Customer Success Manager – Strategic Innovation

Job Description

Your opportunity

As our Customer Success Manager, you are the bridge between vision and reality. You don’t just sell services; you cultivate the long-term partnerships that allow breakthrough innovations to thrive. Within our Strategic Innovation (SI) boutique, you will manage the commercial health and growth of our client portfolio, ensuring that global corporations and ambitious scale-ups derive maximum value from our unique services in piloting new value propositions, business acceleration and strategic innovation sourcing.

You will join a multidisciplinary team of "pioneers" where strategy meets hands-on engineering. Your role is to be a trusted advisor who understands the "art and science of innovation," helping our clients navigate the complex intersection of People, Technology, and Business.

Key responsibilities

As a Customer Success Manager in the Strategic Innovation business unit, you will have a multitude of challenging responsibilities:

Driving Portfolio Growth & Retention

• Identify and develop concrete opportunities to expand our footprint within existing client accounts across FMCG, Medical, Building & Construction and Industrial markets.
• Convince clients to continue their journey with Verhaert by composing the best-fitting service and capability mix for their evolving innovation roadmap.
• Manage the full sales cycle for recurring business, from initial value proposition to closing commercial deals and project extensions.

Acting as a Strategic Partner

• Become a trusted advisor by deeply understanding the R&D plans, expertise gaps, and digital transformation challenges of your clients.
• Offer value and insights related to innovation management, helping companies think and act like startups.
• Facilitate workshops and strategic alignment sessions to ensure our delivery teams and client stakeholders remain perfectly synced.

General Responsibilities

• Collaborate in multidisciplinary project teams to ensure the "Boots on the Ground" promise is delivered.
• Build trust and act as an ambassador for Verhaert’s broader ecosystem, including our technology transfer and incubation programs.
• Monitor client health and satisfaction, proactively solving bottlenecks before they impact the partnership.

Your Profile

Education & Experience

• You hold a Master’s degree in Commercial Engineering, Economics, Product Development, or a related field.
• You have a first professional experience in a strategic consultancy, business development, or a customer success role within a high-tech/innovation context.
• You have a proven track record (or high potential) in building relationships with business owners and product management leaders.

Knowledge and Skills

• Multidisciplinary Mindset: You possess a blend of business acumen and technical affinity—you can talk "business viability" as easily as "technology management."
• Entrepreneurial & Pragmatic: You avoid "white collar" consulting clichés; you are a hands-on problem solver who prefers action over long slide decks.
• Communication Powerhouse: You love giving inspiring presentations and possess excellent listening and synthesizing skills.
• Languages: Fluency in English and Dutch is an absolute must. Knowledge of French or German is a significant advantage.

Why join Verhaert Strategic Innovation?

• We are not a typical consultancy. We don’t just advise—we design, test, build, and implement new products, services and business models.
• A "Boots on the Ground" Culture. You will work in an environment centered around breakthrough innovation, where your pragmatic ideas turn into physical and digital products.
• Global Impact. Join a team active across the EU , helping large organizations accelerate innovation and unlock new growth.
• Continuous Growth. You will have a front-row seat to the future of technology, supported by internal training.

What we offer

• A dynamic, creative, and entrepreneurial culture that values autonomy and collaboration.
• No more days packed with the same routine. Every client challenge is a new puzzle to solve.
• Attractive salary package with comprehensive benefits.
• A chance to build your innovation career in a powerhouse where strategy meets design meets engineering.

Absolute Musts:

• You are an EU Citizen, living in Belgium.
• You are looking for a permanent contract. (No freelancers or 3rd party consultants will be taken into account).

Apply now to become part of our Strategic Innovation boutique and help shape what’s next.