Global Director of Customer Success

Design, build, and lead a world-class Customer Success function for QS, ensuring clients experience seamless, value-driven partnerships and measurable impact. This strategic role drives client-centricity, embeds insights into engagements, and ensures consistency and scalability across the global portfolio, shaping how QS delivers outcomes to partners through trusted, insight-led relationships that power growth, retention, and advocacy.

Must Have

• Design and implement the global Customer Success operating model
• Recruit, develop, and inspire a high-performing global team
• Develop a unified client journey framework
• Establish clear frameworks for client segmentation, engagement models, and service tiers
• Create scalable Customer Success models for diverse client base
• Define clear delivery playbooks for complex partnerships
• Foster a culture of deep client understanding and partnership
• Create mechanisms for continuous listening and feedback
• Position QS as a strategic advisor to clients
• Partner with Product, Sales, and Marketing teams to leverage QS intelligence
• Partner with Commercial teams to identify and act on upsell and cross-sell opportunities
• Equip Customer Success teams with tools and data for client expansion
• Leverage automation, CRM, and AI tools to enhance client services
• Demonstrated experience in Customer Success, Client Services, or Account Management in global B2B environments
• Proven track record in building and scaling customer success teams and operations
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to align customer success strategy with growth goals
• Deep understanding of how data, insights, and AI can transform client engagement
• Exceptional relationship-building, influencing, and communication skills with C-level clients
• Operational excellence in driving consistency, simplicity, and measurable outcomes globally

Perks & Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Access to an annual bonus scheme
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (increasing to 27 days after 5 years)
• Access to a Buy Holiday scheme (up to 5 additional days per year)
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Generous pension through Royal London
• Comprehensive private medical insurance and wellness scheme through Vitality
• Cycle to work scheme
• Vibrant social environment and multicultural and multinational culture
• Free subscription to the Calm App
• Focus on welfare led by global wellness team, with mental health first aiders globally
• Access to a variety of diversity and inclusion initiatives and groups
• Strong recognition and reward programs (peer-to-peer, quarterly and annual QS Applaud Awards, Connect with your Career annual PD event)
• Support for volunteering and study leave
• Free subscription to LinkedIn learning
• Options to join our outstanding global Mentorship programme

This position offers a hybrid work model, allowing flexibility between working from home and our office. Typically, employees are expected to work 2 days in the office per week.

Why QS?

At QS, we believe that work should empower you. That’s why we foster a flexible working environment that encourages every employee to own their career whilst flourishing personally and professionally. Our company values underpin everything we do – we collaborate, respect and support each other.

It’s our mission to empower motivated people around the world to fulfil their potential through higher education, ensuring that everyone has access to opportunities that change lives.

Our diversity makes us stronger. By sharing our experiences, we learn from one another and achieve more together, driving progress across the sector.

At QS, you’ll be responsible for implementing real change in the international higher education landscape. You’ll take on meaningful challenges that see a positive impact across the business and the wider sector.

We’re confident you’ll feel right at home here. QS was named as one of Newsweek’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® in the UK (October 2023), recognising the respect, trust and appreciation that drive our culture every day. And as a gold-accredited Investors in People organisation – putting us among the top 28% of workplaces globally – it’s official: QS is a place where everyone can thrive.

As a Global Director of Customer Success, this is what you’ll be doing:

You’ll design, build, and lead a world-class Customer Success function for QS, ensuring our clients experience seamless, value-driven partnerships that deliver measurable impact. This strategic role will drive client-centricity, embed insights into all client engagements, and ensure consistency and scalability across the global portfolio.

The role is pivotal in shaping how QS delivers outcomes to its partners, creating trusted, insight-led relationships that power growth, retention, and advocacy.

Role responsibilities

Build and Lead the Global Customer Success Function

• Design and implement the global Customer Success operating model, including structure, processes, and success metrics.
• Recruit, develop, and inspire a high-performing global team across key regions.
• Develop a unified client journey framework ensuring seamless, consistent experiences across regions, products, and delivery teams.
• Establish clear frameworks for client segmentation, engagement models, and service tiers aligned with client complexity and value.
• Create scalable Customer Success models that serve a diverse client base efficiently — from self-serve solutions to high-touch enterprise partnerships.
• Define clear delivery playbooks for complex partnerships, ensuring alignment between success, delivery, and account management teams.

