Customer Storytelling Lead

Robert Half•San Ramon, CA

3d•$114,000 - $175,000

About The Position

Robert Half is hiring a Customer Storytelling Lead for its Corporate Communications department. The Lead builds and directs the company’s global customer storytelling program, establishing its strategy, governance, processes, criteria, resources and operating model. The role develops trusted relationships with clients, candidates and other champions whose experiences can strengthen the company’s reputation, credibility, visibility and thought leadership. Working across Corporate Communications, Marketing, Legal, field leadership, recruiters and other partners, the Lead guides stories from discovery and qualification through approval, activation and ongoing relationship management. This position owns the global customer storytelling function and sets its multiyear strategy, operating standards, roadmap and capability development. It establishes consistent enterprise standards while accounting for country-specific legal and privacy requirements, cultural norms and customer expectations. The Lead is accountable for program outcomes, annual operating budget, vendor contracts, technology investment, resource allocation and headcount planning, and recommends how the program should expand geographically and organizationally as it matures. The role also uses AI-enabled workflows to improve research, preparation, content development and program operations. The Lead builds a qualified pipeline and manages a portfolio of customer champions, develops long-term and mutually valuable relationships, and identifies authentic narratives and opportunities for customer participation. It partners with Corporate Communications and Marketing to activate approved customer voices across media, thought leadership, social content, video, speaking engagements and events. The role defines program measures, monitors permissions and reputational considerations, reports to senior leadership, and evolves the program based on data, stakeholder feedback and business needs. Marketing-led outputs such as case studies and reference-call programs are not owned by this role.

Requirements

Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
10 or more years of experience leading customer storytelling, customer advocacy, customer marketing, communications, public relations, customer success or related programs.
Demonstrated experience building a new program from inception and converting strategy into repeatable processes and operating systems.
Expertise in program strategy and development, governance and workflow design, customer discovery and qualification, narrative judgment, executive interviewing, portfolio and pipeline management, risk assessment, measurement and reporting, and prioritization.
Ability to execute in ambiguous, fast-moving environments, work independently and determine an effective path forward with limited direction.
Exceptional written, verbal, presentation and storytelling skills; strong executive presence; excellent judgment and customer empathy.
Proven ability to build durable relationships with executives and senior business leaders, influence without authority, and coordinate cross-functional work.
Ability to build relationships and work effectively across countries, cultures, time zones and organizational structures.
Sensitivity to cultural differences that may affect customer trust, communication preferences and public participation.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365 or comparable productivity and collaboration tools.
Experience using customer relationship management, project or program management, or content workflow tools to manage pipelines, approvals, communications and program performance.
Knowledge of Salesforce or a similar customer relationship management platform.
Experience using Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT or similar generative AI tools to create program assets and resources, improve workflow efficiency and scale program output.

Responsibilities

Build the global customer storytelling program from the ground up, including strategy, operating model, governance, criteria, prioritization, workflows, approval pathways, documentation and resources.
Own the global customer storytelling function, its multiyear strategy, priorities, operating standards, roadmap, capability development and organizational effectiveness.
Design an operating model that balances consistent global standards with country-specific legal, privacy, cultural and business requirements.
Establish enterprise standards for customer storytelling, participation policies, measurement, approvals, and legal and reputational risk management.
Create repeatable systems for intake, vetting, outreach, relationship management, activation, tracking, reporting, and review or retirement of stories and permissions.
Define roles, decision rights and collaboration models across Corporate Communications, Marketing, Legal, field leadership, recruiters and other partners.
Recommend program expansion, phased capabilities, technology, budget and potential team structure as the program matures.
Use AI-enabled workflows to improve research, interview preparation, content development, program management and operational scale.
Plan geographic expansion based on business priorities, program readiness, resources and local requirements.
Build and maintain a pipeline of prospective customer voices using data-informed discovery, field referrals, customer signals and cross-functional partnerships.
Develop and apply qualification and prioritization criteria covering customer satisfaction, story strength, public readiness, communication ability, brand alignment, credibility and reputational or public relations risk.
Partner with field leadership, including Operational Presidents and the President & CEO, Talent Solutions, and with recruiters to assess fit, coordinate timing and secure internal alignment.
Manage the annual operating budget, vendor contracts, technology investment decisions, resource allocation and headcount planning.
Lead customer relationship strategy, customer champion recruitment and development, and customer champion activation initiatives.
Manage the customer champion portfolio, periodically reviewing relationship health, permissions, relevance and readiness for activation.
Build trusted, long-term relationships with customer executives, business leaders, candidates and other champions, creating mutual value.
Engage and influence internal and external senior leaders with discretion, sound judgment and executive presence.
Understand customer experiences, participation goals and professional priorities to identify relevant, authentic opportunities.
Guide customers and internal stakeholders through outreach, interviews, approvals, brand and legal review, preparation and ongoing engagement while protecting customer trust.
Identify strong narratives and turn interviews and customer information into clear briefs, story frameworks and activation recommendations.
Partner with Corporate Communications and Marketing to activate customer voices through testimonials, thought leadership, media, social content, videos, speaking engagements, and internal or external events.
Build and prepare a pipeline of customers for media interviews, executive discussions, webinars, roundtables, conferences and other high-impact opportunities.
Collaborate with Marketing and share approved customer information when appropriate; the role does not own marketing-led case studies or reference-call programs.
Define measures of program health and impact, including pipeline strength, participation, activation readiness, relationship durability, channel use and contributions to communications and reputation objectives.
Use program data, stakeholder feedback and customer insight to improve prioritization, workflows, customer experience and resource allocation.
Track permissions, approvals, account changes and reputational considerations to keep stories accurate, current and appropriate for use.
Provide senior leadership with updates and recommendations and shape the program roadmap as business needs and capabilities evolve.

Benefits

Discretionary annual bonus eligibility.
Group health insurance benefits, including medical, vision and dental.
FSA and HSA healthcare accounts.
Life and accident insurance.
Adoption and fertility assistance.
Paid parental leave of up to 6 weeks.
Short- and long-term disability coverage.
Paid vacation, personal needs and sick time through Choice Time Off; new hires earn up to 17 days per calendar year, prorated based on hours worked per week and varying by years of service.
Up to 11 paid holidays per calendar year.
401(k) savings and investment plan or deferred compensation plan if eligible.
Employer 401(k) match of 100% on the first 3% of eligible employee contributions.