Implementation Lead

Element451 is the AI-native CRM and agent platform built for higher education. We help colleges and universities modernize engagement, recruitment, enrollment, and student success with intelligent automation and a product customers genuinely love.

As we continue to scale, predictable, high-quality go-lives are a core growth lever. This role exists to ensure every new institution launches with clarity, momentum, and the right foundation for long-term success.

THE ROLE

As an Implementation Lead, you are the delivery owner for all customer implementations. You lead the implementation program end to end, including project plan, timeline, stakeholder alignment, and launch readiness, and are accountable for ensuring the platform is successfully adopted to achieve the customer's defined goals at handoff to Customer Success. You keep projects moving, decisions crisp, and go-lives predictable.

This is a customer-facing role for someone who blends strong program leadership with enough platform fluency to guide solution direction, make tradeoffs, and coordinate effectively across teams.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

Go-live delivery ownership

• Own implementation delivery from kickoff through go-live and transition to Customer Success
• Build and manage the project plan: milestones, dependencies, decisions, and weekly execution rhythm
• Drive accountability across internal teams and customer stakeholders to keep timelines on track

Discovery, solution direction, and decision-making

• Lead structured discovery to clarify goals, workflows, stakeholders, constraints, and measurable success criteria tied to customer outcomes
• Translate requirements into a phased implementation approach and realistic timeline
• Partner with Integrations Architect and Product as needed on complex design decisions

Launch readiness and risk management

• Maintain a clear go-live checklist: UAT completion, data readiness, approvals, training coordination, and communications
• Identify risks early (scope creep, stakeholder misalignment, data delays) and implement mitigation plans
• Ensure scope is controlled and tradeoffs are made transparently when needed
• Ensure go-live criteria include both technical readiness and alignment to intended customer outcomes

Outcome validation and value alignment

• Ensure the configured product supports the customer's primary use cases and defined success criteria
• Validate, with the customer, that key workflows and capabilities are live, usable, and aligned to their goals
• Confirm readiness not just for go-live, but for value realization post-launch

Cross-functional coordination and customer experience

• Lead customer working sessions and executive updates with confidence and clarity
• Coordinate with Adoption & Enablement and Integrations specialists to ensure all workstreams land cleanly
• Provide clear validation of how the implementation supports the customer's goals, including any gaps, risks, or dependencies for achieving outcomes

WHAT YOU BRING

• 4-8 years in SaaS implementation, project delivery, or customer onboarding (PM, Implementation Manager, Professional Services, TPM, etc.)
• Proven ability to run multiple implementations at once with strong stakeholder management
• Comfort working with technical and non-technical audiences (Enrollment Ops, IT, leadership)
• Excellent project discipline: timelines, risks, communication, and follow-through
• Familiarity with CRM/marketing automation implementations (higher ed experience a strong plus)
• Experience in a scaling environment is a plus

HOW WE MEASURE SUCCESS

• Early value realization signals (e.g., initial usage, workflow adoption, or goal alignment within first 30-60 days)
• On-time go-live rate and predictable delivery outcomes
• Implementation cycle time without quality tradeoffs
• Risk management quality: fewer avoidable delays/escalations
• Handoff quality score: CS confirms the implementation is positioned to achieve stated customer goals
• Customer experience: post-implementation CSAT and stakeholder confidence

OUR VALUES

• Impactful not Immediate
• Progress before Perfection
• Learners before Masters
• Together not Alone
• Customer Success not Support

OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS

Our process is rigorous and designed to be a real signal, for you and for us. Expect a live working session grounded in a realistic implementation scenario, not take-home busywork or trivia. You will show how you run discovery, structure a plan, manage risk, and communicate with customers and cross-functional partners.