Principal Customer Success Manager – Aerospace, Propulsion & Energy – Strategic Enterprise Account Leadership at brighthush

About brighthush

brighthush is a trailblazing technology company that empowers engineering teams to push the boundaries of design and innovation. By turning complex design intent into reusable, data‑driven workflows, brighthush enables aerospace, defense, turbomachinery, energy, marine, automotive, and industrial leaders to explore thousands of product configurations at a scale that manual processes simply cannot match. Our platform seamlessly integrates with the simulation tools that engineers already trust, and it scales to meet the rigorous demands of the world’s most advanced organizations.

At brighthush, we are a tight‑knit, high‑impact team that thrives on ownership and results. Every contribution directly influences the company’s performance, and our culture is built on collaboration, curiosity, and a relentless focus on customer success.

The Role

We are seeking a seasoned Principal Customer Success Manager to own brighthush’s most strategic relationships across the aerospace, propulsion, and energy sectors. You will manage a focused portfolio of high‑value accounts—including leading airframers, engine OEMs, and power generation manufacturers—and report directly to the SVP of Sales and Customer Success.

brighthush’s Customer Success organization operates two distinct motions: a high‑velocity, transactional stream and a strategic, enterprise‑level stream. This role belongs to the strategic stream, where you will own the accounts that drive our growth, lead complex renewals, orchestrate onsite engineering sprints, and transform first deployments into long‑term, multi‑program partnerships.

Because brighthush’s product is deeply technical and our customers are some of the most demanding engineering organizations in the world, success in this role requires a deep understanding of engineering workflows and the ability to embed brighthush into their day‑to‑day processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Own a Strategic Book of Accounts. Drive retention and expansion across a curated set of brighthush’s most strategic customers, achieving a net revenue retention target and ensuring each account’s success is measurable.
• Run Every Account as a Program. Treat each customer agreement as a 12‑ to 24‑month engineering program with defined scope, deliverables, and milestones. Track progress, enforce accountability, and tie outcomes to the metrics that matter most to the customer—schedule, performance, and win rate.
• Lead Complex Renewals. Forecast early, build compelling business cases, and negotiate six‑ and seven‑figure renewals and multi‑year agreements that reflect the value delivered.
• Drive the Pricing Transition. Guide customers from seat‑based licensing to platform and capacity‑based pricing models, collaborating closely with the Strategic Account Director to ensure a smooth shift.
• Quarterback Onsite Engineering Engagements. Travel to customer sites to lead engineering sprints and services engagements, aligning stakeholders, field solutions engineers, and the desired outcomes.
• Build Executive Relationships. Cultivate executive sponsors across engineering and program leadership, conduct executive business reviews, and maintain close contact with IT, procurement, and engineering teams.
• Identify and Shape Expansion. Spot new programs, divisions, and use cases within accounts, and partner with the Strategic Account Director to convert them into expansion opportunities.
• Maintain Technical Credibility. Understand customers’ design and simulation workflows to diagnose adoption blockers, conduct workflow conversations, and bring in field solutions engineering at the right moment.
• Lead the AI Conversation. Help customers integrate brighthush into their AI and agentic engineering workflows, turning post‑sale relationships into long‑term strategic partnerships.
• Spot Risk Early. Monitor account health, flag issues before renewal, and lead escalations when necessary.
• Collaborate Across Teams. Work closely with the Strategic Account Director, field solutions engineering, customer success, support, and product teams to ensure a unified approach to account success.
• Raise the Bar for Strategic Account Management. Leverage AI tools to accelerate work, maintain accurate renewal forecasts in Salesforce, and help define how brighthush manages its most strategic accounts.

What Success Looks Like

• First 6 Months: You have established clear program plans, identified executive sponsors for each account, achieved accurate renewal forecasts, and led your first major renewal and onsite engagement.
• First 12 Months: Your portfolio meets or exceeds net revenue retention targets, key accounts have transitioned to platform pricing, you have sourced meaningful expansion opportunities, and you have contributed to the development of the strategic account playbook.

Required Experience

• 8+ years in customer success or strategic account management, with a proven track record of owning renewals for large enterprise SaaS accounts (individual renewals of $1M+).
• Experience working with complex, multi‑stakeholder enterprise customers.
• Post‑sale experience with engineering software (CAD, CAE/simulation, PLM, or adjacent digital engineering tools) and direct engagement with engineering leaders (directors, VPs, chief engineers, heads of digital engineering).
• Strong technical aptitude—understanding the engineering software ecosystem and comfortable leading deep technical conversations.
• Executive presence—credible across the table with senior leaders and comfortable in working sessions with engineers.
• Commercial ownership—negotiated large renewals and multi‑year agreements independently.
• Program management discipline—managed complex, multi‑month engagements with defined scope, deliverables, and milestones.
• U.S. Person status as defined by ITAR.
• Minimum 30% travel to customer sites, onsite engineering engagements, and industry events.

Preferred (Not Required)

• Experience with airframers, engine OEMs, or energy manufacturers, and familiarity with their budgeting, procurement, and export control processes.
• Experience transitioning customers from seat‑based licensing to platform, usage, or value‑based pricing.
• Hands‑on familiarity with brighthush or similar tools.
• Active security clearance (Secret or higher).
• Exposure to additive manufacturing, generative design, or advanced manufacturing.
• Experience at a high‑growth startup or scale‑up.
• A degree in engineering, physics, applied math, computer science, or materials science.

How You Work

• View renewals as the culmination of value delivered over the year, not a negotiation that starts 90 days out.
• Proactively raise risks and opportunities before they become problems.
• Maintain a low‑ego, collaborative mindset—win by pulling in the right people at the right time.
• Own your results and hold yourself accountable for outcomes.

Compensation & Benefits

On‑target earnings (OTE) range: $177,000 – $224,000 USD, plus equity and a comprehensive benefits package. Final compensation is determined by seniority and industry experience.

Benefits include:

• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous paid time off and flexible work arrangements.
• Professional development stipend and access to industry conferences.
• Equity participation in a high‑growth technology company.
• Employee wellness programs and mental health resources.

Culture & Work Environment

brighthush is a remote‑first organization that values autonomy, accountability, and continuous learning. Our team is diverse, inclusive, and driven by a shared mission to transform engineering workflows worldwide. We celebrate data‑driven decision making, encourage experimentation, and reward bold ideas that push the envelope.

How to Apply

If you are a seasoned customer success leader with a passion for engineering, a proven ability to manage large enterprise accounts, and a desire to shape the future of digital engineering, we want to hear from you. Submit your application through our careers portal and join brighthush in redefining how the world designs and builds high‑performance products.