AVP, Customer Success

Area Vice President - US Public Sector Customer Success Program Management Office

McLean, Virginia, USA | Work Model: Hybrid

Establish and lead the Program Management Office governance framework that ensures mission assurance and customer success outcomes across the entire US Public Sector portfolio, driving growth through delivery excellence.

ABOUT THE TEAM

The US Public Sector Customer Success team delivers mission-critical business impact for U.S. federal, state, and local government customers, bringing their best ideas to life through exceptional outcomes. This team enables customers to build and lead at scale using AI-Powered Process Automation, operating with significant autonomy to shape delivery standards and governance practices. Your leadership will directly influence how Appian scales its public sector footprint and drives customer-led growth in one of our most strategic markets.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Appian is accelerating its investment in the US Public Sector as government agencies modernize their operations with AI-Powered Process Automation. This role exists to establish the foundational PMO infrastructure and delivery governance that will enable scalable, compliant, and high-impact customer outcomes across defense, intelligence, civilian, and state and local government portfolios. You will architect the operating rhythm that transforms delivery excellence into measurable growth while ensuring mission assurance in highly regulated environments.

This role is based at our HQ in McLean, VA. Appian was built on a culture of in-person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 4 - 5 days per week to foster that culture, ensure we thrive through shared ideas and teamwork, and maximize opportunities to connect with the exceptional people across Appian. While working in-person with customers is our main priority, we also believe the office environment enables more opportunities to celebrate wins, collaborate effectively, and build strong relationships across teams.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Architect and operationalize the PMO governance framework, establishing delivery standards, operating rhythms, and portfolio management practices that ensure mission assurance and customer success across all US Public Sector engagements.
• Lead financial management and delivery performance optimization across the portfolio, driving forecasting accuracy, utilization targets, margin improvement, and resource allocation decisions that balance growth with profitability.
• Partner with executive stakeholders across Customer Success, Sales, and Product teams to align delivery capacity with pipeline growth, ensuring seamless handoffs and proactive risk mitigation throughout the customer lifecycle.
• Execute comprehensive risk and issue management protocols, implementing early warning systems and resolution frameworks that protect customer outcomes and maintain compliance with U.S. public sector contracting requirements.
• Drive portfolio-level reporting and business intelligence, delivering executive dashboards and insights that inform strategic decisions on capacity planning, customer health, and expansion opportunities.
• Champion Agile delivery methodologies and continuous improvement practices, coaching delivery teams and embedding quality standards that accelerate time-to-value for government customers.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: Hold a Bachelor's degree or higher in Business Administration, Information Systems, Engineering, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Experience: 15+ years of progressive experience in program management, delivery leadership, or consulting within enterprise software or government contracting environments.
• PMO Leadership: Proven track record establishing and scaling Program Management Offices with comprehensive delivery governance frameworks, operating rhythms, and portfolio management practices.
• Public Sector Expertise: Deep knowledge of U.S. public sector contracting, compliance requirements, and procurement processes across federal, state, or local government agencies.
• Financial Acumen: Demonstrated expertise managing financial performance metrics including forecasting, utilization optimization, margin management, and resource allocation across complex delivery portfolios.
• Agile Delivery: Strong command of Agile delivery methodologies and their application in enterprise software implementation and government modernization programs.
• Executive Communication: Exceptional stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and align executive audiences across customer organizations and internal leadership teams.
• Risk Management: Expert-level capability in risk identification, issue resolution, and governance protocols that ensure delivery success in mission-critical environments.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Software Consulting Background: Experience delivering enterprise software solutions such as ERP, CRM, BPM, workflow automation, data integration, or enterprise application integration platforms.
• Government Delivery Experience: Direct delivery experience in defense, intelligence, civilian agency, or state and local government environments with knowledge of mission-specific requirements and constraints.
• Enterprise Architecture Knowledge: Applied understanding of enterprise architecture principles, data management practices, and integration patterns in complex government IT landscapes.
• Platform Experience: Hands-on experience with AI-Powered Process Automation platforms or similar enterprise orchestration technologies.