Drive Client-Centricity and Enable Insight-Led Outcomes

• Foster a culture of deep client understanding and partnership across all interactions and create mechanisms for continuous listening and feedback to anticipate client needs and improve experience.
• Position QS as a strategic advisor to clients, leveraging our unique data, insights, and market expertise.
• Partner with Product, Sales, and Marketing teams to ensure clients fully leverage QS intelligence to meet their objectives.

Drive Growth & Champion AI enablement

• Partner with Commercial teams to identify and act on upsell and cross-sell opportunities through insight-driven engagement.
• Equip Customer Success teams with tools and data to proactively support client expansion across the QS portfolio.
• Leverage automation, CRM, and AI tools to enhance proactive and reactive client services.

Other

• Any other duties that fall within the purpose and scope of the role.

Key Outcomes / Measures of Success

• Client-Centricity: Improved client satisfaction (CSAT/NPS), retention, and advocacy.
• Insight-Led Impact: Increased usage of QS data and insights in client engagement and renewals.
• Simplicity: Reduced client pain points and faster resolution times across touchpoints.
• Scalability: Increased efficiency in delivery while maintaining quality and personalisation
• Growth Enablement: Measurable contribution to upsell, cross-sell, and renewal rates.
• Tech Enablement: Adoption and ROI of AI and automation tools in client success workflows.

Skills and experience

• Experience: Demonstrated experience in Customer Success, Client Services, or Account Management in global, complex B2B environments — ideally within data, information services, education, or SaaS industries.
• Leadership: Proven track record in building and scaling customer success teams and operations.
• Strategic Mindset: Strong commercial acumen and ability to align customer success strategy with organisational growth goals.
• Tech & Insight Orientation: Deep understanding of how data, insights, and AI can transform client engagement.
• Client-Focused: Exceptional relationship-building, influencing, and communication skills with C-level clients.
• Execution: Operational excellence in driving consistency, simplicity, and measurable outcomes globally.

Please note, if you don't meet all the criteria but believe you have the skills and passion to thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply.

So, who are we and what do we do?

QS is the world leader in higher education services, analytics, insights and intelligence. From consultancy to student mobility, academic partnerships to branding solutions, our services power both institutional and individual success.

We’re behind the world’s most widely read university rankings (Meltwater 2023). Our QS World University Rankings® reach hundreds of millions, shaping decisions and guiding futures.

Since launching in 1990, our impact and influence have only grown. Today, we work with more than 2,000 of the world’s leading higher education institutions, over 12,000 employers, and governments seeking change and socioeconomic development through higher education.

Join QS and you’ll join an 800-strong community of problem-solvers, creators, collaborators and change-makers based in 40+ countries and 11 international offices, including Australia, Malaysia, India, Romania, Singapore, France, Germany, the USA and our headquarters in London.

With every talented new hire, business acquisition and bold initiative, we’re strengthening our reach and delivering even greater value to institutions and learners worldwide. Are you ready to shape the future of higher education?

We take investing in our people very seriously.

As standard you will have:

• Competitive base salary
• Access to an annual bonus scheme (for qualifying roles only)
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays – increasing to 27 days after 5 years’
• Access to a Buy Holiday scheme allowing you to buy up to 5 additional holiday days per year
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Generous pension through Royal London
• Comprehensive private medical insurance and wellness scheme through Vitality
• Cycle to work scheme
• A vibrant social environment and multicultural and multinational culture

But that’s not all. Outside of these standard benefits we also offer resources to allow professional growth and wellness initiatives to nurture a healthy mindset:

• Free subscription to the Calm App – the #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
• A focus on welfare which is led by our global wellness team, with mental health first aiders globally
• Access to a variety of diversity and inclusion initiatives and groups
• Strong recognition and reward programs – including a peer-to-peer recognition platform, quarterly and annual QS Applaud Awards, Connect with your Career annual PD event
• Support for volunteering and study leave
• Free subscription to LinkedIn learning – with over 5000 courses and programmes at your fingertips
• Options to join our outstanding global Mentorship programme

Like what you’ve heard? Great, apply now!

As a candidate, we know the application and interview process can be daunting and so it’s important that you have a great experience with us. Our dedicated Talent Team will work hard to ensure you are fully informed at all stages and you are really excited by this opportunity to do meaningful work in the education space.

Equal opportunities

QS Quacquarelli Symonds is proud to be a fair and equal organisation where everyone has the same opportunity to achieve their full potential, irrespective of their background or personal attributes. We celebrate our diversity and believe through sharing our experiences we can learn from one another, be stronger together, and enable our business to thrive.

Please keep an eye on your spam / junk email folder for correspondence from BambooHR