Manager, Customer Success

Upwork ($UPWK) is the world’s work marketplace. We serve everyone from one-person startups to over 30% of the Fortune 100 with a powerful, trust-driven platform that enables companies and talent to work together in new ways that unlock their potential.  

Last year, more than $3.3 billion of work was done through Upwork by skilled professionals who are gaining more control by finding work they are passionate about and innovating their careers.  

We are seeking a Manager, Customer Success to lead a team of Enterprise Customer Success Managers (CSMs). This team is responsible for driving customer engagement, retaining revenue, and providing consultative program guidance to maximize the value of Upwork’s solutions.

As a Manager, Customer Success, you will provide strategic leadership, coaching, and operational discipline to ensure your team operates at the highest level of performance. Your goal is to develop a high-performing team that is successful at proactive problem-solving, strategic customer partnership, and influencing customers’ contingent workforce strategies​.

This role is essential in ensuring the team meets and exceeds key business objectives while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. You will also work cross-functionally to support broader Customer Success initiatives, drive process improvements, and influence the long-term strategy of Upwork’s Customer Success organization.

Your Responsibilities

• Contributes to the strategy and execution plans for a team of Enterprise CSMs, driving performance with minimal oversight while aligning to broader Customer Success objectives.

• Establishes a standard of excellence within the team, continuously optimizing best practices and driving operational efficiencies that enhance customer outcomes.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Enterprise CSMs, ensuring they operate as strategic consultants for customers while continuously developing their skills.

• Accurately forecast anticipated revenue, identify future revenue opportunities, serve as an expert in quality QBRs and creation of Success Plans.

• Engage directly with Enterprise accounts to support high-value opportunities, strategic initiatives, and executive-level stakeholder management.

• Monitor customer health metrics, proactively identifying risks and opportunities to drive retention, expansion, and customer advocacy.

• Implement and refine processes that drive efficiency, enhance customer experience, and streamline CSM workflows.

• Takes ownership of team performance, proactively identifying gaps in customer engagement strategies and implementing corrective actions to drive retention and growth.

• Leverage data-driven insights to assess team performance, refine customer engagement strategies, and drive measurable business impact​.

• Establish and track clear performance metrics, ensuring CSMs are not only meeting business goals but also demonstrating proactive leadership and customer influence​.

• Leverages internal insights and best practices from Upwork’s own usage of the platform to guide customers in developing high-impact contingent workforce programs.

What It Takes to Catch Our Eye

• 5+ years of experience in Customer Success, Account Management, or Sales, with at least 2+ years managing a team​.
• Proven success working with Enterprise clients, with a strong track record of driving adoption, retention, and expansion​.
• Strong leadership and coaching abilities, with experience developing high-performing teams that operate as trusted advisors to customers​.
• Expertise in customer engagement strategies, consultative selling, and workforce solutions, with a deep understanding of contingent workforce trends​.
• Ability to analyze and leverage customer data, using insights to drive decision-making and optimize customer programs​.
• Cross-functional collaboration skills, with experience working across Sales, Product, and Marketing teams to drive impact​.
• Exceptional communication and executive presence, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and decision-makers​.

Come change how the world works.

At Upwork, you’ll shape talent solutions for how the world works today. We are a remote-first organization working together to create exciting remote work opportunities for a global community of professionals.  While we have physical offices in San Francisco and Chicago, currently we also hire full-time employees in 19 states in the United States.  

Our vibrant culture is built on shared values and our mission to create economic opportunities so that people have better lives. We foster amazing teams, put our community first, and have a bias toward action. We encourage everyone to bring their whole selves to work and grow together through development opportunities, mentorship, and employee resource groups. And oh yeah, we've also got amazing benefits - including medical insurance for you and your family, unlimited PTO, 401(k) with matching, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and a generous Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Check out our Life at Upwork page to learn more about our benefits and the employee experience.

Check out our Careers page to learn more about the employee experience.  

Upwork is proudly committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we never discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

The estimated base compensation pay range for this role is displayed below.

This position is also eligible for sales incentive compensation, and when combined with the base compensation, the estimated On-Target Earnings (OTE) for this position amount.

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