Manager of Client Success

About Smith.ai

Smith.ai runs end-to-end intake for law firms, combining AI efficiency with a network of more than 500 live, North America-based agents. Intake is a sales funnel, and most law firms aren't running it well. Smith.ai exists to fix that. We ensure every call is answered, every lead is qualified, and every opportunity that should convert, does. Built on more than 30 million calls and a decade of experience with over 4,000 small to mid-sized law firm clients, Smith.ai helps firms win more clients.

We're a lean, profitable-minded team going deep on the legal vertical, and everything we build and market is with that lens. This is a high-impact, high-ownership role for someone who moves fast, cares deeply about clients, and wants to build a Client Success function that drives meaningful retention, expansion, and long-term client relationships.

The Role

We're looking for a Manager, Client Success who cares deeply about clients, builds high-performing teams, and takes ownership of outcomes. Your goal is straightforward, even if the work to get there isn't: ensure our clients see Smith.ai as a critical partner in their business success. Success is measured by retention and expansion, and everything you build, lead, and execute should support those outcomes.

You'll own a meaningful segment of our client book, lead and develop a dedicated Client Success team, and personally manage relationships with high-value clients. You'll also work closely with leaders across Client Onboarding and Client Support, sharing accountability for the full client journey from day one through renewal and beyond.

As our customer base continues to grow, we're evolving how we segment and support clients based on their complexity and strategic value. You'll play a key role in shaping that approach, building scalable processes, and ensuring our team delivers an exceptional client experience.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-moving, growth-stage environment where clarity isn't always given and building is just as important as executing. You can think strategically, but you're equally comfortable rolling up your sleeves. You make decisions, seek feedback, and course-correct quickly. You're direct but collaborative, confident but open to being challenged, and energized by the opportunity to build something better.

What You'll Do

• Client Retention & Expansion

  • Own retention and expansion outcomes for a defined segment of our client base, proactively identifying opportunities to strengthen relationships and grow accounts.

  • Personally manage relationships with high-value clients, ensuring Smith.ai is delivering meaningful business value and operating as a trusted partner.

  • Identify at-risk accounts, understand the underlying drivers of churn, and develop strategies to improve client health and long-term retention.

  • Partner closely with Sales to ensure seamless handoffs and identify opportunities for account growth.

• Team Leadership & Development

  • Build, lead, and develop a high-performing Client Success team, setting clear expectations and holding a high bar for performance and client outcomes.

  • Coach team members through complex client situations, helping them strengthen their judgment, communication, and account management skills.

  • Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement, where feedback flows in every direction.

  • Hire and develop talent with an equal focus on skills, performance, and values.

• Client Success Strategy & Operations

  • Build, refine, and maintain scalable playbooks for key client scenarios, including onboarding transitions, account health management, escalations, renewals, and expansion.

  • Help shape how we segment and support clients based on complexity, business needs, and strategic value.

  • Identify gaps in the client experience and take ownership of improving the processes, tools, and workflows that address them.

  • Balance immediate client needs with longer-term operational improvements that allow the team to scale effectively.

• Cross-Functional Partnership

  • Work closely with the Senior Manager of Client Onboarding and Senior Manager of Client Support within a shared leadership structure, ensuring a consistent and coordinated experience across the client journey.

  • Partner with Sales, Product, and Operations to surface client feedback, resolve recurring challenges, and improve the overall client experience.

  • Navigate complex client and organizational situations with sound judgment, clear communication, and a bias toward action.

• Data, Insights & Performance

  • Use client success tooling and data to monitor retention, expansion, client health, sentiment, and team performance.

  • Translate data into actionable insights, identifying trends, surfacing risks, and prioritizing improvements.

  • Establish clear performance expectations and use metrics to drive accountability and continuous improvement.

  • Leverage Vitally and other tools to improve visibility, consistency, and effectiveness across the Client Success function.

Characteristics

Must-Haves

• 5+ years of experience in Client Success or Account Management, including experience in a SaaS or technical product environment.

• 2+ years of experience managing and developing teams, with a demonstrated ability to coach talent, drive accountability, and improve performance.

• 2+ years of direct experience driving retention and expansion revenue within an existing client base.

• Proven experience building or meaningfully improving Client Success playbooks, processes, and decision frameworks.

• Strong business judgment and a genuine client-first mindset. You understand how to balance client needs with the long-term success of the business.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. You can navigate a difficult client conversation, coach a team member, and communicate a clear plan across departments.

• Highly analytical and comfortable using data to identify trends, assess risk, and make decisions.

• A bias toward action. You're comfortable making decisions with imperfect information, taking ownership, and adjusting quickly based on feedback.

• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and energized by the scrappiness of a growing company.

• A collaborative leadership style. You bring conviction to your ideas while remaining open to feedback and different perspectives.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience with Vitally or comparable Client Success platforms such as Gainsight or ChurnZero.

• Experience supporting SMB clients at scale, particularly across a segmented client portfolio.

• Familiarity with legal technology or professional services businesses.

• Experience helping build or evolve a Client Success function in an early- or growth-stage company.

What Success Looks Like

• First 30 days: You've built trust with your team and cross-functional partners, developed a strong understanding of our client base, and started identifying the biggest opportunities to improve retention and the client experience.

• First 60 days: You've taken ownership of your high-value client relationships, identified meaningful gaps in our processes or client engagement strategy, and begun implementing solutions.

• First 90 days: You're operating with full ownership of your team and client segment, have implemented at least one meaningful process improvement, and have a clear plan for driving retention and expansion.

• Year One: You've made a measurable impact on reducing churn and increasing expansion, built a stronger and more effective Client Success team, and established scalable processes that improve the experience for our clients. Your peers, direct reports, and leader can all point to the impact you've made.

Life at Smith.ai

Here at Smith.ai, we’re laser-focused on our mission of helping small and medium businesses succeed. We strive to test, learn, and improve, while continuously developing our solutions, our operations, and our team members. We’re a fast-growing and dynamic startup that values collaboration and innovative thinking. We are an equal opportunity employer and believe diversity makes teams better and that discrimination based on race, gender, or anything else is self-defeating.

This is a full-time position with a base salary that ranges between $110,000-$165,000 per year. In addition to salary, you are eligible for equity and a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401k, and a Flexible Time Off program.