Senior Project Escalation Manager, EMEA
The Opportunity
Are you a seasoned escalation and project manager who thrives in high‑stakes, complex situations? Do you have a passion for driving customer success through structured problem‑solving and executive‑level stakeholder engagement? We're looking for a Senior Project Escalation Manager to join our Customer Success organization and lead the resolution of mission‑critical customer challenges across EMEA.
As a Senior Project Escalation Manager, you will take ownership of our most complex, strategic customer escalations and serve as the trusted advisor during moments that matter most. You'll operate within Cornerstone's Global Hypercare program-a structured, global initiative designed to stabilise at‑risk accounts and drive systemic improvements across our customer base. This role combines deep hands‑on management of critical escalations with the opportunity to influence process, product, and organisational improvements at scale.
You'll work cross‑functionally with Customer Success, Support, Services, Product, and Engineering teams, balancing urgent customer needs with long‑term value creation. If you're energised by complexity, excel under pressure, and have a track record of turning escalations into customer wins-this is the role for you.
What You'll Do
- Lead and manage critical project escalations from strategic and enterprise customers in EMEA, acting as the primary escalation point for internal and external stakeholders.
- Own the end‑to‑end lifecycle of assigned Hypercare accounts, from nomination and entry through exit criteria and return to steady‑state success management.
- Apply Cornerstone's Global Hypercare methodology and playbooks, tailoring them thoughtfully to each customer context while maintaining consistency with our global framework.
- Partner closely with Customer Success, Support, Services, Product, and Engineering teams to diagnose root causes, define clear action plans, and drive fast resolution of escalated situations.
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- Develop and maintain detailed action plans with clear owners, timelines, risks, and success criteria; ensure disciplined follow‑through and transparent tracking.
- Manage internal and external communications throughout the escalation lifecycle, maintaining aligned expectations, clear status updates, and proactive risk articulation.
- Serve as a calm, structured advisor to senior stakeholders-including customer executives and internal leadership-during high‑pressure situations.
- Create and deliver executive‑level status reports, presentations, and summaries tailored to customer and internal audiences (including C‑suite).
- Host and lead critical meetings including escalation reviews, war rooms, executive briefings, and cross‑functional post‑mortems.
- Track and analyse key metrics (time to stabilise, severity trends, root causes, customer sentiment) to inform prioritisation and drive continuous improvement.
- Identify recurring themes and process gaps, feeding insights to the Global Head of Hypercare and cross‑functional leaders to drive systemic change.
- Document lessons learned and ensure corrective actions are embedded into Cornerstone's operating model to prevent recurrence.
- Contribute to protecting and growing customer revenue by stabilising relationships, managing expectations proactively, and supporting commercial conversations with Customer Success and Sales partners.
What We're Looking For
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Systems, Project/Program Management, or a related field; an advanced degree is valued.
- 7+ years of experience managing complex, enterprise‑level customer escalations in Customer Success, Program/Project Management, Services, or a comparable SaaS environment.
- Hands‑on experience with Cornerstone OnDemand or similar HR / Talent / Learning SaaS platforms.
- Demonstrated ability to build trust and influence with senior stakeholders, including customer executives and internal cross‑functional leaders, especially in high‑stakes situations.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; a track record of creating clear, compelling, executive‑ready communications and presentations.
- Strong negotiation, facilitation, and conflict‑resolution abilities; proven skill at balancing competing interests and guiding stakeholders to agreement.
- Advanced proficiency in spoken and written English; additional European languages are a bonus.
- Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities, including structured risk assessment and root‑cause analysis.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple critical escalations simultaneously in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment.
- Working knowledge of project and escalation management tools and common SaaS business systems (Salesforce, Gainsight, Jira, reporting/BI tools, etc.).
- Resilience, ownership mindset, and comfort operating with visibility and accountability at senior levels.
Why Join Us?
- Impact that matters: You'll directly influence customer outcomes, company growth, and how Cornerstone operates at scale.
- Visibility and influence: You'll partner with senior leaders across the organization and build relationships with C‑suite stakeholders.
- Structured support: You'll work within a Global Hypercare program with defined methodology, playbooks, and governance.
- Learning and development: You'll gain exposure to complex SaaS business dynamics, enterprise challenges, and cross‑functional problem‑solving.
Perks and Benefits
Health and Wellness
- Health Insurance
- Health Reimbursement Account
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Short-Term Disability
- Long-Term Disability
- FSA
- HSA
- HSA With Employer Contribution
- Pet Insurance
- Mental Health Benefits
Parental Benefits
- Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
- Non-Birth Parent or Paternity Leave
- Fertility Benefits
- Family Support Resources
- Adoption Leave
Work Flexibility
- Flexible Work Hours
- Remote Work Opportunities
- Hybrid Work Opportunities
Office Life and Perks
- Casual Dress
- Snacks
- Company Outings
- On-Site Cafeteria
- Holiday Events
Vacation and Time Off
- Paid Vacation
- Unlimited Paid Time Off
- Paid Holidays
- Personal/Sick Days
- Leave of Absence
- Summer Fridays
Financial and Retirement
- 401(K) With Company Matching
- Stock Purchase Program
- Performance Bonus
- Relocation Assistance
- Financial Counseling
- Profit Sharing
Professional Development
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Promote From Within
- Work Visa Sponsorship
- Leadership Training Program
- Internship Program
- Shadowing Opportunities
- Access to Online Courses
Diversity and Inclusion
- Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
- Unconscious Bias Training
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program