Customer Success Manager - Local Authorities

Join Lightning Reach as a Customer Success Manager and help local authorities and housing organisations get maximum value from our platform. You’ll manage a portfolio of strategic accounts, build trusted relationships with stakeholders, drive engagement and retention, identify opportunities for growth, and champion customer needs across the business. This is a hands-on, autonomous role for an experienced B2B customer success or account manager who understands the public or housing sector and enjoys combining relationship management, problem-solving and commercial thinking.

Who you are We’re looking for an experienced and proactive Customer Success Manager to drive customer relationships, ensure high engagement and retention, and help scale our impact. This role is perfect for someone who thrives on autonomy, enjoys working directly with customers to solve challenges, and can confidently lead both strategy and execution. As a Customer Success Manager, you will report to the Head of Customer Success. You will be joining a fast growing team alongside other CSMs and our Onboarding specialists.

Experience: You have experience in B2B customer success or account management, with a strong understanding of customer success best practices and a proven ability to manage customer relationships effectively. Experience with Local Authorities, Housing Associations or other adjacent industries.

A natural communicator: Strong relationship-building, persuasion, and communication skills are essential. You can engage stakeholders at all levels and articulate value clearly.

Independent & self-driven: You are comfortable taking ownership, making decisions, and prioritising effectively.

Process-oriented & organised: You know how to effectively implement and improve onboarding, retention and upsell processes to deliver maximum value to customers, managing multiple accounts effectively while keeping an eye on the details.

Collaborative problem-solver: You love working with cross-functional teams to tackle challenges and identify creative solutions.

Results-driven & adaptable: You thrive in a fast-paced environment, continuously looking for ways to improve customer retention, growth, and satisfaction.

Proficient with technology: You have a strong understanding of HubSpot, or other CRM systems and have a willingness to embrace and learn new tech systems.

Nice to have: Sector experience: Ideally, you will have experience working with councils, housing associations, grantmaking charities or vulnerability teams of larger corporations (e.g. utilities, financial services), or familiarity with the financial inclusion sector.

Product experience: Have worked with Lightning Reach software, or have experience working inside local government or housing in a relevant role (eg. Benefits, housing etc.)

Lived experience: Applicants with personal experience of financial hardship, or have received support from charitable organisations are strongly encouraged to apply.

Diversity: We believe that diversity brings strength and fosters innovation, and are seeking candidates from a range of backgrounds, including gender identity, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexuality, disability. We know that the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can sometimes stop people from applying - so if you think you have the skills and experience, we’d love to hear from you!

What you’ll do As a Customer Success Manager, you will be instrumental in delivering exceptional service to our customers. You’ll manage a portfolio of strategic accounts, drive impactful outcomes, and play a key role in shaping our approach to customer success. This role provides potential for growth for the right candidate. Lightning Reach is a small but rapidly growing team, there may be opportunities to grow into a more senior role as we scale.

Own key customer relationships: Develop and maintain strong, long-term partnerships with our customers, ensuring they achieve maximum value from our platform.

Drive growth & retention: Proactively identify, scope and discuss opportunities for customers to expand their use of our platform and upsell additional solutions, while also implementing strategies to reduce churn and ensure continued engagement.

Champion customer needs: Act as the voice of the customer, feeding insights into our product roadmap and shaping our value proposition.

Seamless onboarding & training: Work with colleagues to ensure customers are onboarded successfully. Manage ongoing implementation of Lightning Reach tools across organisational footprints.

Resolve issues & provide support: Handle customer concerns swiftly, ensuring the highest level of service and satisfaction.

Monitor & improve performance: Use customer data and feedback to refine our approach, enhance engagement, and spot emerging trends in the market.