Customer Success Manager (all genders) in Lübeck

Nikon SLM Solutions is a leading provider of metal based additive manufacturing technology, commonly referred to as 3D printers, utilizing selective laser melting and powder bed fusion technology. Our 3D printers are designed to produce parts directly from a variety of metal powders. The customers for our metal based additive manufacturing systems come from various industries such as aerospace, energy, healthcare, and automotive. Headquartered in Lübeck Germany, Nikon SLM Solutions has approximately 600 employees worldwide.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Customer Success Manager serves as the primary point of contact and internal advocate for assigned strategic customers, ensuring successful customer experience throughout their relationship with Nikon SLM Solutions.

This role is responsible for coordinating cross-functional activities, improving operational service performance, maximizing machine availability, managing customer projects and escalations, and ensuring customer needs are effectively communicated and addressed across the organization. The Customer Success Manager will work closely with Sales, Service, Service Engineering, System Engineering, Production, and other internal teams to drive customer satisfaction, strengthen strategic relationships, and support long-term account success and growth.

CANDIDATE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned strategic customers, building trusted relationships and maintaining a strong understanding of their business needs, priorities, and operational requirements.
• Take ownership of the overall customer experience, proactively identifying opportunities to improve customer satisfaction and ensure account goals are achieved.
• Coordinate complex, cross-functional customer projects involving Sales, Service, Service Engineering, System Engineering, Production, and other internal stakeholders.
• Drive activities aimed at ensuring smooth customer operations and maximizing machine availability, coordinating internal resources to address technical and operational needs.
• Serve as the voice of the customer internally, translating customer priorities, challenges, and feedback into actionable items for the appropriate Nikon SLM teams.
• Lead customer risk and escalation management by identifying potential issues early, coordinating corrective actions, establishing clear ownership, and maintaining effective communication with customers through resolution.
• Monitor account and operational performance, utilizing available data and customer feedback to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Establish and track customer-specific goals, action plans, milestones, and deliverables to ensure accountability across internal teams.
• Manage multiple stakeholders and priorities while maintaining visibility into ongoing customer projects and ensuring commitments are completed on schedule.
• Develop and maintain relationships with customer stakeholders at multiple organizational levels, including executive-level contacts.
• Track expenses and costs associated with assigned strategic accounts to support visibility into account performance and profitability.
• Partner with Sales and senior management to support strategic account objectives and identify opportunities that strengthen long-term customer relationships and account growth.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Engineering, Business, Project Management, or a related field.
• Significant professional experience in customer success, technical account management, project management, service operations, or a related customer-facing role within an industrial or technical environment.
• Strong project management experience, with demonstrated ability to coordinate complex projects involving multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong customer relationship management skills with the ability to establish credibility and communicate effectively at both technical and executive levels.
• Ability to manage interfaces across departments, build strong internal networks, and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret operational and customer data and translate insights into actions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage customer escalations, competing priorities, and high-visibility projects.
• Strong understanding of how industrial organizations operate and make business decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• High degree of customer focus, ownership, organization, and commitment to customer success.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within additive manufacturing, industrial 3D printing, advanced manufacturing, capital equipment, or a similar technical industry.
• Knowledge of metal additive manufacturing and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) technology.
• Experience supporting strategic or key accounts involving complex technical products or equipment.
• Experience working closely with Field Service, Engineering, Production, and Sales organizations.
• Experience managing customer relationships where equipment uptime, machine availability, or service performance are key measures of customer success.
• Project management training or certification.
• Experience working within an international or globally matrixed organization.

OUR COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS PACKAGE INCLUDES

• Health coverage including medical, dental, and vision
• 401(k) plan and 4% match
• Holiday Pay and Paid Time Off
• Paid parental leave
• Gym reimbursement
• Tuition reimbursement
• Company-paid disability coverage
• Company-paid life insurance

Nikon SLM Solutions is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship or Green Card is required.