Customer Success Executive

At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.

Customer Success Executive

Permanent

Manchester: £25,700 - £27,220

Hybrid Working

Are you an attentive listener with excellent organisation skills?

Do you enjoy working in a customer facing role and have experience in education or sales?

Celebrating Every Success.

AQA are widely known for our GCSE and A Level Qualifications. We also offer the Unit Award Scheme (UAS) which is all about celebrating every success and has been inspiring students and building learner confidence since 1984. The scheme is designed with progress in mind to help students flourish and re-engage with their learning journey.

The Customer Success Executive plays a key role in retaining and growing our core UAS accounts while driving new sales through proactive engagement with prospects and customers. You will take ownership of the full sales cycle, from converting leads into registrations to ensuring a seamless onboarding experience. Through strong relationship-building, you will act as a trusted partner, addressing customer needs, resolving issues and delivering exceptional support via Teams, phone and email.

Key responsibilities include identifying new sales opportunities, converting leads into successful registrations and collaborating with internal teams to tailor bespoke solutions for individual customers. You will also coordinate follow-up activities such as customer training sessions or events, ensuring ongoing engagement and satisfaction.

What’s in it for me?

At AQA we recognise our employees' contribution and in return we are proud to offer an extensive reward and benefit package. This includes:

• You will have access from day one to an incredible pension scheme with employee and employer contributions jointly totalling, up to 18.5%

• 25 days annual leave, rising a day per year for your first five years with Bank Holidays and additional closure days at Christmas.

• AQA work in a smart hybrid way. This team are in the office for a minimum of two days per week or as business dictates - meetings are more productive in person, so you will need to live within a commutable distance of the Manchester office.

• You will also benefit from our newly refurbished office spaces with discounted eateries, as well as a gym, a games room and a yoga studio.

What will I need to succeed?

• Sales experience, or experience with customers and account management

• Strong IT skills – previous use of CRM and Access Planit (or similar platforms), Teams, Excel and Word.

• Excellent customer service skills – comfortable leading conversations face to face

• Strong communication and organisation skills

• Experience of working with data and reporting

• Proactive with a ‘step up’ mindset to be able to deliver at pace and with accuracy

• Experience working in an education setting or sales is beneficial

What do I do next?

Please upload your most recent CV with a cover letter detailing your skills and experience for this role.

You could wait until applications close at 23:59 on 27/10/24 to apply but we will be interviewing as applications come in and reserve the right to close the advert early should we find the right person so apply today.

Interviews are expected to take place week beginning 28/10/24.

Every application will receive a response.

#CRE23

Recruitment Agencies

We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.

Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.

Full Job Description

Summary

Purpose: The Customer Success Executive (CSE) is responsible for retaining existing core UAS accounts whilst actively developing new sales, contributing to and supporting the conversion of leads through to registrations via proactive outbound customer contact; building relationships and engaging with prospects, customers and stakeholders.
The primary duties include: understanding the customers’ needs and any issues/problems; providing support for customers’ needs and development; resolving issues; identifying new sales opportunities online or on the phone; and working with customers to ensure a smooth sales and bring-on process.
The post holder will also be responsible for coordinating and actioning follow up activity such as customer training/events or liaising with the team on bespoke packaging for individual customers.
The CSE contributes to meeting the UAS acquisition, retention and growth targets; and to the overall C&P strategic aim to ‘be closer to our customers’, firmly placing them front and centre of our work.Landscape:  UAS is expanding its operational and customer base in line with a 5-year investment plan. Greater external awareness and visibility of UAS is leading to increased interactions both with potential and existing customers seeking support to join, as well as optimise their use of the scheme.
The UAS team works directly with customers, providing excellent support and guidance, to maximise use of UAS. The team is also responsible for seeking and identifying sales opportunities, creating and converting leads.
The CSE works within the UAS Customer Success (CS) area of UAS. The CS team is responsible for acquisition, retention and growth of new and existing customers, carrying out a number of customer success plans to maximise customer engagement with UAS. The CS team work closely with UAS Registrations and Training, the latter being responsible for identifying opportunities and leads for the CS team to follow up and convert; registering and training customers: and developing and maintaining the UAS unit library.
Activities:
Support UAS customer accounts, working directly for the Customer Success Manager, and closely with the wider UAS team.
Work proactively to contact customers and prospective customers by telephone, video calls, email or other online channels to support achievement of acquisition and retention targets.
Build and maintain excellent customer relationships to support achievement of AQA’s key strategic objectives and meet the targets of the 5-year UAS expansion plan.
Monitor issues and queries from customers, working with colleagues in UAS and the wider organisation to ensure satisfactory resolution and identification of sales opportunities.
Liaise with the UAS team to support customer engagement activity, eg with bespoke packages and training.
Use CRM and Quartz (internal processing system) to accurately log and maintain prospect, suspect and customer contact and sales records in order to support analysis, sales development and excellent customer relationship management.
Collate and maintain management information data on UAS customers and produce reports as required.
Need to know (to be successful in this role, you will need to know):
How to build and maintain exceptional customer relationships, putting them front and centre every time.
How to interact both proactively and reactively with customers at all levels, eg teachers, teaching assistants, exams officers, heads of centre, curriculum leads etc.
How to use CRM and other IT systems to optimise to optimum benefit; and keep databases up-to-date and accurate at all times.
How to be results focused with a ‘step up’ mindset to be able deliver at pace and with accuracy
How to work independently as well as contribute effectively to the team.
How to manage and prioritise a busy workload.
General
1. To comply with all AQA’s policies and other legislative requirements, including but not limited to HSE, Equal Opportunities and ISMS.
2. Where business needs change, to undertake other responsibilities which are of a commensurate level outside the terms of this role profile.