Account Services Manager

Who We Are:

Blanchard is the global leader in management training. For nearly 40 years, Blanchard has been creating the best managers in the world, training over 150,000 people each year. From the award-winning First-time Manager program-based on the best-selling business book, The New One Minute Manager, to SLII, the most widely taught leadership model in the world, Blanchard is the expert in management training across all levels of an organization and is the provider of choice by Fortune 500 companies as well as small to medium businesses, governments, and educational and nonprofit organizations.

Our headquarters is in Escondido, California with remote locations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. We are a dog-friendly company that encourages our colleagues to establish a healthy work-life balance. Our company culture and values are critical to who we are and how we build connections with our colleagues and clients. Together we want to grow as a company and as individuals, as we look for authentic, diverse talent to join our team.

Are you a strategic problem-solver who thrives at the intersection of client relationships and solution delivery? We're seeking an Account Strategy Manager (ASM) for a temporary-to-permanent opportunity to help bridge the gap between solution design and implementation. The ideal candidate is someone who builds trusted partnerships, uncovers client needs, and drives seamless execution of complex solutions. If you're ready to deliver measurable value while shaping long-term client success, this role is for you.

What You Will Do:

• Contribute to RFP process and proposed solution, serving as SME for delivery
• Advise on scoping and pricing of business deal to maximize gross margin.
• Collaborate with proposal team to outline out-of-scope assumptions.
• Develop comprehensive project plans, including scope, objectives, timelines, and resource allocation. Project Planning required for the high-level collaborative design phase as well as the implementation.
• Works with stakeholders to define and develop the measurement strategy for each project. Plan and manage the deployment of the measurement strategy with the client stakeholders and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Work with all relevant stakeholders to confirm project scope and budget, and define the detailed project deliverables.
• Confirm deliverables that are out of scope, identify the process for scope changes, and outline the steps necessary to get appropriate approvals.
• Define and document project tasks, milestones, and budget in the project plan.
• Identify and assess project risks and develop risk mitigation strategies.
• Drives collaboration, accountability, decision making, and governance toward project outcomes.
• Documents project scope, assumptions, and manages client expectations accordingly.
• Manage high-impact, integrated solution-based projects with multiple stakeholders and business functions.
• Monitor and control project progress, ensuring adherence to the project plan.
• Allocate and manage project resources effectively. Including, Third Party vendor relationships throughout the duration of a specified project.
• Lead project team to execute project deliverables according to Blanchard Project Management SOPs.
• Establish and enforce project quality standards
• Ensure that deliverables meet quality requirements.
• Conduct quality assurance and quality control activities in accordance with Blanchard SOPs.
• Identify, assess, document, and manage project risks, issues, and scope creep.
• Develop risk response plans and monitor risk, e.g., technical, management, organizational, financial, and external, throughout the project lifecycle.
• Develop and manage project budgets to achieve planned gross margin.
• Track project expenses and ensure cost control.
• Maintain clear and effective communication with project stakeholders.
• Set and manage client and team expectations and address stakeholder concerns.
• Conduct regular status meetings and communicate project updates to stakeholders.
• Regularly communicate with clients to check in, provide updates, status reports, and address any concerns or issues.
• Ensure timely responses to client inquiries and requests, coordinating with the appropriate internal contacts as necessary.
• Manage changes to project scope, schedule, and budget.
• Assess and communicate the impact of changes to stakeholders.
• Ensure the successful completion of project deliverables.
• Plan and manage the measurement and evaluation strategy for each project. Communicates results to internal and external stakeholders.
• Conduct project close-out meetings to analyze lessons learned and improve future project management processes
• Develop and maintain strong, long-lasting relationships with clients.
• Understand the client's business needs and objectives.
• For newly booked and ongoing business, act as the main point of contact for client inquiries, concerns, and requests.
• Contribute to Customer Success Team performance by identifying opportunities to upsell or cross-sell products or services to existing clients and collaborating with Sales on next steps.
• Analyze account data and reports, e.g. deposit report, in order to identify opportunities, inform account strategy, make recommendations, and address issues.
• Partner with Sales on account plans and strategies to grow revenue, extend impact within the account, and retain clients.
• Deploy NPS surveys for accounts to gather critical customer data used to drive improvement and inform team and leadership decisions, and achieve a NPS score of 53% or greater.
• Plan, schedule, and assign resources to prepare for and ensure the successful delivery of Blanchard services
• Partner with Project Support Specialists and Project Managers to ensure delegated product orders are received and fulfilled correctly and on time.
• Manage project timelines and deliverables to meet or exceed client expectations
• Regularly review customer feedback and make adjustments as needed.
• Act with urgency, investigate, and resolve client issues and complaints promptly and effectively.
• Work closely with internal teams to ensure client satisfaction.
• Capture and maintain accurate and up-to-date client information, project plans, and documentation in Salesforce, Kantata, Gateway, and NetSuite
• Produce reports from Kantata, Netsuite, Salesforce, and Gateway as needed.
• Document and share lessons learned to drive continuous improvement and innovation.

Who You Are/ What You Bring:

• Excellent leadership skills.
• Strong customer orientation.
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills, ability to communicate complex ideas effectively.
• Expert skills in presentation and managing client expectations. Has led and influenced stakeholders across multiple organizational boundaries for a major strategic program.
• Expert ability to lead teams through dynamic situations.
• Ability to motivate, collaborate, persuade and empower others.
• Proficiency in project management concepts and standards.
• Demonstrated competence in complex project planning skills.
• Growth orientation
• Expertise in MS Office
• Strong presentation skills

Education and Experience:

• Four-year degree in business or related area with 3-5 years experience in project management, client management and client engagement, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Master's Degree preferred
• Industry experience preferred
• Formalized Project Management Training and Certification
• Demonstrated experience managing high level sales accounts resulting in long-term successful partnerships
• Experience working in a global business environment a plus.

Work Environment: Normal office environment to include sitting for extended periods of time to read, write and operate computer at desk. Requires adaptability, quick decision making, ability to interpret data, dependability, good judgment, reading, social skills, stress controls, ability to work independently.

*Statistically, women and people of color are less likely to apply if they do not meet all the requirements. Even if you feel you do not meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply!

Blanchard is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We celebrate the unique differences of our employees because that is what drives curiosity, innovation, and the success of our business. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities.

Learn more about the culture here at Blanchard: https://www.blanchard.com/about-us/culture