About this role.
Upwind is seeking a Customer Success Manager to own strategic customer relationships, drive business value, and ensure retention and growth in a remote US role. The CSM will serve as the primary business-facing contact, focusing on customer outcomes, executive alignment, and renewal/expansion. Responsibilities include managing joint success plans, leading QBRs, and identifying expansion opportunities. The ideal candidate has 3-5+ years in customer success or account management within SaaS/cybersecurity. This role requires strong communication, stakeholder management, and the ability to connect technical capabilities to business impact.
Role DNA
A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.
Job Complexity
3/5Pace & Pressure
4/5Autonomy Level
4/5Communication Load
5/5Salary analysis
Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles.
Core skills
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Cover letter sample
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am writing to express my interest in the Customer Success Manager position at Upwind. With over 4 years of experience in customer success within the SaaS and cybersecurity space, I have a proven track record of driving adoption, managing complex accounts, and ensuring long-term retention and growth. I am particularly drawn to Upwind's innovative approach to cloud security using runtime context, and I am excited about the opportunity to help customers realize the full value of the platform.
In my previous role, I led the post-sale journey for strategic accounts, developed joint success plans aligned with customer objectives, and consistently exceeded renewal targets. I thrive in fast-paced environments and excel at building strong relationships across executive, security, and DevOps teams. My ability to connect technical capabilities to business outcomes has been key to driving customer satisfaction and expansion.
I look forward to the possibility of contributing to Upwind's success and would welcome the chance to discuss how my experience aligns with your needs.
Sincerely, [Your Name]
Sample interview questions
In my previous role, I had a customer who was unhappy with the product and considering churn. I scheduled a deep-dive call to understand their pain points, then worked with our product team to prioritize their requested features. I also created a custom success plan with clear milestones. Over the next quarter, adoption increased by 40%, and they eventually expanded their contract.
I regularly review customer usage data and conduct business reviews to understand their evolving needs. For example, I noticed a customer's cloud footprint was growing, so I engaged our sales team to discuss how Upwind's additional modules could address their new security requirements. This led to a 20% upsell.
I lead QBRs by first reviewing the customer's original success criteria and current KPIs. I focus on metrics like adoption rate, time-to-value, and customer satisfaction scores. I then present a roadmap of how our product will support their upcoming initiatives. This ensures alignment and demonstrates value.
I view TAMs as my technical counterpart. We have weekly syncs to discuss customer health, open tickets, and upcoming features. For example, when a customer needed help integrating our API, I coordinated with the TAM to provide documentation and a walkthrough, while I handled the business communication. This seamless teamwork improved customer trust.
One customer was at risk due to budget cuts. I proactively reached out to understand their constraints and repositioned our product as a cost-saving solution by highlighting its efficiency. I also offered a flexible payment plan. By consistently demonstrating ROI in our QBRs, I secured the renewal with a slight discount but maintained the relationship.
Description
About The Position
Upwind is a next-generation Cloud Security Platform that leverages runtime context to identify and prioritize critical risks, providing precise insights and efficient cloud security management. Unlike traditional tools, Upwind uses runtime data proactively for risk prioritization and posture insights, ensuring teams focus on what truly matters. With industry-leading efficiency and eBPF-powered sensors, Upwind delivers comprehensive capabilities, including agentless cloud posture discovery, real-time threat protection, and integrated API security. From misconfigurations to malware defense, Upwind ensures end-to-end, cost-effective cloud infrastructure protection. At Upwind, you’ll have the opportunity to think creatively, explore new ideas, and use your skills to make a meaningful impact on our growth.
We’re looking for a Customer Success Manager (CSM) to own the strategic relationship with our customers, drive business value, and ensure long-term retention and growth. As the counterpart to our Technical Account Managers, you’ll focus on the customer’s outcomes, executive alignment, program management, renewal/expansion, and value realization across the Upwind platform.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary business-facing contact and trusted advisor for assigned strategic customers.
- Own the post-sale customer journey from onboarding through renewal, ensuring clear ownership and smooth handoffs across teams.
- Own customer renewals and hygiene by tracking timelines, forecasting risk, and ensuring early alignment with Sales.
- Identify and surface expansion opportunities in partnership with Sales by understanding customer initiatives, cloud footprint, and security roadmap.
- Collaborate with Sales on long-term account strategy and positioning of relevant Upwind capabilities.
- Partner closely with TAMs to drive adoption of new capabilities, communicate value, and track progress against success criteria.
- Develop and manage joint success plans aligned to customer objectives, KPIs, and success criteria.
- Build strong relationships across executive, security, DevOps, and cloud leadership.
- Ensure customers achieve measurable outcomes by operationalizing Upwind within their workflows and expanding usage over time.
- Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), program reviews, and executive readouts.
Requirements
- 3-5+ years in Customer Success, Account Management, or similar client-facing roles in SaaS or cybersecurity.
- Strong understanding of cloud security programs, modern security org structures, and value-driven success methodologies.
- Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and executive presentation skills.
- Proven track record of driving adoption, managing complex accounts, and leading cross-functional programs.
- Comfortable working in fast-paced environments and influencing both customer and internal priorities.
- Experience partnering with technical teams (TAMs, SAs, Product) and Sales to support customer outcomes and retention.
- Ability to connect technical capabilities to business impact, security outcomes, and ROI.
Annual salary information is not provided for this position. Explore salary ranges for similar roles in our Salary Directory ›
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