Director, Client Success

Description

The Director of Client Success is a strategic people leader responsible for the health, engagement, and success of an assigned client segment within Tyler’s Courts & Justice division. This role drives product adoption, value realization, satisfaction, retention, and long-term partnership across the client lifecycle. The Director will develop and execute a Client Success strategy tailored to the needs of the assigned client segment while contributing to the broader direction of the Client Success organization. This leader will also support Tyler’s continued cloud and product modernization by helping clients understand, prepare for, and adopt change while proactively addressing risks. The Director will lead and develop a high-performing team, establish scalable and consistent Client Success practices, and partner across the organization to deliver measurable outcomes for Tyler and its clients.

This role requires a leader who can balance strategic client partnership, team development, operational discipline, and cross-functional execution. The Director will be expected to influence outcomes across a complex client segment while helping Tyler scale consistent Client Success practices.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute the Client Success strategy for an assigned client segment, ensuring alignment with Tyler’s organizational priorities and desired client outcomes.
• Maintain a comprehensive view of the segment’s overall health, strategic priorities, modernization readiness, retention risks, and growth opportunities.
• Contribute to the broader Client Success strategy by sharing segment insights, emerging trends, risks, and recommended actions.
• Translate Tyler’s cloud and modernization strategy into actionable client engagement, readiness, adoption, and value realization plans.
• Establish clear goals and performance measures across client health, adoption, satisfaction, retention risk, engagement, referenceability, and value realization.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement.
• Represent the needs and perspectives of the assigned client segment in departmental and cross-functional planning.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, coach, and develop Client Success leaders and professionals, including performance management, career development, and succession planning.
• Establish clear expectations and consistent operating practices across the team.
• Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing to improve the quality and consistency of the client experience.
• Use strong emotional intelligence and sound judgment to navigate complex team, client, and organizational dynamics.
• Lead the team effectively through organizational, product, and industry change.

Client Engagement, Advocacy, and Retention

• Ensure the team develops meaningful success plans that connect Tyler solutions to each client’s goals, priorities, and desired outcomes.
• Build trusted relationships with executive stakeholders across the assigned client segment.
• Establish proactive approaches for identifying at-risk clients and coordinating recovery plans before issues affect retention or the broader relationship.
• Provide executive leadership during significant client escalations, ensuring clear ownership, communication, and follow-through.
• Oversee client advocacy and engagement efforts, including user groups, advisory councils, references, testimonials, and other opportunities to elevate the client voice.
• Lead or support executive business reviews with key clients, focusing on strategic priorities, measurable outcomes, risks, and future plans.

Modernization and Adoption

• Help clients successfully navigate Tyler’s transition to modern, cloud-based solutions by supporting readiness, change management, adoption, and ongoing value realization.
• Assess modernization readiness across the assigned client segment and ensure risks, concerns, and adoption barriers are surfaced early.
• Partner with Product Development, Professional Services, Support, Technical & Cloud Services, Sales, and other teams to provide clients with a coordinated experience throughout their modernization journey.
• Equip the Client Success team with the knowledge, messaging, and resources needed to communicate Tyler’s strategy and guide productive client conversations.

Data, Scale, and Operational Excellence

• Use client data, health indicators, feedback, and operational insights to prioritize engagement across the assigned client segment.
• Develop segmented and scalable engagement approaches, including digital programs, trigger-based outreach, group education, webinars, and other one-to-many strategies.
• Ensure consistent and disciplined use of Client Success platforms to document client context, risks, commitments, and outcomes.
• Evaluate team capacity, account coverage, and resource allocation to ensure effort is aligned with client needs and strategic priorities.
• Refine processes, tools, and playbooks that improve efficiency, accountability, and the overall client experience.
• Provide input and recommendations regarding departmental budgets, staffing, and resource needs.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product Development to ensure client feedback, adoption barriers, and emerging needs inform product planning and prioritization.
• Collaborate with Sales and other business leaders to support retention and identify appropriate expansion or cross-sell opportunities within the assigned client segment.
• Work closely with Professional Services, Support, Technical & Cloud Services, and other operational teams to clarify ownership and address client needs effectively.
• Coordinate with Marketing to identify and showcase client success stories, references, case studies, and testimonials.
• Regularly communicate segment performance, trends, risks, and progress toward departmental goals to executive leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent professional experience; advanced degree preferred.
• Eight or more years of progressive experience in Client Success, account management, professional services, consulting, or another strategic client-facing function, including significant people-leadership experience.
• Experience leading leaders and client-facing teams in an enterprise software or SaaS environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage the health, strategy, and performance of a complex client portfolio or market segment.
• Demonstrated ability to guide clients and teams through product, cloud, organizational, or operational change.
• Experience developing scalable Client Success practices across a diverse or complex client portfolio.
• Strong executive presence, communication skills, business judgment, and ability to build trusted relationships with senior client and internal stakeholders.
• Proven ability to use data, client insights, and performance measures to identify risk, prioritize resources, and drive action.
• Experience with Client Success platforms such as Gainsight, CRM systems, analytics, automation, or digital-engagement tools.
• Demonstrated strength in coaching, performance management, conflict resolution, and leadership development.
• Experience working in public-sector technology, Courts & Justice, enterprise SaaS, or another complex or regulated environment is preferred.
• Willingness to travel approximately 20%-30%, based on business and client needs.