A Customer Success Operations (CS Ops) Manager provides tactical support to the CS team by helping it improve its efficiency and KPIs. To better understand what CS Ops is, think of "success operations" as a product that optimizes processes for Customer Success Managers (CSMs). CS Ops managers establish baseline productivity using various metrics (e.g., net MMR churn) and assess the hindrances to learning about new product features. They evaluate the pain points CSMs face in their daily work and conceptualize how processes work. CSMs identify consistent issues affecting the CS team, break them down into manageable components, and tailor solutions with quantifiable results.
In startups and small companies, the CSM mostly doubles as the CS Ops manager. But the need to separate this function into a dedicated role is increasingly apparent. Mostly, the CS Ops manager is a promoted CSM, which means the role calls for extensive experience to immediately build visibility into the CS team's business outcomes, identify areas for improvement, and earmark projects that should be prioritized for Customer Success.
