Customer Success Manager - College Outreach

Who You Are

As a Customer Success Manager - College Outreach (CSM), you will play a critical role in connecting educators with solutions in today’s classrooms at the post-secondary level.

We’re seeking a dynamic, results-driven individual with a passion for education, a deep understanding of sales strategies, the ability to build meaningful relationships with educators, and a proven ability to guide successful implementation at the post-secondary level. As a CSM, your expertise will empower educators with the tools they need to create engaging learning environments that ignite a passion for discovery and enable hands-on experiences that support students as they make sense of phenomena and design solutions to problems.

If you're excited about making a meaningful impact in science education and inspiring the next generation of scientists and innovators, we’d love to hear from you!

What You Bring

• Proven ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with decision-makers and key stakeholders at higher education institutions nationally
• A solid knowledge of physics, chemistry, or biology at the post-secondary level.
• Strong understanding of instructional needs and the ability to recommend solutions that align with educational goals.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal.
• High level of organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple accounts and priorities effectively.
• Passion for education and a commitment to inspiring scientific curiosity.
• Results-oriented mindset with a track record of meeting or exceeding sales goals.
• Proven ability to identify opportunities to grow accounts by recommending products and services that address customer needs.
• Proven ability to leverage referrals and networking to develop new business opportunities.
• Proficiency in CRM software and other sales tools.
• Experience managing the sales process, including proposals, negotiation, and closing deals.
• Self-motivated and proactive, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Willingness to travel as needed for client visits, conferences, and training sessions.

Education and Experience

Four or more years of customer success or sales experience, preferably in post-secondary education and/or a Master’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university with coursework in the STEM field. A PhD in a STEM field is preferred.

About us

Founded in 1981, Vernier pioneers award-winning interfaces, sensors, software, and curriculum to transform how educators teach science and how students collect, analyze, and interpret scientific data. Vernier is registered as an Oregon Benefit Company. We have also been on the list of the 100 Best Places to Work in Oregon for over 20 years. Being on this list means that we are serious about our commitment to providing employees with a positive, professional, inclusive, equitable, and fun work environment. Vernier is owned by a Perpetual Purpose Trust, which empowers us to stay committed to our core mission and values and prioritize our social and charitable objectives far into the future

What we can offer you

At Vernier, we appreciate the impact of a sustainable work-life balance. In addition to an amazing company culture, Vernier offers competitive pay, profit sharing, a generous employer contribution into your 401(k) retirement account, and exceptional benefits. We also offer training opportunities, tuition assistance, paid volunteer time, a generous PTO (paid time off) plan, along with paid sabbaticals.

Job Title:  Customer Success Manager - College Outreach

Department:  Outreach

Reports To:  Director of Global Business Development

FLSA Status:  Exempt

SUMMARY

The Customer Success Manager - College Outreach, plays a crucial role in fostering customer advocacy and satisfaction by building strong, trusted relationships with decision-makers and key stakeholders at higher education institutions nationally. They are dedicated to understanding the unique needs of each customer and ensuring that those needs are met through the optimal use of Vernier solutions. By working closely with customers, the CSM drives the achievement of desired outcomes, ensuring customers obtain value, renew, and grow

Key responsibilities include:

Customer Advocacy: Championing customer interests and needs within our organization, ensuring the voice of the customer is heard, and their objectives are prioritized.

Relationship Building: Develops relationships with science educators a the post-secondary level. The focus of this position is college sales in the Eastern and Southern parts of the United States. 

Utilization Maximization: Actively working to ensure districts use Vernier solutions to their fullest potential, helping customers integrate and leverage these tools effectively for their specific needs.

Proactive Support: Regularly checking in with customers through meetings, calls, and reviews to assess satisfaction, uncover new needs, and ensure ongoing success.

Training and Education: Guiding clients through the onboarding process to ensure successful implementation of Vernier solutions. Promoting the use of professional development resources, enabling customers to fully understand and utilize Vernier solutions to drive successful outcomes. Ensure clients are aware of new products, services, or features that may benefit them.

Sales and Revenue Growth: Identify opportunities for upselling, cross-selling, and expanding service offerings. Develop and implement strategies to retain existing clients and secure new clients.

Represent Vernier in the Higher Education Field: Represent Vernier at conferences, trade shows, and other events targeted at college educators and decision-makers. 

New Business Development: 

Identify, research, and target prospective clients within assigned territories or verticals.

Generate leads through cold calling, networking, and leveraging referrals.

Conduct discovery calls and presentations to demonstrate how our solutions address client needs.

Cross-Selling into Existing Accounts:

Build and nurture relationships with current clients to understand their evolving needs.

Identify opportunities to expand product/service adoption within existing accounts.

Sales Process Management:

Manage the end-to-end sales process, including proposals, contract negotiations, and closing deals.

Accurately forecast and track pipeline activity in the CRM system.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Relationship building: Build and nurture long-term, trusting relationships with key decision-makers and influencers.
• Account management: Serve as the primary point of contact within customer accounts to proactively understand needs, address concerns, and ensure timely delivery of services to achieve desired outcomes.
• Needs analysis: Understand client needs and goals to tailor Vernier solutions to meet customer goals.
• Sales Acumen: Strong understanding of sales strategies and the ability to identify opportunities to grow accounts by recommending additional products or services that address customer needs.
• Project management: Identify goals and evaluation metrics, design implementation plans, timelines, and resources to achieve identified customer outcomes.
• Customer education: Provide ongoing support, ensuring customers have the tools and resources they need to successfully utilize Vernier solutions.
• Customer feedback: Gather feedback from customers to inform product development and improve the overall customer experience.
• Communication and interpersonal skills: Ability to communicate verbally and in writing at all levels in the customer organization.
• Passion for supporting the delivery of quality experiences that promote science education.
• Ability to travel up to 65%
• A solid knowledge of physics, chemistry, or biology at the post-secondary level.
• Comfortable with evolving and cutting-edge technology.
• Provides stellar customer service by maintaining professional working relationships with internal and external customers. Is able to work across the marketing team and collaborate with other teams within the company to ensure successful campaigns and events.
• Maintains regular and punctual attendance in accordance with scheduled work hours.
• Works independently under limited supervision. Relies on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. A wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

Master’s degree (M.A.) or equivalent; or four to ten years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. A PhD in a STEM field is preferred. 

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups and/or boards of directors

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts such as exponents, logarithm, quadratic equations and permutations. Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory and factor analysis.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  

Ability to travel up to 65%.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is typical of a home office environment.

Vernier Science Education is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veterans status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.