Lead Customer Advocacy Manager, APJ

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Remote from: APAC, Japan
Salary: Undisclosed
Department: Marketing & Sales
Employment: Full Time
Experience: Director
Published: 26 Oct 2026
Apply before: 25 Nov 2026
Listing views: 28
Application actions: 1

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AI Summary

The role, at a glance.

This senior customer advocacy role leads customer-story, reference, and proof programs across the APJ region for GitLab. The manager will recruit and nurture executive-level advocates, coordinate references and case studies, and connect customer outcomes to campaigns, events, and revenue priorities. Success depends on close collaboration with sales, marketing, customer success, and product teams across diverse APJ markets and time zones. The role requires strong program measurement, stakeholder influence, storytelling, and autonomous execution in a fully remote environment.

Role DNA

A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.

Job Complexity

4/5

EasyHard

Pace & Pressure

4/5

RelaxedFast-paced

Autonomy Level

5/5

GuidedFull ownership

Communication Load

5/5

IndependentCollaborative

AI insightThe role combines strategic customer marketing with hands-on program delivery across multiple countries, cultures, and internal teams. It requires influencing senior customer and internal stakeholders without direct authority while managing competing, revenue-sensitive requests.

Salary analysis

Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles.

Estimated job median (per year)Market rate

$135,000

US market range (per year)$110k–$165k

0$181.50k

AI insightThe yearly pay period is inferred from the job context; it was not explicitly stated by the employer. No employer salary was disclosed. The yearly cadence and USD market estimate are inferred for a senior full-time customer advocacy management role; actual compensation may vary substantially by hiring country, experience, and local payroll structure.

Core skills

Skills and capabilities most closely associated with this opportunity.

Customer advocacy Customer reference programs Customer storytelling Case study development Executive stakeholder management Cross-functional collaboration Program management Marketing strategy Pipeline influence measurement Customer relationship management Go-to-market strategy APJ market expertise Performance reporting Asynchronous collaboration

Sample interview questions

How would you build an APJ customer advocacy program that supports both regional and global priorities?

I would begin by defining regional advocacy goals, target customer segments, and success metrics with sales, marketing, and customer success leaders. I would establish a structured advocate lifecycle and intake process, then prioritize stories and reference activities according to strategic accounts, campaigns, and pipeline opportunities. I would also create reusable reporting that shows participation, fulfillment, content output, and influenced pipeline while adapting engagement approaches to local market needs.

Describe how you would recruit a senior customer executive to participate in a case study or event.

I would first understand the executive's business priorities, their experience with the platform, and the value they would receive from participating. I would offer a focused, low-friction opportunity with clear expectations, appropriate preparation, and a narrative centered on their team's outcomes rather than promotional claims. Throughout the process, I would coordinate approvals, provide executive-ready materials, and follow up with recognition and future engagement options.

How do you prioritize competing customer reference requests from sales teams?

I use a transparent prioritization framework that considers strategic account value, deal stage, urgency, customer fit, advocate availability, and the likelihood of successful fulfillment. I communicate trade-offs early and provide alternatives such as anonymized proof points, relevant published stories, or subject-matter expert support where a live reference is not appropriate. This protects customer relationships while ensuring the program supports the highest-impact opportunities.

What metrics would you use to evaluate customer advocacy performance?

I would track advocate recruitment and retention, reference-request volume and fulfillment rate, time to fulfill, content production, event participation, and customer satisfaction. For business impact, I would measure influenced pipeline, expansion or retention support, campaign engagement, and use of stories in priority go-to-market motions. I would combine these quantitative measures with qualitative feedback to improve program quality and advocate experience.

How would you adapt customer storytelling for the varied cultures and markets in APJ?

I would work with regional stakeholders to understand local buying dynamics, approval processes, language needs, and the types of proof that resonate in each market. I would avoid a one-size-fits-all narrative by tailoring story formats, channels, and customer participation options while preserving consistent global messaging. I would also plan collaboratively across time zones and ensure customers retain control over how their stories and brands are represented.

Opportunity details

About this role.

GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps. GitLab enables organizations to increase developer productivity, improve operational efficiency, reduce security and compliance risk, and accelerate digital transformation. More than 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100* trust GitLab to ship better, more secure software faster.

The same principles built into our products are reflected in how our team works: we embrace AI as a core productivity multiplier, with all team members expected to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. GitLab is where careers accelerate, innovation flourishes, and every voice is valued. Our high-performance culture is driven by our values and continuous knowledge exchange, enabling our team members to reach their full potential while collaborating with industry leaders to solve complex problems. Co-create the future with us as we build technology that transforms how the world develops software.

