Customer Retention Manager (AI Focus) in Wichita, Kansas at Ideatek

Are you someone who can balance empathy with strategy and turn customer challenges into long-term loyalty? Do you thrive in fast-paced environments where innovation, automation, and human connection all play a critical role? Are you energized by solving problems, leading teams, and finding smarter ways to improve the customer experience?

We’re looking for a Customer Retention Manager with a heavy focus on AI to help lead the future of customer loyalty and retention at IdeaTek. This role is far more than traditional customer retention—you’ll help build proactive, data-driven strategies that reduce churn, strengthen customer relationships, protect revenue, and improve the overall customer journey.

In this role, you’ll combine leadership, analytics, automation, and emotional intelligence to help identify customer risks before they happen, implement smarter retention workflows, and create a customer experience that keeps people connected to IdeaTek long-term.

This role is open to candidates who live in the state of Kansas are are commutable to the Wichita, KS area every 2-3 weeks.

A Day in the Life

You’ll start your day reviewing customer retention trends, install pipeline activity, and at-risk customer accounts—working to identify opportunities for proactive engagement before cancellations happen.

Some days you’ll be coaching your team through complex customer conversations, reviewing AI-generated customer insights, or building smarter automation workflows to improve the customer experience. Other days may involve collaborating with Sales and Operations teams to reduce installation fallout, presenting retention trends to leadership, or developing new loyalty initiatives designed to strengthen long-term customer relationships.

Throughout it all, your work will directly contribute to protecting revenue, improving customer satisfaction, and helping communities stay connected.

What You'll Do

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead and mentor a team of Customer Retention Specialists focused on customer loyalty, retention, and customer experience outcomes
• Develop proactive retention strategies designed to reduce customer churn and increase customer lifetime value (CLV)
• Build and optimize customer retention workflows, save campaigns, and win-back initiatives
• Partner with Sales, Operations, Marketing, and Customer Support teams to improve the customer experience throughout the customer lifecycle
• Own the critical post-sale, pre-install customer experience to reduce pipeline slippage and pre-install cancellations
• Implement AI-driven tools and automation workflows to improve efficiency, reporting, and customer engagement
• Utilize predictive analytics and behavioral insights to identify at-risk customers and recommend retention strategies
• Develop proactive outreach strategies to reduce buyer’s remorse and competitor poaching during installation wait periods
• Analyze customer trends, cancellation data, retention KPIs, and customer feedback to identify operational improvements
• Serve as the voice of the customer by identifying recurring pain points and recommending process or policy changes
• Utilize CRM systems, automation platforms, and AI-powered tools to streamline workflows and improve customer interactions
• Present retention performance insights, customer trends, and strategic recommendations to leadership
• Manage retention-related promotional offers and loyalty incentives while balancing customer experience and business impact
• Support escalated customer conversations with professionalism, empathy, and strong problem-solving skills

What Will Help You Stand Out

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience implementing AI tools, workflow automation, or predictive analytics in customer-facing environments
• Experience within telecommunications, SaaS, technology, subscription-based services, or customer lifecycle industries
• Familiarity with automation platforms such as Zapier or similar workflow tools
• Experience managing customer retention metrics, churn analytics, or customer lifecycle initiatives
• Experience leading customer loyalty, save desk, or customer advocacy programs
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Analytics, or a related field preferred

Desired Attributes

Beyond the qualifications, these attributes are what make someone a great fit for our team:

• Empathetic leader – You know how to balance accountability with emotional intelligence and customer care
• Strategic thinker – You can see the big picture while building practical solutions that drive results
• Innovative – You embrace technology and look for smarter, more efficient ways to improve processes
• Data-driven – You use analytics and customer insights to guide decisions and identify opportunities
• Calm under pressure – You can confidently navigate escalated customer situations and difficult conversations
• Collaborative – You build strong relationships across departments and understand retention is a team effort
• Mission-focused – You genuinely care about helping communities stay connected through reliable internet access

Why Join IdeaTek?

IdeaTek is a cutting-edge telecommunications company dedicated to bringing fast, reliable internet to underserved communities. We're a passionate team of innovators and problem-solvers committed to making a difference in the lives of our customers. At IdeaTek, we value our employees and foster a culture of collaboration, growth, and community involvement.

A few of the key ways we strive to make employees feel valued include:

• Competitive pay + bonus potential
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and 401k with match
• Free coaching/counseling for employees & families
• Free internet service (if available in your area) or internet reimbursement
• Tuition reimbursement for personal and professional growth
• Community engagement opportunities
• Culture that values results, effort, and integrity

Our Core Values

• We are Trustworthy – We build confidence through transparency, follow-through, and dependability.
• We count on Big Thinkers – We don’t just imagine the future—we create it with bold, actionable ideas.
• We have a Resilient Spirit – We embrace challenges, bounce back from setbacks, and keep striving for more.
• We stand on Belief – We believe everyone deserves access to technology that helps them learn, grow, and thrive.
• We foster Connectedness – Our work goes beyond broadband—we build real connections within our team and our communities.
• We drive Innovation – We're always looking for ways to improve and redefine what’s possible.

Ready to Apply?

If you’re ready to help shape the future of customer retention through innovation, strategy, and human connection, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today!

What We’re Looking For

To be considered for this role, you'll need the following required qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in Customer Service, Customer Success, Account Management, Marketing, Retention, or related fields
• 2+ years of leadership or team management experience
• Experience utilizing emerging technology, AI tools, and automation platforms
• Experience utilizing CRM systems such as HubSpot, Zoho, Salesforce, or similar platforms
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and conflict resolution skills
• Ability to manage escalated customer situations with empathy, professionalism, and composure
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to work cross-functionally in fast-paced and evolving environments
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Ability to translate complex technical or billing information into clear, customer-friendly communication