Head of customer success job description.

What does a head of customer success do?

 

The head of customer success leads the customer success function, managing teams and defining the strategies that drive retention, satisfaction, and expansion. They align the customer journey with business outcomes and ensure scalable service delivery.

 

Key responsibilities include setting CS strategy, hiring and mentoring CSMs, managing renewals and upsells, and reporting on customer health to leadership. They also build processes for onboarding, engagement, and lifecycle management.

 

In smaller businesses, they establish customer success operations from the ground up. In enterprise settings, they lead regional or global CS teams and partner with product, marketing, and sales to maximise customer lifetime value.

 

Key responsibilities of a head of customer success.

 

The head of customer success defines and drives the CS function. Their responsibilities include:

• Leading CSMs, onboarding, and success operations teams

• Setting strategy for retention, expansion, and customer outcomes

• Managing playbooks, segmentation, and lifecycle journeys

• Reporting customer health, NRR, and CSAT to leadership

• Aligning success efforts with product, support, and sales

• Managing success tooling, data, and CS platforms

• Coaching team members and supporting performance growth

• Overseeing renewals, advocacy, and success programs

• Driving customer-centric culture across the business

• Supporting strategic clients and executive escalations

This role blends leadership, process design, and retention strategy.

 

Skills and requirements for a head of customer success.

 

Heads of customer success lead retention and customer satisfaction strategy. Employers typically look for:

• 6–10 years of experience in customer success or account management

• Experience building or scaling customer success functions

• Strong leadership, coaching, and hiring skills

• Proven ability aligning success with product adoption and usage

• Skilled in lifecycle planning and playbook creation

• Familiarity with customer success platforms and usage analytics

• Confidence reporting on retention, churn, and engagement metrics

• Ability to collaborate across product, sales, and operations

• Commercial mindset focused on long-term value

Most heads of customer success focus on team growth, customer health, and alignment with business strategy.

 

Average salary for a head of customer success.

 

In the UK, the average salary for a head of customer success typically ranges from £50,000 to £80,000, based on team size, retention KPIs, and ARR responsibility.

• Mid-level heads of CS earn between £50,000 and £65,000

• Senior heads overseeing CS ops, account health, and renewal strategy can earn between £66,000 and £80,000

• Compensation may include bonuses for churn reduction and upsell success

London and scale-up CS teams offer the highest earning potential.

 

Career progression for a head of customer success.

 

A head of customer success leads the entire post-sale client engagement function, driving retention, satisfaction, and growth. This strategic role often evolves into directorship or VP-level leadership. A typical career path includes:

 

Customer success manager

 

Manages onboarding, adoption, and health metrics across a client portfolio.

 

Senior CSM / Team lead

 

Supports customer outcomes, manages renewals, and provides input on process improvements.

 

Head of customer success

 

Leads CS strategy and performance. Aligns with commercial leadership to reduce churn and increase LTV.

 

Director of customer success

 

Manages cross-functional teams, enterprise client strategy, and expansion goals.

 

VP of customer experience / CRO

 

In some orgs, transitions into board-level ownership of customer growth and loyalty strategy.