Torchora
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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for VP Customer Success

💰 $220,000 - $300,000+

Customer SuccessExecutiveLeadershipSaaSTechnology

🎯 Role Definition

As the Vice President of Customer Success, you will be the chief architect and executive leader of our entire post-sales customer experience. You will be responsible for building a world-class organization focused on driving exceptional outcomes, maximizing customer value, and fostering unwavering loyalty. Your strategic vision will directly impact our company's growth by transforming our customers into our biggest advocates. This is a highly visible, cross-functional leadership role that requires a deep passion for the customer, a data-driven mindset, and a proven track record of scaling teams and processes in a fast-paced B2B SaaS environment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Director of Customer Success
  • Head of Professional Services
  • Senior Director of Account Management

Advancement To:

  • Chief Customer Officer (CCO)
  • Chief Operating Officer (COO)
  • General Manager (Business Unit)

Lateral Moves:

  • VP of Revenue Operations
  • VP of Strategic Partnerships

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and execute a comprehensive, global customer success strategy that aligns with corporate goals to drive product adoption, customer retention, and net revenue retention (NRR).
  • Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing, geographically distributed team of Customer Success Managers, Onboarding Specialists, and Support professionals.
  • Define, own, and continuously optimize the entire customer lifecycle, from an effective and streamlined onboarding process to ongoing engagement, value realization, and renewal.
  • Establish and rigorously track key performance indicators (KPIs) for the Customer Success organization, including Net Revenue Retention (NRR), Gross Revenue Retention (GRR), churn rates, customer health scores, and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT/NPS).
  • Act as the ultimate executive sponsor for our most strategic accounts, building and maintaining strong, long-lasting relationships with C-level executives and key stakeholders.
  • Serve as the powerful "Voice of the Customer" internally, aggregating feedback and insights to influence the product roadmap, marketing strategy, and overall company direction.
  • Design and implement scalable processes, playbooks, and engagement models to ensure a consistent, high-quality customer experience across all segments and regions.
  • Drive a company-wide culture of customer-centricity, ensuring all departments are aligned on delivering value and exceptional service at every touchpoint.
  • Partner closely with the executive leadership team, especially the CRO and CPO, to create a seamless and cohesive customer journey from pre-sales to post-sales.
  • Own the departmental budget, including headcount planning, technology stack investments, and operational expenses, ensuring a strong return on investment.
  • Implement and optimize a robust Customer Success technology stack (e.g., Gainsight, Catalyst, Salesforce) to enable data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency.
  • Develop and manage sophisticated customer health scoring models to proactively identify at-risk accounts and trigger appropriate intervention playbooks.
  • Create and oversee strategic programs to drive customer advocacy, including the development of case studies, testimonials, and referral pipelines.
  • Structure and lead insightful Executive Business Reviews (EBRs) with key customers to reinforce value, showcase ROI, and identify strategic growth opportunities.
  • Refine and scale the customer segmentation strategy to deliver tailored engagement models for different customer tiers (e.g., high-touch for enterprise, tech-touch for SMB).
  • Collaborate with the Sales team on renewal forecasting, negotiation strategies, and identifying and closing upsell/cross-sell opportunities within the existing customer base.
  • Oversee the creation and delivery of customer education and training programs to accelerate product adoption and user proficiency.
  • Develop and implement a clear career pathing and professional development framework for the Customer Success team to foster growth and retain top talent.
  • Handle and resolve the most critical customer escalations, demonstrating strong problem-solving skills and executive presence.
  • Analyze and report on customer trends, team performance, and the financial impact of the Customer Success function to the executive team and board of directors.
  • Champion and manage the professional services and implementation arms of the business, ensuring a smooth and effective deployment of our solutions for new clients.
  • Build out a sophisticated customer feedback loop that systematically captures, analyzes, and disseminates customer insights to relevant internal teams for actionable improvements.

Secondary Functions

  • Collaborate with Marketing to develop customer case studies, testimonials, and advocacy programs.
  • Partner with the Finance team on renewal forecasting, billing inquiries, and revenue recognition.
  • Work with the Product Marketing team to effectively communicate new feature releases and updates to the customer base.
  • Engage with the Legal team to navigate complex customer contracts, renewals, and amendments.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Expertise in B2B SaaS business models and metrics (ARR, NRR, LTV, CAC).
  • Deep proficiency with Customer Success platforms (e.g., Gainsight, Catalyst, ChurnZero) and CRM software (Salesforce).
  • Strong data analysis skills; ability to interpret customer data and trends to derive actionable insights and drive strategy.
  • Experience with financial management, including P&L ownership, budget creation, and forecasting.
  • Proven ability in designing and implementing scalable operational processes, playbooks, and systems.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional executive leadership and team-building skills with extensive experience managing managers and scaling teams.
  • Strategic and systems thinking; ability to connect customer success activities to broader business outcomes.
  • Superior communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and engage C-level executives.
  • High emotional intelligence and a deep sense of empathy for both customers and team members.
  • Strong negotiation and conflict resolution abilities, particularly in high-stakes customer situations.
  • A customer-obsessed mindset with an unwavering passion for delivering value and positive outcomes.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

  • Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Marketing
  • Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 15+ years of professional experience

Preferred: A minimum of 10 years of leadership experience within Customer Success, Account Management, or a related post-sales function in a high-growth B2B SaaS organization, with at least 5 years at a Director level or above.

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