Renewals Manager in Chicago, Illinois at AHEAD

• Achieve and exceed renewal rate and retention targets

• Reduce churn and revenue erosion across assigned segments

• Maintain accurate and predictable renewal forecasting

• Ensure pipeline hygiene and Salesforce data integrity

• Improve team productivity, consistency, and execution quality

• Effectively manage and reduce high-risk renewal exposure

• Develop and retain high-performing renewal talent

People Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Renewal Specialists and Senior Renewal Specialists

• Establish clear performance expectations aligned to revenue retention and forecasting goals

• Conduct performance reviews and provide ongoing coaching and feedback

• Develop career progression pathways from Renewal Specialist to Senior Renewal Specialist

• Hire, onboard, and train new team members

• Manage workload distribution, account assignments, and PTO coverage planning

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

• Identify skill gaps and implement targeted training and development initiatives

• Support succession planning and promotable talent development Hire, onboard, and train new team members

Operational Governance & Execution Excellence

• Ensure adherence to renewal lifecycle best practices, including proactive engagement timelines (90–120 days pre-expiration)

• Drive Salesforce data integrity, documentation standards, and forecasting discipline

• Monitor pipeline health, renewal risk, and execution quality across the team

• Standardize renewal workflows, quoting practices, and operational processes

• Ensure pricing, quoting, and contract structures align with company policies and approval frameworks

• Identify systemic inefficiencies and lead process improvement initiatives

• Partner with leadership on scalable renewal strategies, tools, and system enhancements

• Reduce operational errors, missed renewals, and revenue leakage

Renewal Strategy, Forecasting & Risk Management

• Own renewal forecasting accuracy and pipeline visibility across assigned segments

• Lead regular pipeline review cadence with team members and cross-functional stakeholders

• Identify and proactively mitigate renewal risk, including customer dissatisfaction, competitive threats, or pricing challenges

• Establish consistent renewal strategy frameworks for high-value and complex accounts

• Ensure disciplined pipeline validation and alignment with Sales and Customer Success

• Escalate systemic risks and trends to Director-level leadership with actionable recommendations

Sales Support & Cross-Functional Leadership

In this player/coach role, the Renewals Manager supports complex renewals while ensuring alignment and execution across the team.

• Act as a strategic partner to Sales and Customer Success leadership to align on retention and growth strategies

• Support complex and high-risk renewal negotiations, including pricing strategy and contract structuring

• Own high-impact escalations, coordinating resolution across Finance, Procurement, Order Management, Legal, and AR/AP

• Reinforce pricing discipline, approval processes, and margin protection standards

• Align stakeholders on renewal timelines, quarter-end readiness, and execution priorities

• Model best practices in customer communication, negotiation, and risk mitigation

• Provide transactional support during peak periods while maintaining leadership accountability

Continuous Improvement & Team Enablement

• Drive development and adoption of renewal playbooks, tools, and best practices

• Partner with leadership to enhance renewal strategy, reporting, and analytics capabilities

• Promote a data-driven approach to renewal planning and execution

• Ensure team is current on product offerings, pricing models, OEM programs, and industry trends

• Champion operational excellence and continuous improvement across the renewal function