Customer Success Lead

About Vinyl Equity

We’re building the next generation of capital-markets infrastructure, starting with a modern, digital-native transfer agent designed for today’s public companies.

Vinyl Equity is transforming one of the most legacy-heavy and operationally critical parts of the capital markets by delivering the first API-driven, real-time infrastructure for public companies. Our platform replaces slow, manual processes with secure, automated workflows that help issuers operate faster, more efficiently, and with greater confidence.

We’re backed by leading investors including Index Ventures, Spark Capital, Infinity Ventures, and others who have funded many of the world’s most impactful financial-technology companies. Our team draws from deep experience at NYSE, Equiniti, Computershare, and AngelList, giving us a unique understanding of the industry’s pain points — and how to solve them.

We have a massive market, a well-defined customer, and strong momentum. With demand accelerating and new product lines on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to join.

About the Role

We're looking for a Customer Success Lead to define and deliver what a world-class client experience looks like at Vinyl Equity. Reporting directly to the VP of Operations and partnering closely with our Director of Operations, you'll own the strategy and execution behind how our issuers experience Vinyl from onboarding through every recurring touchpoint across securities issuance/cancellation, proxy, and other transfer agent workflows.

This is a foundational hire. You'll bring deep customer success expertise from a regulated, operationally complex B2B environment including, but not limited to, fintech or legaltech, to a team rebuilding the category from the ground up. You'll have the agency to design the playbook rather than inherit one, and you'll work shoulder-to-shoulder with Engineering, Operations, and Sales to make sure every client interaction reflects the precision, speed, and care that issuers expect from a critical infrastructure partner.

This is a Chicago-based role at our West Loop headquarters, and candidates must be able to work in-office at least three days per week.

Role Requirements

• 5 years of customer success, account management, or client services experience in a regulated, operationally complex B2B environment — fintech, legaltech, transfer agency, capital markets, equity administration, or comparable.
• Track record managing senior client stakeholders at sophisticated B2B customers (CFOs, GCs, Corporate Secretaries, Equity Administrators, or equivalent executive-level professionals).
• Demonstrated ability to learn a complex regulatory and operational domain quickly, and to translate it into clear, executive-ready guidance for clients.
• Experience owning client onboarding, escalations, and recurring service moments end-to-end.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the polish expected by public-company stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience designing process, SLAs, and documentation that scale.
• Comfort operating within a fast-paced, high-growth environment where processes evolve quickly.
• High agency and ownership — you'd rather build the playbook than be handed one.
• Must be based in Chicago and able to be in-office 3 days per week.
• Bachelor's degree.

Nice to Haves

• Capital markets domain expertise core to transfer agency (e.g., share issuance/cancellation, transfers, corporate actions, proxy meeting facilitation).
• Experience leading a client conversion or migration from one platform or service provider to another.
• Prior people management or team-building experience. 
• Exposure to API-driven or modern SaaS tooling in financial services.
• Familiarity with Intercom, Notion, Slack.
• Experience at a high-growth startup or building a new function inside an established company.

You could be a great fit if:

• You take pride in operational excellence and believe how something is delivered matters as much as what is delivered.
• You've built your career running client experience inside regulated, operationally complex B2B environments and care about the craft of doing it well.
• You're energized by ambiguity and want to define how a function operates rather than inherit a structure built by someone else.
• You enjoy the craft of client service through anticipating needs, communicating proactively, and making complex things feel simple.
• You're motivated by fast growth and excited by the pace, autonomy, and opportunity that comes with an early-stage startup.
• You're energized by the idea of helping introduce real innovation into an industry that has largely stood still for nearly three decades.
• You bring rigor to documentation, process, and follow-through and expect the same from your team.

You may not be a great fit if:

• You prefer environments where the playbook is already written.
• You'd rather specialize in one operational area than own the full client experience.
• You resist working closely with Engineering on the underlying systems that drive client outcomes.
• You prefer slow-changing environments or rigid process definitions.
• You are uncomfortable being a senior point of escalation for client-critical issues.

Our Philosophy

A few principles that guide how we operate at Vinyl Equity:

• We value high-agency ownership, first-principled thinking, thoughtful communication, and a bias toward action.
• We believe small, exceptionally talented teams outperform larger teams with average talent.
• We aim to demonstrate both product and industry expertise in every interaction with prospects and customers.
• Creativity, drive, innovation, and consistency win in otherwise stagnant industries.
• Act with high integrity without compromise.

Benefits (for U.S.-based full-time employees)

• Target base salary: $110K–$130K, commensurate with experience
• Equity-based compensation
• Medical, dental & vision insurance
• 401k
• Flexible PTO
• Hybrid work schedule

Vinyl Equity is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of every background and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.