Senior Customer Engagement Manager – Advocacy, Storytelling & Growth Partnerships at brighthush

About brighthush

At brighthush, we’re on a mission to transform the way higher‑education institutions connect with their students, faculty, and partners. Our Intelligent Academic Operations Platform empowers more than 400 colleges and universities to streamline scheduling, curriculum management, assessment, and workflow automation—making it easier for educators to focus on what matters most: student success. As a remote‑first, fast‑growing company, brighthush is proud to be recognized as a Forbes Top 500 U.S. Startup Employer. We thrive on a culture that values engagement, ownership, and impact, and we’re looking for a passionate advocate to join our team and help us amplify the stories that drive adoption and expansion.

Why This Role Matters

Customer engagement is the heartbeat of any SaaS organization. In this role, you’ll turn the success stories of our clients into powerful references, case studies, and programs that inspire other institutions to adopt brighthush’s solutions. By partnering closely with Sales, Product Marketing, Demand Generation, and Customer Experience, you’ll ensure that every advocate’s voice is heard, every insight is captured, and every campaign is backed by authentic, data‑driven evidence.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and nurture relationships with a diverse portfolio of customers, guiding them from initial conversation to polished case studies, testimonials, video stories, reviews, and press quotes.
• Manage the advocacy lifecycle—from the first ask through approvals to final delivery—while keeping the process simple, respectful, and timely for each advocate.
• Coordinate speaker engagements for regional higher‑education conferences and the annual brighthush user conference, handling session pitches, prep, and day‑of support.
• Own and administer Deeto, our customer engagement platform, including advocate profiles, request workflows, and performance reporting.
• Maintain a segmented reference pool by product, institution type, SIS, and use case, ensuring a ready supply of qualified advocates for any campaign.
• Support Sales and Account Management by matching them quickly with the right reference customers, tracking requests, and pacing asks to prevent advocate fatigue.
• Partner with Product Marketing to run the customer advisory board, shaping product roadmaps and marketing strategies.
• Collaborate with Demand Generation to infuse customer insight, stories, and advocates into partner and customer campaigns.
• Shape messaging and CTAs for upsell, cross‑sell, and lifecycle programs, recommending where customer proof can accelerate adoption of existing products.
• Analyze engagement data (open rates, click rates, retention, CSAT, product usage) to spot trends, refine messaging, and surface feedback for Product Marketing.
• Deliver regular reporting on program performance, including advocate pipeline, reference requests filled, and campaign results.
• Drive continuous improvement by leveraging AI tools to streamline day‑to‑day work and updating processes for greater efficiency.
• Collaborate with CX on advocacy moments, recognition programs, and community engagement, creating short product overview videos and how‑to guides.

Essential Qualifications

• Proven track record of building, owning, and scaling customer advocacy, reference, or customer marketing programs at a B2B SaaS company.
• Demonstrated success recruiting customer speakers and preparing them for conference presentations.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills, with a portfolio of case studies, testimonials, and video stories.
• Exceptional organizational skills—able to juggle dozens of relationships, requests, and deadlines without compromising quality.
• Data‑driven mindset: comfortable using engagement, retention, and usage data to make decisions and defend them.
• Expertise in customer advocacy platforms such as Deeto, including workflow setup, data management, and reporting.
• Ability to influence and align cross‑functional teams (Sales, Account Management, Product Marketing, Demand Generation, CX) around shared customer goals.
• Customer‑first mindset with the judgment to protect advocates from over‑asking, even during high internal demand.
• Experience using AI tools to automate manual tasks and a drive to build faster, more efficient processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in higher‑education technology or a related industry.
• Experience managing large speaker rosters for conferences and events.
• Familiarity with advanced analytics platforms (e.g., Tableau, Looker) and marketing automation tools.
• Knowledge of the academic operations landscape, including SIS integration and curriculum management.
• Prior experience working in a remote‑first environment with distributed teams.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic thinking and execution.
• Excellent communication—both written and verbal.
• Project management and prioritization.
• Analytical and data‑driven decision making.
• Collaboration across functional teams.
• Adaptability and resilience in a fast‑moving startup environment.
• Passion for education and student success.

Career Growth & Learning Opportunities

At brighthush, your growth is our priority. As a Customer Engagement Manager, you’ll have the chance to:

• Lead cross‑functional initiatives that shape product strategy and go‑to‑market plans.
• Mentor junior team members and share best practices across the organization.
• Take ownership of new programs—such as a global advocacy network or a data‑driven customer insight hub.
• Attend industry conferences, workshops, and training sessions to stay ahead of trends in higher‑education technology.
• Progress into senior leadership roles such as Director of Customer Success, VP of Advocacy, or Chief Customer Officer.

Work Environment & Culture at brighthush

We’re a remote‑first company that values flexibility, transparency, and outcomes over hours. Our culture is built on:

• Ownership—every team member is empowered to make decisions and drive impact.
• Collaboration—cross‑functional teams work together to solve complex problems.
• Continuous learning—we invest in professional development, mentorship, and knowledge sharing.
• Inclusivity—we celebrate diverse perspectives and foster an environment where everyone can thrive.
• Impact—your work directly influences the success of thousands of students and educators.

Compensation & Benefits

We offer a competitive base salary ranging from $110,000 to $120,000, with a performance‑based variable component that can bring total on‑target earnings (OTE) to $120,000–$140,000. In addition, you’ll receive:

• Health, dental, and vision coverage with a fixed contribution model that promotes equity and transparency.
• Access to top‑tier wellness programs such as Spring Health, XP Health, Carrot Fertility, and One Medical.
• Pre‑tax savings through Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
• Safe Harbor 401(k) plan with a 4% employer match from day one.
• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) to support work‑life balance.
• Equity grants aligned to your role and tenure, reviewed with promotions.
• Paid parental leave: up to 6 weeks of bonding leave and an additional 6 weeks of medical recovery leave for birthing parents.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you’re a storyteller at heart, a relationship builder who thrives on collaboration, and a data‑savvy strategist who loves turning insights into action, brighthush invites you to join our mission to break down barriers to student success. We value diverse backgrounds and encourage anyone who can bring fresh perspectives and a passion for education to apply—even if you don’t meet every qualification listed. Your ability to thrive in this role and make a measurable impact is what matters most to us.

Take the next step in your career and help us amplify the voices of higher‑education leaders worldwide. Apply today and become a pivotal part of brighthush’s growth story.