Customer Success Manager

Job description

**Job Summary** The Customer Success Manager serves as a strategic liaison between customers, sales, operations, sourcing, engineering, and other internal stakeholders to ensure the successful execution of system Bill of Materials (BOMs), Tier 1 network sourcing activities, and integrated sales and operations planning processes. This role is accountable for driving customer satisfaction, operational alignment, and program execution across complex data center initiatives spanning multiple global regions. Acting as a trusted advisor and primary point of coordination, the Customer Success Manager leads cross-functional efforts to identify customer requirements, align internal resources, mitigate risks, resolve issues, and ensure delivery against business commitments. The role requires strong project and program management capabilities, customer engagement expertise, analytical problem-solving skills, and the ability to influence stakeholders across organizational boundaries without direct authority. The Customer Success Manager owns key customer-facing processes and strategic initiatives, exercising independent judgment in managing priorities, recommending solutions, and driving execution. Success in this role depends on the ability to navigate ambiguity, coordinate multiple concurrent programs, and balance customer needs with operational and business objectives. This position is an **individual contributor** role and does not include formal people management responsibilities. The title "Manager" reflects accountability for managing programs, processes, customer relationships, and strategic initiatives rather than supervising employees. As an experienced professional and subject matter expert, the Customer Success Manager provides leadership through influence, collaboration, and execution. The role leads cross-functional teams, drives decision-making, and owns outcomes that have a significant impact on customer experience, operational performance, and business results. While no direct reports are assigned to this position, the role requires substantial coordination across functions, regions, and organizational levels to achieve strategic objectives. **Responsibilities** - Serve as the primary point of contact for managing system Bill of Materials (BOMs), Tier 1 network sourcing strategies, customer demand planning activities, and operational execution for assigned customer accounts and programs. - Partner closely with Data Center Key Account Managers (KAMs), customers, and internal stakeholders to understand project specifications, business requirements, infrastructure needs, and changes to existing BOMs. - Lead the coordination and execution of complex customer programs, ensuring alignment among customer requirements, sourcing strategies, production capabilities, and business objectives. - Collect, analyze, validate, and manage customer forecast data, identifying trends, risks, opportunities, volume fluctuations, and BOM changes that may impact operational performance, supply continuity, or customer commitments. - Translate demand forecasts and business requirements into actionable recommendations that support Master Production Order (MPO) planning, sourcing strategies, capacity planning, and operational decision-making. - Monitor forecast accuracy and proactively communicate significant demand shifts, supply concerns, project changes, and business impacts to relevant stakeholders. - Coordinate cross-functional planning activities among Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Manufacturing, Sourcing, Product Management, and Customer Success teams to ensure organizational alignment and successful execution. - Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic liaison between customers and internal business functions, balancing customer expectations with operational and commercial objectives. - Build and maintain strong customer relationships through proactive communication, responsiveness, credibility, and a thorough understanding of customer needs, business priorities, and strategic initiatives. - Advocate for customer requirements while ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, policies, processes, and operational capabilities. - Lead customer-facing discussions related to demand planning, sourcing strategies, operational readiness, order fulfillment, issue resolution, and project execution. - Coordinate and manage internal escalations through established channels, including Core Business, ICP, Global Business Units, Supply Chain, Operations, Production, Engineering, and leadership teams. - Escalate and track concerns through the VC Ticket System and other approved processes to drive timely resolution of open purchase orders, delivery challenges, sourcing issues, and customer-impacting events. - Proactively manage open orders, customer commitments, and service requests, ensuring efficient resolution and a high-quality customer experience. - Identify, assess, and mitigate business, operational, supply chain, sourcing, and customer service risks that may impact program success or customer satisfaction. - Lead cross-functional problem-solving efforts to resolve complex issues, remove obstacles, and ensure achievement of customer commitments and business objectives. - Develop and maintain a comprehensive understanding of customer applications, infrastructure requirements, product specifications, system architectures, and data center deployment strategies. - Conduct customer visits, site engagements, business reviews, and stakeholder meetings to strengthen partnerships, identify opportunities, and enhance service delivery. - Oversee onboarding activities for new Tier 1 suppliers, ensuring alignment of pricing, contractual requirements, sourcing strategies, and operational expectations. - Coordinate onboarding and business transition activities when specified BOMs are introduced into new regions, ensuring alignment among customers, ABS teams, regional teams, sourcing functions, and operational stakeholders. - Manage customer portal activities and ensure compliance with supply agreements, service-level expectations, data integrity requirements, and established business processes. - Maintain accurate and comprehensive documentation of customer interactions, project milestones, action items, business requirements, risks, and commitments within CRM and other business systems. - Monitor program performance, customer service metrics, operational results, and key business indicators to identify improvement opportunities and drive corrective actions when necessary. - Evaluate customer requirements