Lead Customer Success Manager, Public Sector

About this role

As a Lead Customer Success Manager focused on State, Local, and Education (SLED) customers, you'll own a portfolio of government and higher education accounts and serve as the advisor they rely on to connect Workiva's platform to the outcomes that matter most in their sector. You understand the distinct rhythms of public sector organizations: budget cycles tied to fiscal years, procurement constraints, multi-agency stakeholder maps, and a mission focus that shapes every conversation. You'll operate in partnership with the account executive across your full book, driving retention, adoption, and growth with the discipline and domain fluency this market demands.

What You’ll Do

Customer Journey & Success Planning • Build and maintain a clear picture of each account's organizational structure, budget cycle, procurement process, and strategic priorities, then develop account plans that connect those realities to Workiva capabilities

• Cultivate relationships across multiple stakeholder layers including department heads, finance officers, IT leaders, and elected or appointed officials, as an ongoing partnership rather than a contract-driven engagement

• Identify platform growth opportunities by mapping Workiva capabilities against SLED-specific requirements, including grant tracking and transparency initiatives

• Lead Business Reviews that speak to public sector outcomes: audit readiness, compliance efficiency, reporting accuracy, and resource stewardship rather than generic ROI metrics

Platform Adoption • Use Product Usage data and health signals to diagnose what's working and what isn't, then design targeted interventions that account for the change management constraints common in government environments

• Ask consultative questions to uncover workflow gaps and build enablement plans align with SLED procurement and training norms, driving lasting behavior change rather than short-term usage spikes

Sales Collaboration • Identify expansion opportunities through structured whitespace analysis, including cross-department and cross-agency growth potential, and bring well-qualified signals to your AE with a clear public sector business case

• Provide renewal forecasts well ahead of deadlines, accounting for the longer approval timelines typical in government accounts, flag risk early with a mitigation plan attached, and navigate budget-constrained commercial conversations with confidence

Executive Presence • Engage consistently with senior-level government and education stakeholders and communicate in terms that resonate in the public sector: compliance risk, audit efficiency, constituent accountability, and mission impact

• Equip internal executive sponsors with necessary context before high-stakes customer conversations, including relevant legislative, regulatory, or political backdrop when appropriate

Risk & Issue Resolution • Identify risk themes by analyzing health trends, engagement signals, and relationship dynamics proactively, with an understanding that public sector accounts often have limited internal IT or change capacity to absorb issues

• Own escalations from identification through resolution: document the root cause, coordinate across functions, and keep the customer informed throughout

Operational Excellence • Keep CRM records accurate and current, including renewal timelines, stakeholder maps, health scores, risk flags, and engagement recaps

• Share account patterns and SLED-specific insights with your team and AE partners to build collective knowledge of what works in this market

• Act as the connective tissue for your account: bring in Solution Success, Product Success, Data Management, and Support at the right moment, so specialist engagement feels seamless to the customer

What You'll Need

Minimum Qualifications • 6+ years in B2B SaaS Customer Success, Account Management, or Consulting, with experience managing government, higher education, or public sector accounts

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

  Preferred Qualifications • A track record of retaining and growing multi-stakeholder accounts across multiple renewal cycles, including comfort navigating budget constraints and procurement processes

• Familiarity with SLED purchasing vehicles, fiscal year dynamics, and the regulatory environment that shapes how public sector organizations evaluate and adopt technology

• Commercial instincts calibrated to the public sector: you know how to build a business case that resonates with government buyers and how to work within the constraints they operate under

• The ability to read adoption and health data, identify what matters, and translate it into a clear account narrative and action plan

• Strong communication skills across organizational levels, from end users to department directors to executive sponsors

• Experience leading or coordinating cross-functional work without direct authority, bringing together the right people across Sales, Support, Product, and other teams to drive outcomes

• CRM discipline that makes your forecasts reliable, your work visible, and your accounts transferable

Travel Requirements & Working Conditions • Willingness to travel up to 20% for team and corporate meetings, fostering relationships and representing company interests

• Reliable internet access for any period of time working remotely, as we embrace flexible work arrangements

How You’ll Be Rewarded

✅ Salary range in the US: $93,000.00 - $165,000.00 ✅ A discretionary bonus typically paid annually ✅ Restricted Stock Units granted at time of hire ✅ 401(k) match and comprehensive employee benefits package

The salary range represents the low and high end of the salary range for this job in the US. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience and other relevant factors.

Why Join Workiva

Workiva is the platform designed to bring conf

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