Customer Success Manager at Esper

Customer Success Manager Location: Austin, TX (with domestic travel up to 30%) Department: Professional Services & Customer Success Employment Type: Full-Time Location: Austin, Texas About Esper Esper was founded in 2018 with a mission to empower dynamic and responsive policymaking in government. We align existing data, stakeholders, and public policy goals to streamline the policymaking process at all levels of government. We imagine a world where policymaking is driven by data and insights from all stakeholders, transforming traditional bureaucracy into a dynamic and flexible system that encourages innovation and collaboration. As a fast-growing GovTech company, Esper is at the intersection of two powerful forces: the modernization of government operations and the transformative potential of data-driven decision-making. Our customer base is expanding rapidly, and we are building the team that will define how public policy is shaped for decades to come. Job Summary The Customer Success Manager will drive value to Esper’s customers by serving as a strategic partner throughout the post-sale lifecycle, supporting customers as they adopt, expand, and realize ongoing value from the platform. You’ll combine relationship management, data-driven insights, and customer advisory skills to ensure customers are continuously progressing toward their goals and maximizing the impact of Esper across their organization. This is a customer-facing Customer Success role responsible for managing a portfolio of customers. You will own renewals by monitoring customer health, identify risk, increase adoption and usage, and surface expansion opportunities. Working cross-functionally with Engineering, Sales, Product, and Leadership, you’ll help ensure customers realize value quickly, remain engaged, and continue growing with Esper. Responsibilities Customer Success & Portfolio Management • Manage a portfolio of ~25-50 customer accounts, serving as the primary point of contact for renewals, account health, engagement, and growth • Build strong, trust-based relationships across customer stakeholders, positioning yourself as a strategic advisor throughout the customer lifecycle • Maintain consistent, proactive communication cadence across accounts to ensure alignment on goals, usage, and outcomes • Monitor customer health signals, identifying risks early and driving action plans to improve retention and long-term success • Partner with customers to define success criteria, track progress, and ensure continuous value realization from Esper Adoption, Engagement & Growth • Drive product adoption and ongoing usage by guiding customers on best practices aligned to their workflows and policy management goals • Analyze product usage data, engagement trends, and behavioral signals to identify gaps, opportunities, and expansion paths • Proactively identify upsell and expansion opportunities based on customer needs, maturity, and product utilization • Partner with customers to expand use cases across departments, teams, and agencies to deepen platform footprint • Lead renewal conversations including pricing/terms, negotiation, and close by demonstrating measurable value, impact, and alignment to customer objectives Customer Support & Issue Resolution • Serve as a frontline partner for customer support needs, ensuring timely resolution and clear communication • Act as the liaison between customers and internal teams (Product, Engineering) to escalate and resolve issues effectively • Ensure customers feel supported, heard, and confident in Esper’s ability to deliver on their needs • Track recurring issues and themes to help improve product experience and reduce friction over time Cross-Functional Collaboration • Partner closely with Sales, Product, Engineering, and Leadership to ensure a seamless and high-quality customer experience • Share structured customer feedback, usage insights, and market signals to inform product development and roadmap priorities • Collaborate on account strategy, expansion planning, and customer communications to drive aligned outcomes • Advocate for the customer internally while balancing business goals and scalability Operational Excellence & Account Discipline • Maintain accurate account records, health tracking, engagement notes, and success plans across your portfolio • Develop scalable processes to manage a high-volume book of business without sacrificing quality of engagement • Establish repeatable playbooks for outreach, adoption campaigns, and risk mitigation • Continuously improve workflows to balance proactive engagement with reactive support Requirements · 3-7 years of experience in SaaS/Software Customer Success or Account Management role, specifically owning a book of business with a focus on retention, renewals, and expansion · 2-4 years proven track record of managing long-term customer relationships and navigating complex organizational structures · Proven ability to manage multiple customer workstreams with strong ownership of timelines, action items, risks, and stakeholder communication · Strong consultative skills with the ability to understand customer processes, ask thoughtful questions, and recommend practical solutions · Experience using customer health scoring (based on product usage, engagement, and sentiment) to proactively identify churn risks and execute mitigation plans. · Demonstrated ability to develop and execute Success Plans that align customer business goals with product capabilities to ensure continuous value delivery · Experience leading Executive Business Reviews (EBRs) or Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) to demonstrate ROI and align on future strategic initiatives · Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including workshop facilitation, training, and customer-facing presentations · Strong documentation and organizational skills; able to maintain detailed account health records, adoption metrics, executive business reviews, and playbooks that ensure consistent renewal and growth · Proficiency with common business tools (e.g., Office/Excel, GSuite, Jira, Salesforce, Hubspot or Gainsight)· Ability to travel domestically (up to 30%) depending on business need Experience Preferred Experience · GovTech experience or knowledge of government operational concepts, regulatory frameworks, and policymaking processes · Strong AI experience to improve internal workflow, increase customer touchpoints, and leveraging to improve customer experience · Familiarity with adoption planning, change management, training and/or customer best practices · Experience with data migration, report creation, or structured content onboarding processes · Strong Excel skills, including the ability to use formulas, pivot tables, v-lookups, and error-checking to manage and format data · A genuine interest in public policy and how technology can transform how government operates Core Competencies · Consultative Problem Solving: Understands customer needs, asks the right questions, and translates workflows into practical solutions · Customer Success Orientation: Focuses on adoption, customer health, long-term value, and successful outcomes after go-live · Risk Awareness: Identifies blockers, usage concerns, or change impacts early and helps coordinate mitigation plans · Communication & Enablement: Communicates clearly, facilitates training, and keeps stakeholders aligned throughout delivery · Cross-Functional Collaboration: Works effectively across Product, Engineering, Sales, and Professional Services to support customer outcomes · Process Discipline: Maintains organized documentation, consistent follow-up, and repeatable delivery habits