Senior Customer Communications Manager

We are seeking a Senior Customer Communications Manager to take ownership of customer-facing communication efforts and ensure our customers receive timely, clear, and valuable updates on product developments, incidents, and key company initiatives. This role requires close collaboration with many teams, including Customer Success, Product, Marketing, Engineering, and Legal, to ensure messaging is accurate, consistent, and aligned with our company’s goals. The Communications Manager will play a critical role in maintaining a high level of transparency and trust with our customer base.

The successful candidate will be a skilled communicator, capable of managing both proactive and reactive communications, while continuously seeking ways to enhance the customer experience.

What you'll do

• Product and Feature Updates: Partner with the Product Marketing team to develop and implement communication plans to keep customers informed about product updates, new features, and enhancements. Ensure messaging is clear, relevant, and accessible to different customer segments.
• Incident Communications: Lead global customer communications during service interruptions, outages, or other critical incidents, recognizing that incidents may occur outside of normal work hours. Collaborate closely with internal teams to ensure real-time updates and post-incident summaries are delivered effectively, regardless of time zone.
• Customer Engagement: Collaborate with the Customer Success, Marketing, and Legal teams to distribute customer newsletters, updates, and engagement materials, tailored to different customer journeys and segments.
• Content Creation: Draft, review, and edit customer-facing communications, including emails, in-app messages, blog posts, and knowledge base articles, ensuring alignment with GitLab’s tone and style.
• Feedback and Continuous Improvement: Regularly gather feedback from customers and internal stakeholders to refine communication strategies and ensure relevance and clarity.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Serve as a key liaison between customer-facing teams and internal departments (including Product, Marketing, Engineering, and Legal) to ensure all customer communications are accurate, timely, and aligned with the latest product and service developments.
• Crisis Management: Execute established communication plans for potential service disruptions or crises, owning customer communications. Maintain and utilize playbooks for incident communication to ensure rapid deployment when needed.
• Metrics and Performance: Track the effectiveness of communication efforts using key metrics such as open rates, engagement levels, and customer feedback. Present insights and recommendations to improve future communication strategies.

What you'll bring

• Experience in customer communications, customer success, or a related role within a high-growth SaaS or tech environment.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical information into user-friendly content.
• Experience with incident management communications and crisis response.
• Familiarity with DevOps, or related technologies is advantageous.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across different departments and manage multiple priorities.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with communication platforms and tools such as email marketing software, CRM systems, or in-app messaging platforms.

How GitLab will support you

• Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being
• All remote, asynchronous work environment
• Unlimited PTO (paid time off)
• Team Member Resource Groups
• Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Growth and development budget 
• Parental leave
• Home office support

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.