Implementation Lead

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 + 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 + 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 + 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’ll Bring

• 4–8 years in SaaS implementation/project delivery/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