Senior Strategic Customer Account Manager – Public Sector & Education (SLED) – Championing Growth, Retention, and Innovation in Mission‑Critical Connectivity for State, Local, and Educational Institutions at brighthush

About brighthush

At brighthush, we are redefining the way public sector and education organizations experience connectivity. With a sprawling 141,000‑mile network that spans North America and Europe, we deliver high‑capacity, low‑latency infrastructure that powers everything from emergency services to cloud‑native applications. Our portfolio includes dark fiber, private data networks, wavelengths, Ethernet, and dedicated Internet access, all engineered to meet the stringent reliability, security, and scalability demands of government agencies, K‑12 school districts, and higher education institutions.

In a world where digital transformation is no longer optional but essential, brighthush is committed to empowering public service with resilient, high‑performance networks. We believe that the future of public service is built on connectivity that is both robust and adaptable, and we are dedicated to ensuring that every state, local, and educational institution has the bandwidth and reliability they need to thrive.

Position Overview

As a Senior Strategic Customer Account Manager – Public Sector & Education (SLED), you will be the primary partner for brighthush’s largest and most complex public sector and education accounts. You will lead the post‑implementation customer relationship, develop recurring‑revenue strategies, and ensure continuity for state and local government agencies, K‑12 school districts, higher education institutions, and related public‑sector organizations. Your role will be pivotal in managing renewals, retention, churn risk, expansion opportunities, and complex customer requirements across brighthush’s suite of services.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and nurture executive‑level relationships: Develop strong operational, commercial, and executive connections with public sector and education customers and their account teams.
• Strategic account planning: Create multi‑year account, renewal, and network plans informed by customer priorities, service needs, contract position, funding cycles, procurement timelines, competitive risk, and financial exposure.
• Revenue stewardship: Own revenue protection, churn management, renewal execution, and expansion strategy for assigned accounts.
• Lead complex renewals: Drive multi‑service, multi‑location, or multi‑year renewals, RFP/RFQ responses, and executive business reviews.
• Align with funding cycles: Develop and execute customer strategies aligned to E‑rate funding cycles, eligible service categories, RFP timelines, budget cycles, and procurement requirements.
• Identify growth opportunities: Partner with Sales to understand customer infrastructure needs, funding availability, upcoming procurements, technology initiatives, and service expansion opportunities.
• Leverage procurement mechanisms: Navigate and leverage state contract vehicles, cooperative purchasing programs, education consortiums, and other public‑sector procurement mechanisms to support renewals and growth.
• Churn mitigation: Manage material churn forecasts and mitigation plans while balancing customer outcomes with pricing discipline, contract terms, margin, capital recovery, and long‑term account value.
• Contract strategy: Develop and negotiate save, replacement, portability, migration, network‑redesign, relocation, decommission, and contract‑restructuring strategies appropriate to the customer and procurement environment.
• Commercial judgment: Provide senior commercial judgment on credits, ETL, portability, contract exceptions, rate increases, renewal pricing, and appropriate revenue treatment.
• Cross‑functional coordination: Coordinate complex customer requirements and decisions across Sales, Sales Engineering, Finance, Billing, Legal, Deal Management, Service Assurance, Service Delivery, Product, and Operations.
• Customer advisory: Serve as a knowledgeable customer advisor on brighthush services and their alignment to public sector and education requirements, procurement processes, and funding programs.
• Market intelligence: Monitor changes in relevant funding, procurement, and market conditions and translate those changes into actionable account strategies.
• Executive engagement: Lead customer business reviews and executive engagements focused on service performance, business priorities, upcoming procurements, renewal readiness, funding opportunities, and future network requirements.
• Mentorship: Mentor less‑experienced CAMs and contribute to renewal playbooks, training, negotiation practices, and operating standards, particularly for public sector and education accounts.

