• Location:Tokyo, Japan

• Department: Global Customer Success

• Report to: Global Director of Customer Success

About Us

ELSA is a global leader in AI-powered English communication training, dedicated to transforming how people learn and speak English with confidence. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, we operate across the U.S., Vietnam, Portugal, Indonesia, Brazil and Japan.

Powered by proprietary speech-recognition technology and generative AI, ELSA delivers real-time, hyper-personalized feedback to help learners improve pronunciation, fluency, and overall communication effectiveness. With over 50 million learners and 1 billion hours of anonymized speech data, ELSAs depth of language training intelligence is unmatched in the industry.

Our B2B flagship platforms ELSA Enterprise and ELSA Schools empower organizations and educational institutions to elevate communication capabilities and unlock personal and professional opportunities for their people. We design engaging, bite-sized learning experiences that adapt to each learner's goals and context, ensuring measurable improvement and lasting confidence.

Our vision is to become the global standard for real-time English communication training, enabling 1.5 billion language learners worldwide to speak clearly, be understood, and share their stories with the world.

Backed by world-class investors including Googles Gradient Ventures, Monks Hill Ventures, and SOSV, ELSA has been recognized among the top global AI innovators:

• Forbes Top 4 Companies Using AI to Transform the World

• Research Sniper Top 5 Best AI Apps

• ASU+GSV EdTech 150

• CB Insights Top 100 AI Companies

Join us in shaping the future of language learning and empowering millions to unlock opportunity through confident communication.

Role Summary
The Partner Success Manager is a strategic, high-impact role designed to drive the growth, retention, and operational excellence of our global partner ecosystem. Acting as the primary bridge between our strategic partners and internal teams (Sales, CS, and Product), you will be responsible for ensuring that partners are fully enabled, certified, and delivering high-quality outcomes at scale.

This is a modern, AI-first role—we are looking for a "power user" who leverages Generative AI and automation to scale partner operations, document repeatable playbooks, and eliminate manual bottlenecks. You will own the full partner lifecycle post-onboarding, with a direct focus on maintaining Net Revenue Retention (NRR) and fostering long-term alliance value.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead strategic relationships with Partners to support book of business growth

• Hit retention and growth targets through active management of partner success

• Build and document repeatable playbooks and best practices for scaling partner success operations

• Serve as the primary point of contact for our strategic partners, managing day-to-day communications, and conducting weekly meetings to go through demands and priorities

• Manage and own communication between our strategic partners and internal teams to ensure tasks and projects move forward.

• Ensure high-quality, on-time delivery of partner-delivered projects at scale, maintaining accountability for customer satisfaction, project outcomes, attach rates, and revenue performance across the partner portfolio.

• Build and maintain a partner enablement strategy that aligns programs and initiatives with business priorities.

• Foster a culture of innovation by leveraging AI tools and methodologies to enhance productivity, automate processes, and achieve scalable operations in partner management.

• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, including Sales, Customer Success, Partner Sales, and internal Professional Services teams, to align partner delivery with business objectives

What You Will Have

• Mandatory fluency in ENGLISH (B2 for speaking and writing)

• 6+ years of experience in partner programs, program management, or alliance/channel roles within the SaaS industry

• Demonstrated experience using AI tools to drive efficiency, automation, and scale operations in partner management

• Experience designing and scaling structured partner programs with differentiated value propositions

• Strong background working with partner portals, developer communities, and/or marketplace programs

• Proven ability to manage complex, cross-functional initiatives and influence stakeholders across functions and levels

• Analytical mindset with experience using data and metrics to measure success and guide program improvements

• Excellent project and time management skills with strong attention to detail

• Familiarity with HubSpot and related management tools

• A collaborative, problem-solving mindset and passion for improving both partner and internal team experiences

• Familiarity with SaaS, edtech, or digital platform business models preferred, with an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in partner-driven growth strategies

What We Offer

• Flexible work setup: Hybrid model for Japan.

• Comprehensive employee well-being benefits.

• Free ELSA Premium courses to polish your language skills

• Collaborative, international team culture.

• Opportunity to contribute to a fast-growing, well-funded Silicon Valley startup with global impact.