Job Description

As a Client Relationship Manager (CRM), you will change leaders who change the world by working with Client Directors (CDs), faculty, practitioners, internal teams, and the wider Cambridge ecosystem to deliver high-impact learning experiences for our Custom institutional clients.

Role Overview:

The CRM is a key member of the Custom Business Development and Sales team, and they play a vital role in developing and maintaining beneficial client relationships, including with key and complex projects. Their primary goal is to achieve year-on-year account growth by securing repeat business and identifying opportunities to develop new business with existing clients.


The postholder also acts as the programme lead within a client team for several custom clients. They have responsibility for the professional and effective project management, delivery of the programmes, and for overseeing the management of budgets to ensure client expectations are fulfilled and target profit levels are achieved. They manage client and team to a robust and strategic project plan, manage scope of services and client expectations, and take ultimate ownership for delivering client programme design and delivery on time, to budget and at market-leading quality and standards.


The position reports to a specific Client Director (CD), and may also work and support across the Client Director team to meet business needs. They are an important interface between clients, faculty members, external contributors and stakeholders within Executive Education and CJBS, acting as the link between exacting client requirements and relevant colleagues throughout the client engagement process. The post-holder will work collaboratively with colleagues responsible for the delivery of programmes and other projects for Executive Education, building our reputation as a pre-eminent provider of executive development programmes and learning solutions.


The postholder will work nationally and internationally to represent the business to existing and potential clients.

Main Responsibilities:

Client relationship management and account growth

Achieve year-on-year growth of assigned client accounts, by securing repeat business and identifying opportunities to develop new business with existing clients. They will collaborate with Client Directors and other colleagues to identify and to grow relevant opportunities. Build and maintain long-lasting and trusted advisor relationship with client stakeholders by developing a thorough understanding of their context and needs, delivering high quality outputs, providing high value insight and advice on executive education trends and learning design, and rolling out market-leading learning programmes and blended learning solutions for the client. Lead the design and customisation of Executive Education programmes, responding to client needs. Advise clients on all aspects of design and delivery including diagnostic, evaluation and impact measurement. Ensure design and delivery align with Executive Education standards and apply professional project management and learning design tools. Innovate within the client accounts, introducing new design ideas, diverse learning experiences, and technology-enabled deliveries. Work seamlessly across face-to-face, virtual and digital modalities of learning. Act as the primary contact for assigned clients, ensuring continuity and clear, professional communication. Manage challenging client requests, proactively track and manage escalations as appropriate. Operate and direct client projects using professional project management disciplines including project plans, risk registers, communications plans, stakeholder management plans, and regular dashboarding. Clearly communicate the progress of projects and programme development to internal and external stakeholders using formal tools such as Monday.com. Ensure timely and successful design, development and delivery of Executive Education solutions according to client needs and objectives. Manage client and team to a robust weekly plan, providing the client with regular high-quality status updates on programme tracking to plan, resource use, and delivery risk. Deliver world-leading excellence in programme design and delivery. Ensure the provision of high quality and consistent customer service at all times, including tracking and acting upon quantitative and qualitative feedback and impact information. Lead account planning and growth for existing clients to identify opportunities to serve the client more strategically, scale existing relationships and develop other ways to serve clients. Support and draft compelling extension and expansion proposals, incorporating design innovation and feedback from clients.

Project direction, planning and contracting

Lead team in planning process to direct the establishment of a robust project plan to deliver all phases of the client project: Diagnostic, Design, Delivery and Impact Measurement. In line with client expectations, formally direct the project (with support from a programme manager) and report on the effective design, build and delivery of client programmes and solutions. Lead design workshops, faculty briefings and client debriefs, and engage with relevant stakeholders across JBSEEL, including faculty, effectively, to ensure high-quality design, build, delivery and evaluation of client programmes and solutions. Escalate to the portfolio CD any areas of significant risk or programme timeline slippage, proposing mitigations and support measures to resolve. Work with the relevant programme team and Executive Education colleagues in setting and communicating the logistical planning and delivery of relevant client solutions and programmes. Ensure with relevant colleagues that all relevant contracts and commercial aspects are in place with faculty, contributors , suppliers, and any other relevant stakeholders. Ensure all relevant aspects of programme delivery are in line with client expectations and agreed guidelines. Support and coach all members of the client team on client and project management to achieve standards of excellence. Stakeholder management and upwards management of CDs to report on progress, opportunities and risks.

