Senior Director, Customer Advocacy

About the role

The leader builds compelling customer narratives and activates them across channels to strengthen relationships with engaged customers. This position manages a small team and collaborates extensively with cross-functional stakeholders.

Leaders set direction and build the conditions for their teams to succeed. They hire, coach, and hold people accountable. Leadership work spans strategy, communication, and decision making. Effective leaders give clear context and remove obstacles for the people who report to them. Leadership roles are measured by team outcomes, retention, and delivery. Most organizations expect leaders to be visible, predictable, and generous with context.

Key facts

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Location: McLean

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Engagement: 5 days per week at headquarters.

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Compensation: $175,000 to $350,000 base salary.

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Team: management of two direct reports.

• Years: 12+ years total experience, including 5+ years in customer advocacy or reference programs.
• Degree: Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience required; Master's degree preferred.
• Visa: Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Travel: Minimal business travel is expected.

Requirements

The posting states a minimum of 25 years of experience.

12+ years of experience in B2B Marketing, Sales, Customer Success, or a related function, including at least 5 years in customer marketing, advocacy, or reference programs.

5+ years of people-management experience with demonstrated ability to coach teams and work with senior executives and stakeholders.

Proven success developing and scaling customer advocacy, reference, or storytelling programs.

Strong record of cultivating executive-level customer relationships and securing participation in external advocacy opportunities.

Exceptional communication, writing, presentation, and storytelling skills.

Experience capturing customer stories across written case studies, videos, events, media opportunities, social content, and sales assets.

Strong organizational and operational skills to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines across global teams.

Ability to work with urgency and deliver results in a fast-moving, rapidly growing organization.

Strong project-management, time-management, and prioritization skills.

Flexibility to respond to shifting priorities and manage projects that evolve weekly.

Process-oriented mindset with analytical, strategic-thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Ability to work cross-functionally and influence stakeholders without direct authority.

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to have

Master's degree.

Experience leading a global customer advocacy or customer reference program within enterprise B2B technology or SaaS.

Experience managing peer-review platforms and customer-review strategies.

Experience partnering with Sales, Customer Success, Communications, Analyst Relations, Investor Relations, Product Marketing, Field Marketing, and executive leadership.

Familiarity with customer advocacy platforms, reference-management tools, CRM systems, and reporting technologies.

Experience connecting customer advocacy efforts to pipeline influence, sales enablement, customer retention, and broader business outcomes.

Practical notes

This position is based in McLean, Virginia, with a requirement to work from headquarters 5 days per week.

Appian maintains a culture of in-person collaboration, and role success depends on consistent onsite presence.

Travel may be required in connection with advocacy and customer activities.

Confirmation of eligibility to work in the United States is required.

Typical interview steps

Leadership hiring usually includes a strategy case, a people scenario, and a values conversation. Candidates may be asked to turn around a struggling team or plan for growth. Past results are examined closely, especially how decisions were made. Interviewers dig into specific decisions you made and their consequences. Preparing two or three decision stories with numbers and lessons is the best use of time.

Good to know

Appian focuses on AI automation for mission-critical enterprise and government work.

The role centers on customer advocacy, reference programs, and storytelling to drive Sales and Marketing outcomes.

The position requires extensive cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, and executive teams.

Success is measured by growth of the customer reference pipeline, quality and adoption of customer stories, and measurable influence on pipeline and trust.