Senior Manager, Renewals

Role Overview

• Own and manage the full renewals pipeline, including a rolling 120-day forecast with clear visibility into at-risk accounts
• Drive on-time renewal closure across all customer segments, ensuring commercial terms are favorable and contract value is protected or expanded
• Work collaboratively with Customer Success and Sales to develop win/win renewal proposals that incorporate upsell and cross-sell opportunities
• Provide leadership with regular, accurate updates on renewal status, risks, and resolution strategies
• Ensure quality and timeliness of renewal workflows, including quoting, contract processing, and system updates
• Partner with the VP, Global GTM Life Cycle Engagement and Student Success to define and execute a multi-phase plan to modernize the renewals function — including shifting responsibility for smaller renewals to a pooled Customer Success model so the renewals team can focus on high-ARR, complex accounts
• Provide strategic input on how roles and responsibilities should be redistributed across the renewals and Customer Success teams as the org evolves
• Lead recommendations on contract language simplification — working cross-functionally to move customers toward cleaner, easier-to-execute agreements
• Champion improvements to forecasting methodology and data quality to make the renewals function more predictable and insight-driven
• Identify and recommend automation and tooling improvements to reduce manual effort and improve the overall renewal experience for both customers and internal teams
• Develop and implement renewals playbooks that reflect both current operational best practices and the evolving model we are building toward
• Establish, document, and monitor compliance with best practices across Opportunity Management, Data Quality, Quoting, and Forecasting
• Implement system automation strategies to reduce friction and improve renewal experience at scale
• Directly manage and develop the renewals team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and adaptability
• Coach team members on commercial negotiation, Customer Success best practices, and data-driven decision making
• Act as a cross-functional partner to Customer Success, Sales, Finance, and Legal, with strong relationships across the revenue organization
• Travel up to 20%, including overnight and occasional weekend travel, depending on business needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 10+ years of experience in renewals, Customer Success, or Sales in a SaaS or technology environment, with 5+ years in a leadership capacity
• Demonstrated experience in a renewals or CS leadership role with direct ownership of NRR, forecasting, and retention outcomes
• Strong commercial acumen — including experience negotiating contracts, simplifying commercial terms, and managing complex renewal cycles
• Proven ability to think strategically about org design and operational transformation, not just day-to-day execution
• Highly developed cross-functional relationship skills; able to influence without authority across Sales, CS, Finance, and Legal
• Data-driven mindset with strong analytical and forecasting capabilities
• Excellent organizational, written, and presentation skills
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Ability to travel up to 20% as needed for business requirements.
• Experience in EdTech or higher education technology preferred
• Background building or transitioning to a pooled or tiered Customer Success model preferred
• Experience working with or recommending CS/renewals platforms and CRM tools preferred
• Track record of leading change in a fast-paced, evolving revenue organization preferred
• Master’s degree in a relevant field, preferred

Benefits

• Mission driven culture
• Comprehensive health and benefits package
• 401k company match that vests immediately upon participation
• Paid holidays and a generous PTO policy
• Paid parental leave