Manager, Customer References

About the role:

We are seeking a results-driven, operationally minded Manager, Customer References to lead a team taking our Customer Reference Program to the next level.

As the Manager, Customer References you’d develop a portfolio of initiatives that will drive the next phase of Samsara’s Customer Reference Program, including advocate recruitment, management and engagement, advocate story sharing through sales references and marketing channels, and internal cross functional enablement on the program, its processes and its resources to help each Samsarian tell our customers’ stories, and more. 

This is a highly collaborative role and sub-team under our Customer Advocacy & Loyalty team, which is a part of the broader Customer Marketing team. This program is mission critical to increasing customer advocacy, loyalty, and retention to benefit Samsara’s long-term growth.

You should apply if:

• You want to impact the industries that run our world: Your efforts will result in real-world impact—helping to keep the lights on, get food into grocery stores, reduce emissions, and most importantly, ensure workers return home safely.
• You are the architect of your own career: If you put in the work, this role won’t be your last at Samsara. We set up our employees for success and have built a culture that encourages rapid career development, countless opportunities to experiment and master your craft in a hyper growth environment.
• You’re energized by our opportunity: The vision we have to digitize large sectors of the global economy requires your full focus and best efforts to bring forth creative, ambitious ideas for our customers.
• You want to be with the best: At Samsara, we win together, celebrate together and support each other. You will be surrounded by a high-caliber team that will encourage you to do your best. 

Click here to learn about what we value at Samsara.

In this role, you will:

• Drive next phase of our Customer Reference Program: Exponentially scale and grow our existing Customer Reference Program, taking the number of references completed from hundreds to thousands in one year; manage the team to optimize our customer advocate database and systems, build new workflows and channels to identify, recruit, track, and enable advocates to share their stories via reviews, reference calls, referrals, and content; partner with Sales, Product, and Marketing to drive reference program adoption and impact.
• Operationalize and grow our managed references workstream: Improve the processes to identify and match priority references to key customer stories such as enterprise deals, brand campaigns, press, top industry events, earnings, analyst activities, product launches and more.
• Launch easy-to-use internal enablement: Develop deep relationships with our Sales and Customer Success teams to understand their priorities and how to develop and drive reference program and tool training, adoption, and impact on goals.
• Identify and distribute new customer evidence across channels: Partner with teams across Samsara to systemically uncover new and leading customers stories; actively build easy-to-use asset and customer evidence libraries so internal teams can find the story they need in minutes. 
• Mature team processes and operating model for global scale: Grow and iterate the team’s operating model, including developing consistent team processes both within the team and in partnership with cross functional leaders, that maximize US performance and create the strategy to move the reference program global – expanding the program to Canada, Mexico, and EMEA.
• Measure program/asset effectiveness: Analyze the ongoing performance of the program to improve reference efficacy, drive program adoption and ROI impact, and streamline team efforts; proactively seek feedback from internal stakeholders to continuously optimize the program and align to business needs and priorities.
• Drive cross-functional alignment and communication: Proactively and collaboratively, drive cross-functional alignment across the company, including Sales, Customer Success, and Product, to drive a cohesive customer experience, share learnings, and ensure initiatives are hitting at the heart of the business need.
• Concept and execute new programs and campaigns to meet the needs of the business: Spearhead and execute various new programs and campaigns to support Customer Success and GTM teams to meet the evolving needs of the business.
• Be a Culture Champion: Champion, role model, and embed Samsara’s cultural principles (Focus on Customer Success, Build for the Long Term, Adopt a Growth Mindset, Be Inclusive, Win as a Team) as we scale globally and across new offices.
• Develop and grow the team: Hire, develop and guide an inclusive, engaged, and high performing team.

 Minimum requirements for the role:

• 2-5+ years of experience in managing a customer reference and/or customer marketing team.
• Record of setting up, driving, and scaling a successful global reference program in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional creative problem solving skills and solution-oriented leadership style.
• Results-driven leader with analytical chops to measure the effectiveness of program.
• Strong management and influencer skill set; ability to quickly get to the heart of a problem and mobilize the right people to solve it with urgency.
• Strong program management foundation to enable coaching.
• Excellent listening skills, strong empathy, and interpersonal skills to develop authentic relationships.
• Attention to detail and a commitment to exceptional work are part of your personal philosophy.
• Deep curiosity to become an expert on the customer – understand behaviors, motivations, blockers, and goals – and enjoys educating others.
• Passion and mastery of compelling, ‘no fluff’ storytelling.
• Experience using tools including Salesforce, ReferenceEdge, Base, Influtitive, etc.
• Bachelor’s degree from a 4-year institution.