Customer Success Manager (Kirkland, WA Hybrid)

Formations is a Seattle-based startup reimagining financial management for self-employed professionals. We handle everything — taxes, accounting, payroll, S Corporation management, and financial planning — so our customers can focus on the work they love, not the paperwork.
Our customers are business owners betting their livelihoods on themselves. We take that seriously. The people who work with us do too.
About the Role
As a Customer Success Manager at Formations, you own your book of business. A portfolio of self-employed professionals will rely on you as their primary point of contact and trusted advisor — the person who knows their situation, anticipates their needs, and shows up before something goes wrong.
This is a proactive role. You're not just fielding tickets. You're working your accounts like a portfolio: knowing who's at risk before they ask, spotting the members ready for the next step, and staying ahead of the calendar. Your customers are navigating the real complexity of running an S Corporation — payroll, estimated taxes, bookkeeping, compliance — and you're the person who makes that feel manageable.
The ideal candidate has hands-on experience in tax, accounting, payroll, or financial operations and brings the consultative instincts to turn that expertise into customer outcomes. You're operationally sharp, relationship-driven, and comfortable holding both customer advocacy and business objectives in the same hand.
What You'll Do
Manage and Grow Your Book of Business
•       Own a portfolio of customers throughout their lifecycle with a focus on retention, health, long-term success, and expansion
•       Serve as the primary point of contact and trusted advisor after onboarding completion
•       Identify at-risk customers proactively and work toward resolution before it becomes a problem
•       Spot and pursue upsell and cross-sell opportunities rooted in customer need, not quota
Advise Customers on Tax and Business Operations
•       Help customers navigate payroll requirements, estimated taxes, bookkeeping responsibilities, and S Corporation compliance
•       Conduct quarterly business reviews, renewal conversations, and value-driven account check-ins
•       Educate customers on how Formations works end-to-end and why it matters to their financial health
Deliver Exceptional Customer Experience
•       Build strong relationships through proactive communication and strategic guidance — not just reactive support
•       Respond to customer inquiries within established service-level expectations
•       Gather customer feedback and advocate for their needs cross-functionally
Stay Organized and Collaborate Cross-Functionally
•       Partner with tax, payroll, bookkeeping, and operations teams to support customer outcomes
•       Utilize HubSpot to manage engagement, follow-up, account health, and expansion tracking
•       Maintain accurate documentation and complete workflows in a timely, organized manner
What You'll Bring
Required Experience
•       2+ years in one or more of the following: tax preparation or tax operations, payroll administration or payroll compliance, bookkeeping or accounting operations, financial operations supporting small businesses or self-employed individuals
•       2+ years in Customer Success, Account Management, Customer Experience, Project Management, or a comparable customer-facing role
•       Experience working directly with customers in an advisory or consultative capacity
•       Comfortable using technology platforms and learning new systems quickly
Skills and Traits
•       Strong understanding of S Corporations, small business tax strategy, and ongoing client relationship management
•       Consultative problem-solver who can simplify complex financial concepts into clear next steps
•       Proactive and organized — you manage a large book without letting anything fall through the cracks
•       Strong written and verbal communication; equally effective in email, phone, and video
•       Customer advocate who can also hold the line on business objectives
•       Naturally curious, resourceful, and adaptable in a fast-moving environment
•       CRM experience preferred — HubSpot familiarity is a plus
•       Familiarity with tools like Xero, QBO, Gusto, or similar platforms is a bonus
•       Experience in a startup, fintech, accounting, payroll, or financial services environment is a plus
Why Formations
You'll be working with customers who are genuinely building something — solo entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals who have put their livelihood on the line. The difference you make in their year, financially and operationally, is real. This role puts you at the center of that.
We're a fast-moving team that values people who take ownership, communicate directly, and care about the quality of their work. If you want to be a named resource your customers actually rely on — not a ticket number in a queue — this is that role.
 

Compensation $68-75k OTE