Sr. Manager, Implementation Success – Texas State Manager

Purpose of Position:

The Sr. Manager, Implementation Success - Texas leads the TX team of Implementation Success Managers. Their goal is to manage the Texas Education Association (TEA) grant to ensure strong Learning Ally audiobook solution implementations across the state. They do this through managing the onboarding process, project planning, engaging educators through product trainings, conducting data and progress reviews, trouble-shooting along with customer stakeholders to drive usage and adoption, and strategic planning that will ensure renewal and uncover upsell opportunities. The State Manger will manage some key accounts themselves as well as TEA and Educational Service Center relationships, and support each ISM on their team as they prioritize accounts and tailor the services provided to ensure maximum product usage and student impact.

Primary Position Objectives:

Product Knowledge

• Develops expert level knowledge on all facets of our product including our current system of reporting.
• Know product limitations, nuances, workarounds, etc. in order to assist the customer in deploying and implementing effectively and getting value from our solution.
• Stay updated on product enhancements
• Develop and deploy a training plan for your team to ensure expert product knowledge is maintained

State Project Management:

• Work with the TEA to develop project plans for the successful implementation of the Learning Ally Audiobook solution across the state
• Complete reporting and documentation of services provided as required by the grant
• Monitor status/implementation health across the state
• Assess product usage and direct activities of the team to improve engagement
• Generate upsell opportunities as appropriate
• Provide monthly and quarterly business reviews
• Continually develop new “plays” for customer outreach to drive usage and adoption

Program Implementation:

• Ability to develop, implement, and monitor customized implementation plans
• Ability to problem solve and work through implementation barriers
• Ability to evaluate fidelity of implementation and work with educational leaders to mid-course correct, ensuring implementation goals are met
• Ability to monitor data and generate status reports that call to action
• Ability to leverage internal resources to ensure client needs are met

Professional Development:

• Good knowledge of adult learning principles for effective engagement and transfer or learning
• Ability to deliver professional learning sessions in person and via remote technology
• Understands the day to day challenges of teachers and can provide appropriate coaching
• Leverage ESC relationships to reach more teachers with Learning Ally training and support

Customer Lifecycle Management:

• Good customer relationship nurturing and management
• Ability to leverage relationships to call school leaders to action
• Ability to engage school leaders in thinking around future goals and outcomes beyond the present implementation plan and activities (driving toward renewal and upsell)
• Ability to support team to manage a portfolio of accounts by prioritizing customer needs and manage time and engagement strategies accordingly
• The ability to balance customer needs with the strategic needs of maintaining and growing the business
• Skills to anticipate and generate upsell opportunities
• Work in tandem with the Sales Representative to close renewals with upsell attach

Team Leadership:

• Possess strong customer success/account management leadership
• Grow the customer success methods of your team over time
• Help individual ISMs prioritize accounts based on implementation health and upsell potential
• Hold team accountable for monthly and quarterly business reviews
• Coach and give feedback to raise performance of individuals and the team
• Be point of escalation for your team’s customers needing extra support
• Manage scheduling of professional learning throughout the state and monitor facilitator effectiveness

Core Competencies:

Thoughtful Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Takes a consultative approach with customers
• Understands there is no one size fits all approach when dealing with the customers we service
• Can ask the right questions, listens, and offers up well thought out solutions or options
• Helps team members think through customer situations and facilitate conversation to arrive at the appropriate next steps

Project & Time Management

• Ability to determine project goals and establish a plan with state level stakeholders, to include key work activities, timeline, milestone deliverables
• Great organization, attention to detail, and an ability to prioritize and manage time.
• Able to self-review and critique own work before submitting to manager and beyond.

Learning Mindset

• The product is always evolving. Love to learn and continuously expand your breadth and depth of knowledge
• Can understand a customer’s motivation, learn how the customer is using the product and the pain points they experience
• Can learn from past experiences and use learnings to impact team and organizational growth

Takes Ownership and Initiative

• Must be a self-starter with a demonstrated sense of drive, self-awareness, insight and personal motivation.
• Proactively drives the work of the team and takes ownership of team results

Solution Oriented / Challenge the Status Quo

• Always asks how we can do it better.
• Thinks outside the box to come up with new options and alternatives both internally and for our customers.

Strategic Mindset

• Use data to help prioritize your list of accounts.
• Understand their goals and develop strategic plans to support their goals to maintain and grow the business.
• Balance the tactical with the bigger picture in order to drive account success and growth.

Relationship Manager

• Establish strong relationships with your key accounts and your team
• Make sure you know who the key players are on multiple levels (implementers vs decision makers.)
• Hold meetings that are mutually beneficial to both the Customer and Learning Ally and continue to deepen the relationship over time.

Internal Collaborator

• Get the right people involved at the right times to produce the best outcomes for the customer.

Job Requirements:

Education

• A Bachelor Degree in K-12 education is required, Masters in Education preferred
• Minimum 3 years classroom teaching experience, experience working with struggling readers preferred
• Minimum 5 years in implementation management/customer success role
• Minimum 2 years leading a team

Work Conditions

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.

This position profile identified the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be reasonably assigned by his/her supervisor. 

Learning Ally Benefits:

• Medical Insurance Benefits (Cigna Health Savings Account)
• Dental & Vision benefits
• Short-term and Long-term disabilities benefits
• Health Flexible Spending Account
• Life Insurance Benefits
• 401k Plan – With Organizational Matching program
• Generous PTO Policies per calendar year