*Fortune 500® is a registered trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, used under license. Claim based on GitLab data. Fortune 100 refers to the top 20% ranked companies in the 2025 Fortune 500 list, published in June 2025. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of GitLab.

An Overview of the Role

As the Customer Advocacy Lead for APJ, you will celebrate our customers and spotlight their achievements, turning GitLab’s most successful customers into visible, influential champions. You will identify and activate advocates and their stories that showcase customer outcomes, support pipeline and revenue goals, and deepen trust in GitLab across Asia Pacific and Japan.

Reporting into the growth marketing organization, you will own the day-to-day development and delivery of customer advocacy initiatives in close partnership with APJ sales, marketing, and global teams. You will build trusted customer relationships, identify stories and advocates, and connect the right customers to references, campaigns, events, and executive engagements. Because APJ spans diverse markets, cultures, and time zones, you will tailor engagement to local context while creating programs that scale and align with global priorities.

In your first year, you will establish clear, measurable advocacy goals for the region, strengthen collaboration with regional stakeholders, and increase the visibility of customer outcomes across go-to-market motions. This is an opportunity to bring the voice of APJ customers forward and demonstrate GitLab’s impact on their business.

Some Examples of Our Projects

Partnering with sales, pre-sales, and marketing to turn complex customer solutions into compelling narratives for campaigns, events, and executive engagements
Creating and executing customer references, case studies, speaking opportunities, and other advocacy activities and programs across APJ markets

What You’ll Do

Own the APJ customer story, reference and proof library, and associated pipeline.
Build and nurture relationships with customer advocates, including senior stakeholders, and identify opportunities for references, case studies, events, and thought leadership.
Manage the customer advocacy lifecycle: identify and recruit advocates, understand their goals, coordinate participation, and maintain mutually valuable relationships over time.
Bring the voice of the customer into GitLab’s narratives, campaigns, and go-to-market plans by working with internal stakeholders to develop and amplify customer stories.
Partner with regional and global sales, marketing, customer success, and product teams to align advocacy initiatives with pipeline, expansion, and retention priorities.
Define and track program measures, such as advocacy participation, reference fulfillment, pipeline influence, and customer-story impact.
Prioritize and coordinate advocacy requests that support strategic global and regional initiatives, using clear intake, fulfillment, and reporting processes.
Adapt engagement and storytelling approaches to APJ’s varied markets and customer contexts, working effectively across cultures and time zones.
Continuously improve programs, content formats, and engagement models using customer feedback, program data, and evolving business needs.

What You’ll Bring

Experience building or delivering customer advocacy, customer marketing, customer reference, or related customer story programs in enterprise technology or SaaS.
Strong history of creating impactful customer stories and proof, and an advanced understanding of the customer reference lifecycle.
A track record coordinating across multiple markets, with an understanding of the considerations involved in serving APJ customers.
Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and the ability to influence sales, marketing, customer success, and other stakeholders without relying on direct authority.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to engage confidently with executive stakeholders on business and technical topics.
Strong program management skills: you can prioritize competing requests, coordinate details across teams, and deliver reliably in a changing environment.
Ability to work autonomously and asynchronously in a fully remote environment while staying aligned to shared goals and processes.
Comfort defining and reporting on program performance, including customer participation, reference support, pipeline influence, and other measures tied to regional objectives.

About the Team

The Customer Advocacy team at GitLab helps turn our most successful customers into visible, influential advocates who drive awareness, trust, and revenue. This team builds and manages strategic relationships with customers to surface their stories, amplify their impact, and bring the voice of the customer into everything we do.

How GitLab Supports Full-Time Employees

Please note that we welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. Additionally, studies have shown that people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every single qualification. If you’re excited about this role, please apply and allow our recruiters to assess your application.

Country Hiring Guidelines: GitLab hires new team members in countries around the world. All of our roles are remote, however some roles may carry specific location-based eligibility requirements. Our Talent Acquisition team can help answer any questions about location after starting the recruiting process.

Privacy Policy: Please review our Recruitment Privacy Policy. Your privacy is important to us.

GitLab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. GitLab’s policies and practices relating to recruitment, employment, career development and advancement, promotion, and retirement are based solely on merit, regardless of race, color, religion, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression), national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information (including family medical history), discharge status from the military, protected veteran status (which includes disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, and Armed Forces service medal veterans), or any other basis protected by law. GitLab will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. See also GitLab’s EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know during the recruiting process.