Director, Scaled Customer Success (Remote, US) Remote - US

About the role

Reporting to the VP, Customer Success, you will be responsible for defining and leading the strategy, execution, and performance of Newsela’s scaled customer segments, including SMB and Schools. This is a pivotal people leadership role responsible for leading frontline managers whose teams manage a large volume of accounts. You will own core revenue and retention targets (NRR, GRR), driving growth not just through successful renewals, but by establishing a proactive culture of whitespace penetration, upsell, and account expansion.

You will build a scalable, data-driven coverage model that pairs digital engagement and automation with high-impact human account management to maximize support at the right moments in the customer journey.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the long-term Scaled Customer Success strategy across Newsela’s SMB and Schools customer segments, including determining customer segmentation, digital or tech-touch engagement, and critical human intervention points to drive adoption, retention, and customer value.
• Own the expansion and retention strategy for high-volume SMB and Schools segments, converting adoption and customer health into predictable account growth by equipping teams to identify cross-sell/upsell signals and proactively pitch additional solutions.
• Lead, coach, and develop frontline managers responsible for day-to-day execution of scaled customer success motions, ensuring they are equipped to drive key business outcomes through accountability, clarity, and growth.
• Establish strong management rhythms, including regular 1:1s, performance conversations, career development, team health monitoring, and leadership coaching.
• Own the scaled coverage model and partner with CS Operations to ensure it is supported by the right data, systems, workflows, reporting, and capacity planning.
• Maintain accountability for core business outcomes (NRR, GRR, product adoption, customer health, renewal readiness, and engagement) using data and insights to identify risks, opportunities, and strategic adjustments.
• Build the team’s ability to identify and influence growth opportunities by coaching on upsell signals, customer needs, and cross-functional partnerships with Sales and SDR teams.
• Design and improve the scaled customer journey, partnering with Customer Experience on onboarding, adoption campaigns, customer education, webinars, playbooks, and digital programs.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships with Sales, CS Operations, Product, Marketing, Enablement, and Customer Experience to advocate for scaled customers and ensure their voice informs business decisions.
• Serve as a senior leader within Customer Success, shaping Newsela’s customer coverage model, identifying gaps, proposing solutions, and driving adoption of new processes and systems.
• Bring clarity to the Scaled CS team’s ownership and operations, defining roles, success metrics, and operating rhythms to align work with broader customer and business outcomes.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in Customer Success, Account Management, or a similar customer-facing function.
• 3+ years of experience managing people leaders, with demonstrated success leading teams that drive retention, adoption, customer health, and revenue outcomes.
• Experience in EdTech, K-12 education, SaaS, or institutional customer segments.
• Demonstrated success owning revenue metrics (NRR, GRR, Expansion ARR) and driving proactive whitespace penetration, upsells, and cross-sells alongside renewal execution.
• Experience building, leading, or optimizing scaled customer success models (digital-touch, tech-touch, or hybrid coverage) with a focus on balancing efficiency and customer experience.
• Hands-on experience designing and implementing automation models to support scaled Customer Success teams, including partnering with CS Operations to build journeys, playbooks, and automated engagement motions in tools like Gainsight or Planhat.
• A strategic, data-driven leadership style that uses customer insights, business metrics, and team feedback to analyze trends and translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Proven ability to lead leaders, coach managers, set clear expectations, and create an environment where teams can grow and perform amid complexity.
• Strong cross-functional influence and collaboration skills with Operations, Product, Marketing, Sales, Enablement, and Customer Engagement teams.
• A highly organized and systems-minded approach focused on strategy, outcomes, and leadership, with the ability to identify necessary processes and tools without needing to own technical implementation.
• Experience using AI tools to drive efficiency and productivity.
• Legally authorized to work in the US.

Travel is estimated to be approximately 10-15%, depending on business and customer needs. This role is classified as exempt and is not eligible for overtime.

Benefits

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical benefits with employer contribution to premiums and HSA accounts. Additional benefits include gym reimbursement, pet insurance, free access to the Calm app, and Rocket Lawyer.
• Work From Home: Fully remote company with a monthly tech stipend to support WFH needs.
• Supporting ALL Families: Inclusive benefits including parental leave, fertility support, and adoption assistance.
• Financial Wellbeing: 401(k) plan with employer match.
• Time Off: Flexible PTO, paid sick time off, company holidays, plus winter break (Dec 24th - Jan 1st).
• Professional Development: Annual learning and development allowance for external training, conferences, and educational materials.

Pay

Base salary: $120,000 - $144,000, depending on experience.

On-target commission (OTC): $40,000, depending on experience.

On-target earnings (OTE): $160,000 - $184,000.

Final compensation will be determined based on individual skills, qualifications, and experience. Total compensation includes incentive stock options and benefits. This role is also eligible for variable compensation.

About Newsela

Newsela is a leading education technology company dedicated to meaningful classroom learning for every student. We deliver integrated, AI-powered solutions designed to unlock student engagement, empower teachers, and drive meaningful learning outcomes. Our suite of products supports knowledge and skill development, writing practice, daily instruction, assessment, and data-informed decision-making across K–12 classrooms. Grounded in learning science research, Newsela’s solutions integrate content, assessment, and analytics to help educators track progress, understand student outcomes, and deliver high-impact instruction that supports every learner.