Owns strategic direction and renewal outcomes for a portfolio of higher-education clients, leads Engagement Managers, runs annual strategy and adoption plans, identifies expansion opportunities, represents client needs internally, and tracks retention and account-health metrics. Requires ~35-40% travel.
Client Strategist
Location: Remote | Type: Full-Time | Team: Client Success
PeopleGrove is seeking a driven and dynamic Client Strategist to champion our higher education partners using our cutting-edge product suite. If you thrive in fast-paced environments, have a passion for helping others succeed, and love turning complex challenges into meaningful outcomes, this role is for you!
About the Role
The Client Strategist owns the long-term partnership between PeopleGrove and a portfolio of institutions, mostly based in higher education. You set the strategic direction for each account — aligning the institution's goals with their PeopleGrove platform, setting targets, and checking in on progress. You lead a team of Engagement Managers who carry that strategy forward with clients day to day, and you're accountable for renewal outcomes across your portfolio. This position requires approximately 35 – 40% travel.
What You'll Do
- Lead annual strategy sessions with institutional stakeholders to align campus goals with their PeopleGrove platform.
- Set clear targets and give direction on platform usage based on each institution's priorities.
- Map platform capabilities to the institution's broader student success, advancement, or enrollment goals.
- Check in on progress against strategic targets and adjust the plan as institutional priorities change.
- Identify opportunities to expand platform usage in ways that support the institution's goals.
- Balance one-to-one strategic guidance with one-to-many programming.
- Shape the direction of client-facing events, including webinars, conferences, campus visits and PeopleGrove hosted events. Identify opportunities to plan, organize and attend the ones that matter most to the portfolio.
- Serve as the voice of the collective client inside PeopleGrove, sharing and providing feedback with CS Leadership, Product and Engineering.
- Own the renewal strategy for your portfolio, including forecasting, timing, and negotiation.
- Identify risk metrics and monitor account health; work with your Engagement Manager team to identify and intervene early on accounts at risk.
- Identify up- and cross-sell opportunities to tee up to New Sales team.
- Serve as the senior point of contact for institutional leadership within your portfolio.
- Represent your clients' priorities internally, working with Product, Support, and Sales to close gaps and inform the roadmap.
- Build a network of institutional champions who can speak to the value of the PeopleGrove partnership.
- Manage and coach a team of Engagement Managers, setting priorities and reviewing progress against adoption goals. Support Engagement Mangers in building and implementing a scalable engagement strategy for portfolio of clients.
- Run regular one-on-ones and support the professional growth of your team.
- Help onboard and train new Engagement Managers as the team grows.
- Track monthly gross and net retention rates, logo retention, account health, and adoption metrics across your portfolio.
- Report on portfolio performance and flag risk early enough to act on it.
- Use data to decide where your team should focus its engagement efforts.
Strategic Planning & Account Direction
Renewal Management
Client Relationships & Advocacy
Team Leadership
Metrics & Reporting
Who You Are
- 6+ years in client success, account management, or a related role in higher education or SaaS, including experience leading or mentoring a team.
- Track record of managing renewals and account growth for institutional or enterprise clients.
- Experience with customer success or CRM platforms such as ChurnZero and Salesforce.
- Strong strategic and consultative skills, comfortable setting direction with senior stakeholders at a college or university.
- Clear communicator, in writing and in front of a room.
- Data-driven approach to tracking account health and identifying risk.
- Comfortable managing multiple institutional relationships and competing priorities at once.
- Bachelor's degree in a related field; advanced degree a plus.
- Background in higher education, SaaS, or both preferred.
Experience
Skills
Education
Perks & Benefits
- Competitive salary + annual bonus
- Flexible PTO and hybrid/remote work options
- Full medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401K with generous company match + financial planning
- Company-paid life and disability insurance
- Collaborative and purpose-driven culture
About us
As the trusted leader in student and alumni lifecycle engagement, clinical and non-clinical experiential education and career readiness, PeopleGrove+CORE Higher Education Group helps colleges and universities drive real outcomes. With a combined focus on meaningful engagement and simplifying the complexities of clinical and non-clinical experiential learning, the company partners with institutions to prepare students for career success and beyond. Leveraging over 16 years of industry leadership and a dedicated team of over 100 professionals, PeopleGrove+CORE offers innovative software solutions to scale and optimize a wide range of programs. This includes mentorship, career readiness, competency tracking, and seamless student placement and progress monitoring in clinical settings. The platform is designed to meet the demands of programs of all sizes, from those with ten students to tens of thousands.
At the center of our mission is the belief that career success is built on meaningful experiences and human connection. By pairing AI-powered tools with high-touch engagement, they empower institutions to personalize, streamline, and scale their efforts. This creates lasting value for students, alumni, and the communities they serve by anchoring the student journey in the power of experience, connection, and support.
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