and business conditions to recommend solutions that improve service delivery, operational effectiveness, customer satisfaction, and overall business performance. - Influence decisions and drive stakeholder alignment through subject matter expertise, business acumen, relationship management, and collaboration rather than formal authority. - Lead cross-functional initiatives involving multiple business units, regions, functions, and stakeholders to achieve strategic and operational objectives. - Exercise a high degree of independent judgment, discretion, and accountability in prioritizing work, managing customer relationships, resolving issues, and achieving business outcomes. - Serve as a subject matter expert in customer success, demand planning, BOM management, sourcing coordination, supply chain processes, and operational execution. - Provide guidance, insights, and recommendations based on business analysis, customer requirements, industry knowledge, and operational trends. - Identify opportunities to improve processes, systems, workflows, communication methods, and business practices that enhance scalability, efficiency, and the customer experience. - Contribute to the development and implementation of best practices, standard operating procedures, service models, and continuous improvement initiatives across customer-facing and operational functions. - Act as a positive change agent by supporting transformation initiatives, fostering collaboration, driving stakeholder engagement, and helping teams adapt to evolving business needs. - Facilitate effective communication among customers, leadership, business units, regional teams, and operational functions to ensure transparency, alignment, and timely execution. - Prepare and deliver clear, concise, and actionable reports, business summaries, project updates, forecasts, presentations, and recommendations for leadership and key stakeholders. - Represent customer and business interests in interdepartmental meetings, strategic initiatives, operational reviews, and continuous improvement projects. - Maintain current knowledge of products, technologies, market trends, customer requirements, business processes, and organizational capabilities through ongoing professional development and training. - Meet established performance objectives, service expectations, customer success metrics, and professional development goals while demonstrating accountability for results. - Assume ownership and accountability for assigned customer programs, initiatives, and business processes, ensuring commitments are fulfilled and desired outcomes are achieved. - Perform other duties, special projects, and strategic assignments as required to support business objectives and organizational success. - Other duties as assigned **Qualifications** - Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field - 5+ years of experience in customer operations, project management, or supply chain roles - Strong understanding of BOM management, tier 1 supplier networks, and S&OP processes - Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills - Proficiency in ERP systems, customer portals, and forecasting tools - Demonstrates a willingness to collaborate with others, build relationships, and involve others in decision making - Demonstrates the ability to deliver results by solving or supporting others in solving problems, prioritizing tasks, and/or resources, and focusing on outcomes - Demonstrates self-awareness and the willingness to learn and grow, accept changes, and effectively adapt to changing work demands - Demonstrates the ability to drive customer value through knowledge of the business, putting effort into identifying customer needs, and delivering work to maximize the value for customers - Demonstrates a willingness to promote the value of improvement and innovation by staying ahead of trends, creating ideas and opportunities, and generating speed - Demonstrates a willingness to take ownership by making decisions, taking responsibility, and driving things forward **Essential Job Functions** - Must be able to sit for up to 4 hours at a time and 8 hours in a day - Must be willing to travel up to 20% (5% internationally) - Occasional availability outside of normal operating hours for critical escalations - Regular and on-time attendance - This is a hybrid position requiring at least three days in the office **Perks & Benefits** Phoenix Contact offers a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401k matching, and a generous time off package. There are also a wide variety of additional benefits available including 16 weeks fully paid maternity leave & 10 weeks fully paid paternity leave, life insurance, short & long-term disability, on-site gym access, health & wellbeing center, on-site café, walking trails, tuition assistance, and more! #LI-DZ1 Phoenix Contact is committed to the diversity of our employees. We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information. If you need **special accommodations** to access job openings or to apply for a job, please call 717-944-1300 between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM, Eastern Standard Time, Monday – Friday or email [HR@phoenixcontact.com](mailto:HR@phoenixcontact.com). --- **Notice to Staffing Agencies, Placement Services, and Professional Recruiters:** Phoenix Contact has an internal Staffing Department. Recruiters are hereby specifically directed NOT to contact Phoenix Contact employees directly in an attempt to present candidates. Phoenix Contact will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to Phoenix Contact, including unsolicited resumes sent to a Phoenix Contact mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to Phoenix Contact employees, or to Phoenix Contact’s resume database will be considered Phoenix Contact property. Phoenix Contact will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. Phoenix Contact will consider any candidate for whom a Recruiter has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Recruiter free of any charges or fees. Phoenix Contact will not pay a fee to any Recruiter that does not have a signed Phoenix Contact contract in place specific to the position for which the resume was submitted. Recruiting vendor agreements will only be valid if in writing and signed by Phoenix Contact's Head of People & Organization or his or her designee. No other Phoenix Contact employee is authorized to bind Phoenix Contact to any agreement regarding the placement of candidates by Recruiters. By submitting a candidate to Phoenix Contact, recruiters agree to be bound and comply with this policy.