skills can enhance our customer support. This personal touch will set your application apart from the rest!
Highlight Any Relevant Tools or Tech Skills:If you've used customer support software like Zendesk or Freshdesk or have experience with CRM systems, make sure to mention these in your application. Being familiar with industry-standard tools can be a big plus for us when we’re reviewing applications, as it shows you can hit the ground running!
Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills:Customer support roles often require a knack for problem-solving. In your application, share examples of past experiences where you've tackled tough situations or resolved conflicts effectively. This will give us a good sense of how you handle challenges—an essential skill for success at Blackboard!
How to prepare for a job interview at Blackboard
✨Show Off Your People Skills
In customer support, it's all about communicating effectively. Prepare to share instances from your past experiences where you handled difficult customers or resolved conflicts. We want to hear how you empathised and found the best solutions, so think of specific examples to back up your stories!
✨Know the Tools of the Trade
Familiarise yourself with common customer support tools like Zendesk or Freshdesk, and make sure to review how you’ve used any similar systems in the past. During the interview, being able to discuss your hands-on experience with software or ticketing systems can really set you apart from the competition, so don’t skip this prep!
✨Show Genuine Enthusiasm
As this is a full-time role, employers want someone who isn’t just looking for any job, but wants to grow within customer support. Make sure to express your enthusiasm for helping customers and your desire to develop your skills. Show them why you're passionate about this field!
✨Practice Common Scenarios
Be prepared for role-playing scenarios where you might have to reassess a solution with a frustrated customer or explain a complex process in simple terms. Practising these common scenarios can help us feel more confident and demonstrate our practical skills effectively during the interview.