Essential Qualifications

• Minimum 6+ years of experience in Customer Retention, Strategic Account Management, Client Services, Sales, or a comparable customer‑facing role; senior assignments typically require 8+ years.
• Proven success managing large, complex SLED accounts, including public‑sector, government, education, K‑12, higher education, or similarly procurement‑intensive organizations.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, strategic, or high‑revenue customer relationships with multiple stakeholders and extended buying cycles.
• Deep expertise in the E‑rate program, including the ability to align brighthush services and customer strategies with E‑rate funding cycles, eligible service categories, application timelines, and related procurement requirements.
• Strong understanding of SLED procurement processes, including RFP/RFQ development, formal bid processes, state contract vehicles, cooperative purchasing programs, and education consortiums.
• Familiarity with state and local government purchasing environments and the ability to navigate complex procurement, contracting, budgeting, and approval processes.
• Advanced experience in renewals, retention, commercial negotiations, RFP/RFQ response, contract execution, and revenue preservation.
• Strong understanding of churn, gross and net revenue retention, renewal performance, discount performance, and recurring‑revenue management.
• Significant telecommunications / digital infrastructure experience preferred.
• Executive‑level communication, presentation, negotiation, and facilitation skills, with the ability to build credibility across customer stakeholders ranging from operational users to senior decision makers.
• Strong analytical, organizational, project‑management, and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to manage complex timelines and multiple competing priorities.
• Ability to work effectively across Sales, Sales Engineering, Finance, Legal, Operations, Service Delivery, Product, and other cross‑functional teams.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Business, Sales, Public Administration, Education, or a related field preferred.
• Willingness and ability to travel based on customer and business needs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced certifications in project management (PMP, Prince2) or procurement (CIPS, CPSM).
• Experience with public‑sector technology initiatives such as 5G, edge computing, or cloud‑native networking.
• Track record of exceeding renewal and expansion targets in a high‑growth environment.
• Knowledge of federal procurement regulations (FAR, DFARS) and state‑level procurement frameworks.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Visionary Leadership
• Relationship Management & Stakeholder Engagement
• Negotiation & Commercial Acumen
• Analytical & Data‑Driven Decision Making
• Project & Program Management
• Communication & Presentation Excellence
• Adaptability & Resilience in Complex Environments
• Team Collaboration & Cross‑Functional Coordination
• Customer‑Centric Mindset & Advocacy

Career Growth & Learning Opportunities

At brighthush, your professional journey is supported by a culture of continuous learning and advancement. You will have access to:

• Structured mentorship programs with senior leaders across the organization.
• Regular training on industry trends, emerging technologies, and procurement best practices.
• Opportunities to lead cross‑functional initiatives and high‑impact projects.
• Clear career pathways into senior account management, sales leadership, or strategic consulting roles.
• Participation in industry conferences, webinars, and professional associations.

Work Environment & Company Culture

brighthush fosters an inclusive, collaborative, and innovative workplace where every voice is heard. Our culture is built on:

• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Encouragement of creative problem‑solving and experimentation.
• Transparent communication and open feedback loops.
• Work‑life balance with flexible remote work options.
• Recognition of individual and team achievements.

Compensation & Benefits

We offer a competitive total rewards package that includes:

• Base salary range: $75,390 – $107,700 USD per year (dependent on experience, location, and qualifications).
• Performance‑based incentive plans for both non‑sales and sales roles.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match.
• Generous paid time off, including paid parental leave.
• Employee wellness programs and resources.
• Professional development budget and tuition reimbursement.
• Travel allowances and expense reimbursement for client visits.

Why Join brighthush?

As a Senior Strategic Customer Account Manager, you will be at the forefront of shaping the future of connectivity for public sector and education organizations. You will:

• Drive revenue growth and customer satisfaction in a high‑impact, mission‑critical industry.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to deliver tailored solutions that meet complex procurement and funding requirements.
• Build lasting relationships with influential stakeholders who shape public policy and educational outcomes.
• Advance your career in a company that values innovation, integrity, and community impact.

Apply Today

If you are ready to take your career to the next level and make a tangible difference in the public sector and education landscape, we encourage you to apply now. Join brighthush and help us connect the world’s most important institutions with the bandwidth they need to thrive.

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