Budget, contract and financial responsibility

Direct resource across the team to the agreed client budget. Work with colleagues to prepare and oversee the management of programme budgets. Ensure that budgets and programme logistics are approved with finance and operational colleagues. Ensure that contracts are in place for the work of relevant portfolios and lead the contract renewal process, taking advice from relevant colleagues, including the Contracts Manager as necessary. Ensure that programme and delivery team are aware of any specific contractual issues affecting programme/solution delivery.

Formal account management

Work closely with colleagues across teams in Executive Education and CJBS to develop a strategy for sustainable long term client engagement to secure continued and expanded business. Prepare reports on account status in line with relevant account plans. With colleagues, ensure effective operational and client focussed transitions and support points for maintaining and developing long term client engagement.

Additionally

Proactively and effectively contribute to Executive Education's values team activities and the Custom Team Charter. Participate in and contribute to special projects where relevant.

About You:

Our ideal candidate should have the following qualities, skills and attributes. We encourage you to apply for this role even if you do not match every attribute listed on the job description. As an education provider, we are keen to support onboarding and learning for those new to our context.

Graduate level or equivalent. Executive education, professional services, learning and development, or commercial corporate background is essential. Formal project management qualification highly desirable. Strong experience of project and client management, delivering client focused solutions within a learning solutions and client services environments. Growth mindset is essential. Curiosity, and willingness to engage with innovation in learning, including learning new design skills, understanding pedagogy, learning new digital and technological tools, platforms and design templates, and engaging with an inclusive, dedicated team on innovation. Significant evidence of building client relationships, managing and extending accounts across multiple relationships, opportunities and needs is required. Ability to achieve and support approximately 1m in annual sales (combination of new, extension, and expansion) is required. Significant experience leading a team, directing work and a project plan to achieve the highest client standards and collaborative team approach are essential. Evidence of being a natural problem-solver and solutions-focused with the ability to build team psychological safety and rapport to achieve growth and change. Evidence of effective team leadership, team direction and teamworking across boundaries and cultures, working with colleagues to enable the successful development and implementation of strategic plans. Understanding of a customer-oriented sales environment in a complex and multi-faceted environment. Ability and willingness to engage and to collaborate with teaching and research faculty in the Business School and across the wider University. Evidence of excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish rapport and credibility with senior executives, faculty and participants. Able to influence, manage conflict, communicate and work collaboratively with clients and key stakeholders at all levels and across different business disciplines. Excellent networking skills and an ability to leverage these skills to acquire business. Experience of significant relationship-based sales and extensions would be advantageous. Excellent communication skills, including delivering presentations with impact and persuasive written materials. Highly developed analytic skills, and the ability to communicate complex ideas in a clear and comprehensible way to diverse audiences. Strong team player, able to work independently when required and under pressure. Able to be decisive during difficult situations and negotiations, whilst maintaining detail and oversight of the larger strategic perspective. Demonstrable experience of working in an international context. Experience of working with CRM platforms. A high degree of tact, diplomacy, and understanding of global political and cultural contexts. The ability to demonstrate JBSEEL's values of: Embodying world-leading excellence; Having and encouraging a growth mindset; Making others great, always; Being positive and solution-oriented; Being better together.

Other information:

This is a full-time, permanent position. There will be a nine-month probationary period. Working hours are 40 hours per week. The successful applicant must be willing to work such additional hours as are necessary for the proper performance of their duties. This is hybrid role, with a current company-wide requirement of a

minimum

of two working days from our office in Cambridge. Some national and international travel will be required. Flexible working patterns and schedules are supported.


The deadline for applications is midnight on

Wednesday 22 October 2025.