Director Of Customer Service And Deployment

Join us at Gradient, where our purpose is to revolutionize home comfort while championing environmental sustainability. Our mission is to combat the escalating challenge of climate change by redefining how homes are heated and cooled. Today, the environmental impact of heating and cooling systems surpasses that of the entire transportation sector, and without intervention, this trend is set to escalate drastically. At Gradient, we believe that ensuring comfortable living spaces shouldn’t come at the cost of our planet. We envision a future where every individual can enjoy the luxury of a comfortable home without contributing to carbon emissions. Our high-efficiency, low-carbon heat pump is just the beginning of our journey toward fully decarbonizing buildings. By joining Gradient, you’ll be at the forefront of a movement to make sustainable living accessible to all, ensuring healthier communities and a brighter, greener future.

About the Role

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Director of Customer Success & Deployment who  will be critical in ensuring a seamless customer journey from initial setup, deployment and commissioning to ongoing support, ensuring peak customer satisfaction, retention, and growth. This person will play an incredibly critical role developing the foundation on which we will drive our aggressive plan for growth.

This is a hybrid role with 2-3 days in our San Francisco (Mission District) based headquarters. 

The estimated salary range for this role is $150,000 - $200,000 per year + equity. Individual salaries vary on a number of factors including but not limited to geography, skills, education, experience and unique qualifications where applicable. 

Responsibilities:

• Lead Customer Success:
  • Develop and execute a customer success strategy at scale that differentiates Gradient in the market.
  • Build trust and drive customer satisfaction, retention, and growth through proactive engagement, customer feedback analysis and timely, effective issue resolution.
  • Build a tiered Service and Support model in support of Customer needs
  • Oversee the delivery of ongoing training and support to customers, including regular feature updates and best practices.

• Launch Deployment & Onboarding:
  • Lead and coordinate all aspects of product/site deployment preparation, including project planning, beta testing, and customer training.
  • Oversee customer onboarding, ensuring a smooth and seamless testing and commissioning process
  • Ensure successful customer handoff to your Customer Success team with defined service levels and roles.
  • Conduct thorough needs analyses, translating customer requirements and HVAC wishlists into effective solutions and product enhancements.

• Create a 3rd Party Partnership Model:
  • Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of our product offerings, including the underlying technology, functionality, and compatibility, to effectively address customer needs and provide appropriate solutions.
  • Develop and implement a contractor training program with a focus on installation optimization and in-field service and support, in addition to building strong links to the Engineering firms who facilitate customer engagement.
  • Evaluate, select and onboard field operations partners and systems, to ensure accurate and efficient field experiences.

• Team Leadership:
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing, empowered and inspired customer success team.
  • Foster a positive and collaborative team environment.
  • Provide leadership to the customer support team, stepping in on escalations and 
  • Oversee the work of 3rd party support contractors, ensuring quality and compliance.

• Process Improvement:
  • Continuously analyze customer feedback and data to identify areas for improvement and potential technical specifications for product enhancements.
  • Develop and implement process improvements to enhance customer satisfaction and drive operational efficiency and scalability
  • Track and report on key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Stakeholder Management:
  • Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Operations, Finance) to align our Service model with our business objectives and market demands.
  • Build strong relationships with key customers and industry partners.

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in customer success, onboarding, or a related field within a B2B environment.
• Self-starter with a strong commercial awareness and a proven ability to deliver solutions at the intersection of hardware and software in a fast-paced start-up environment.
• Exceptional people management and leadership skills; Lead by example and role model our values.
• Proven track record of leading and scaling high-performing customer success teams who drive customer satisfaction and business results.
• Experience in deploying and supporting complex products or services.
• Strong understanding of Support Management Systems (ex. Zendesk) and other relevant technologies.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills at all levels.
• Strong sense of initiative with a creative approach to problem solving driven by experience working in early stage companies
• Strong organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills with a data-driven approach.  
• Proficiency in business tools such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint, business intelligence tool, customer issue tracking tools, KB tools, etc.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of HVAC systems, building management systems, and controls- a plus
• Experience working with mechanical contractors and facility managers- a plus

Benefits 

• Equity
• Medical/vision/dental/life/disability insurance
• 401k
• Paid parental leave
• Professional Development Stipend
• Flexible  PTO 

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive company. We seek to create a culture where everyone can belong because we believe that people do their best work when they can show up every day as their authentic selves. We welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Gradient is an equal opportunity employer. We do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law.