Senior Manager, Customer Intelligence and Automation – Strategic Leader for Proactive Retention and AI-Driven Customer Success

Introduction to blithequark Imagine being part of a revolutionary journey that redefines how the world learns and interacts with technology. At blithequark, we're not just pushing boundaries; we're creating new frontiers in the fusion of real-time human expertise and proprietary generative-AI systems. Our mission is ambitious, our approach is innovative, and our impact is measurable. We're seeking a highly motivated and strategic Senior Manager, Customer Intelligence & Automation to build and lead our Customer Intelligence & Automation function from the ground up, focusing on creating proactive retention strategies that enhance customer experience, reduce churn, and drive long-term value. About the Role This unique opportunity is designed for an experienced leader who can develop and operationalize a customer health score framework, partner closely with cross-functional teams, and implement systems and processes that flag early signs of risk and trigger timely interventions. As a technically curious builder who thrives on ambiguity, speed to value, and the opportunity to redefine how the world learns, you will be instrumental in pushing the boundaries of what generative AI can do. Initially, this role begins as an individual contributor, but we expect this leader to grow and manage a high-performing team over time, scaling impact across our customer base. How We Compete and Grow At blithequark, we compete and grow through several key principles: AI-Native at Every Level: From leadership to new hires, everyone builds and ships with generative AI, ensuring we're always at the forefront of innovation. Entrepreneurial Velocity: We move at founder speed, prototype in hours, and measure in real user outcomes, ensuring slow teams don't hinder our progress. Free-Market Rigor: Ideas rise or fall on merit and results, with no committees, no politics, and no cap on upside, fostering an environment of creativity and accountability. Full-Stack Ownership: You design, build, and run what you ship, with accountability as a feature, not a bug, promoting a sense of responsibility and pride in our work. Reward for Contribution: Pay rises with impact, not years, and outstanding results earn outsized rewards, recognizing and compensating our team members based on their contributions. Relentless Exploration: We push the frontier of generative AI in live learning, questioning every legacy assumption along the way, to stay ahead of the curve. Apolitical Focus: We stay focused on mission-aligned outcomes, not distractions or unrelated causes, ensuring our efforts are concentrated on what matters most. Key Responsibilities As the Senior Manager, Customer Intelligence & Automation, your key responsibilities will include: Building and owning the Customer Intelligence and proactive support strategy and operating model from scratch. Designing the customer health score framework and playbooks for risk-based outreach. Monitoring customer usage, engagement, and support data to proactively identify at-risk accounts and intervene before cancellation decisions are made. Establishing scalable processes for onboarding, success planning, and lifecycle communications that drive adoption and satisfaction. Serving as the voice of the customer by identifying recurring themes, product friction points, and service gaps, and presenting insights cross-functionally to drive improvements. Collaborating cross-functionally with support, product, engineering, marketing, and sales to align on customer retention goals and deliver a seamless experience. Using data to continuously refine and improve the customer health score to ensure it accurately reflects satisfaction and churn risk. Defining and tracking KPIs that measure customer health, retention, and engagement, sharing progress and insights with leadership. In the long term, recruiting, coaching, and managing a high-performing Customer Success team to scale impact across our customer base. Essential and Preferred Qualifications To succeed in this role, you should have: 5+ years of experience in customer success, customer retention, customer journey optimization, or churn analysis/risk management, preferably in tech, SaaS, or education. Experience building or optimizing a customer health score or proactive retention system. Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, especially in cross-functional environments. Strong analytical mindset with experience using data to shape strategy and measure impact. Excellent communicator and project manager, comfortable presenting to leadership and driving alignment across teams. Experience in a high-growth or startup environment with a bias for action. Experience with AI-native tools that enhance productivity and speed is preferred. Intellectual curiosity and the desire to teach yourself AI-native tools are required. Excitement about the opportunity to build something from the ground up and grow into a leadership role. Career Growth Opportunities and Learning Benefits At blithequark, we believe in unleashing your potential through meritocracy and exceptional outcomes. Our benefits are designed to reward performance and initiative, including: Competitive Compensation & Advancement: Market-leading salary paired with clear promotion pathways and equity, allowing you to become an owner in our success. Retirement Made Simple: 401(k) plan with company match and immediate vesting. A Remote-First Culture: We embrace flexibility across time zones and working styles to attract top talent and meet learners where they are. Flexible Time Off: Recharge on your terms, ensuring maximum productivity. Continuous Learning: Access an all-inclusive learning membership for you and your household, including 1:1 tutoring hours, unlimited on-demand classes, and our full suite of learning products and services. Supercharge with AI: Leverage cutting-edge AI tools to accelerate your workflow. You’re Covered: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, STD & LTD plans, plus strong maternity, paternity, and adoption leaves, ensuring you and your family are well taken care of. Work Environment and Company Culture Our work environment is dynamic, innovative, and collaborative. We foster a culture that values: Meritocracy: Ideas and contributions are valued based on their merit, regardless of position or tenure. Ownership: Team members are encouraged to take ownership of their projects and initiatives, promoting a sense of responsibility and pride. Innovation: We continuously seek new and better ways to achieve our goals, embracing change and innovation as core to our success. Collaboration: Cross-functional collaboration is key to our approach, ensuring that all perspectives are considered and valued. Conclusion If you're driven by impact, energized by ownership, and excited to help shape what’s next, you’ll thrive at blithequark. We move fast, think big, and reward those who deliver. This isn’t a traditional corporate environment – it’s a place to do the most meaningful work of your career. Join us in our mission to redefine the future of learning and technology, and apply your skills and passion to make a lasting difference.