Senior Manager, Strategic Customer Success

Vanta

23d•Remote

About The Position

At Vanta, our mission is to help businesses earn and prove trust. We believe that security should be monitored and verified continuously, and we empower companies to practice better security and prove it with ease. Vanta has a kind and talented team, and while some have prior security experience, many have been successful at Vanta without it. As the Senior Manager, Strategic Customer Success, you will lead a team of experienced CSMs supporting Vanta’s largest, most complex customers. You will be accountable for driving measurable customer outcomes, retention, and long-term partnership value — while building a high-performing team that operates with clarity, consistency, and strategic focus. This role goes far beyond people management. You will be expected to operate at multiple altitudes: diagnosing systemic issues, defining strategy, building scalable processes, coaching your team, and influencing senior executives both internally and externally. You’ll apply GRC fluency or learning agility, strong judgment, and data-driven decision making to guide customers through complex compliance and risk landscapes. This role is ideal for a leader who thrives in ambiguity, identifies problems early, drives solutions without escalation, and models resilience in a fast-moving environment.

Requirements

7+ years leading customer-facing or consulting teams (Customer Success, Account Management, or similar) supporting Enterprise or Strategic accounts.
Demonstrated expertise in GRC or security compliance — or a proven ability to rapidly gain domain mastery in complex, regulated environments.
Track record of owning strategic problems, building scalable solutions, and driving outcomes independently.
Strategic Ownership: Identifies the work that matters most and drives it forward without waiting for direction.
Data Literacy & Business Acumen: Uses metrics to diagnose performance, set priorities, and communicate impact.
Leadership Judgment: Makes balanced, principled decisions that account for customers, the business, and the team.
Communication & Influence: Brings clarity to complexity; aligns stakeholders across levels and functions.
Resilience & Iteration Speed: Responds to challenges with composure, resourcefulness, and a bias for forward movement.
GRC Fluency or Learning Agility: Advises credibly on compliance and risk or demonstrates structured domain curiosity.
Exceptional critical thinking, structured problem-solving, and situational awareness.
Comfort leading teams through uncertainty and change.
Strong executive presence and experience in high-stakes customer conversations.

Responsibilities

Lead & Develop a High-Performing Team
Hire, mentor, and develop a team of Strategic CSMs, creating a culture of accountability, ownership, and customer obsession.
Build clear operating rhythms, expectations, and success metrics that enable consistent performance and scalable excellence.
Coach your team to operate as trusted advisors who guide customers through complex GRC and security programs.
Demonstrate Strategic Ownership
Diagnose challenges across the strategic customer segment and proactively design solutions, not just escalate them.
Define and evolve Vanta’s upmarket success motion — including onboarding methodology, strategic planning, risk identification, and value realization.
Operate at multiple altitudes: zoom out to identify systemic issues, and zoom in to solve root causes with precision.
Drive Data-Informed Customer Outcomes
Use data to understand portfolio health, forecast risks, and drive prioritization for your team.
Translate insights into clear action plans for adoption, expansion, and retention motions.
Partner with RevOps to refine metrics, dashboards, and performance inspection mechanisms.
Apply GRC Expertise or Learning Agility
Advise CSMs and customers on complex frameworks, risk programs, and best practices.
Demonstrate strong domain curiosity and the ability to quickly absorb new information and translate it into customer strategy.
Influence Cross-Functionally
Collaborate deeply with Sales, Account Management, Product, and Marketing to drive alignment around customer needs and business priorities.
Represent the voice of strategic customers to influence product roadmap and cross-functional improvements.
Participate in executive-level customer conversations and Vanta roadmap discussions.
Model Leadership Judgment & Resilience
Guide your team through complex escalations with clarity, steadiness, and principled decision-making.
Help the team remain focused and productive through change, setbacks, and ambiguity.
Champion an iterative, learning-oriented culture — one that embraces experimentation and improvement.
Engage Strategically With Customers
Travel for onsite engagements, executive business reviews, and strategic partnership meetings (approximately 25–40%).
Strengthen executive alignment and ensure customers understand the business value Vanta delivers.