📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Customer Marketing Specialist
🔹 Company: Freshworks
🔹 Location: Bellevue, WA, United States
🔹 Job Type: Full-time, Hybrid (3 days in-office)
🔹 Category: Marketing
🔹 Date Posted: May 13, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 2-5 years
🔹 Remote Status: On-site (Hybrid)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Driving the reference and customer evidence strategy across North America
- Collaborating cross-functionally to identify referenceable accounts and create compelling customer stories
- Building trust with prospective customers by showcasing the success of existing customers
- Supporting sales, marketing, and executive engagements with customer references
- Measuring and reporting on the impact of reference activities
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a balance of strategic thinking, project management, and strong communication skills. It's ideal for someone with experience in customer marketing, advocacy, or customer success who enjoys working cross-functionally and can build strong relationships with customers and stakeholders.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Scale the North America reference program to identify, nurture, and manage customers who can speak to their success with Freshworks in both 1:1 and 1:many formats (sales references, events, analyst briefings, etc.).
✅ Partner with Sales, Customer Success, and Marketing to surface and qualify referenceable customers across all segments and products.
✅ Serve as the go-to lead for all reference-related needs across the region—including customer nominations, approvals, usage tracking, and reporting.
✅ Collaborate with Marketing to embed customer references in regional campaigns, sales collateral, web content, and executive communications.
✅ Measure and report on the impact of reference activities (e.g., influence on deal acceleration, story production, speaker engagement).
✅ Provide regional support for customer evidence activities related to earnings calls, PR, AR, and executive programs.
✅ Support operational aspects of reference fulfillment, including SPIFF tracking, internal dashboards, and program health checks.
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a mix of strategic planning, execution, and analysis. It requires strong project management skills and the ability to work effectively with various teams and customers.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field (preferred).
Experience: 3-5 years of experience in customer marketing, advocacy, customer success, or a related customer-facing role.
Required Skills:
- Proven ability to build strong relationships with customers and internal stakeholders
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills—especially in crafting narratives that resonate with both internal and external audiences
- Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to juggle multiple priorities and deadlines
- Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce), advocacy tools (e.g., UserEvidence), and marketing automation platforms
- Experience working within B2B SaaS and a strong understanding of the customer lifecycle and reference best practices
Preferred Skills:
- Fluency in additional languages (especially Spanish or French)
- Experience with customer reference platforms (e.g., G2, TrustRadius)
ASSUMPTION: While the job listing doesn't specify preferred skills, having additional language skills or experience with customer reference platforms could give candidates an edge.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $90,200 - $110,500 USD per year
Benefits:
- Dental Insurance
- Medical Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Disability Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Equity
- ESPP
- Flexible PTO
- Flexible Spending
- Commuter Benefits
- Wellness Benefits
- Adoption Leave
- Parental Leave
Working Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week. This role requires an in-office presence 3 days per week (Tue-Thur).
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is based on the job listing. However, it's always a good idea to research industry standards for similar roles to ensure the compensation is competitive.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Software Development, specifically Customer Support Software and Helpdesk solutions.
Company Size: Freshworks is a mid-sized company with 5,001-10,000 employees. This size offers a balance between the resources and opportunities of a larger company and the agility and personal touch of a smaller one.
Founded: Freshworks was founded in 2010 and has since grown to serve over 72,000 companies worldwide.
Company Description:
- Freshworks provides uncomplicated service software that delivers exceptional customer and employee experiences
- Their enterprise-grade solutions are powerful, yet easy to use, and quick to deliver results
- Freshworks' people-first approach to AI eliminates friction, making employees more effective and organizations more productive
Company Specialties:
- Customer Support Software
- Helpdesk
- Web 2.0
- SaaS
- Support Ticket System
- Web-Based Support Ticket System
- CRM
- ITSM
- Applicant Tracking System
- Conversion Optimization Suite
Company Website: Freshworks Inc.
ASSUMPTION: Freshworks is a well-established company in the customer support software industry, with a strong focus on providing exceptional customer and employee experiences.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is suitable for a mid-career professional with 3-5 years of experience in customer marketing, advocacy, or a related role.
Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Global Head of Customer Marketing.
Work Arrangement: This is a hybrid role that requires an in-office presence 3 days per week (Tue-Thur).
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential career progression into a management role or other specialized marketing positions within Freshworks
- Opportunities to work on high-impact projects and initiatives that drive customer success and business growth
- Exposure to a wide range of customers and industries, providing a diverse learning experience
ASSUMPTION: This role offers strong growth potential for the right candidate, with opportunities to develop both personally and professionally within the organization.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Freshworks' Bellevue office is a modern, collaborative workspace designed to foster productivity and innovation.
Office Location(s): 2950 S Delaware St, Suite 201, San Mateo, CA 94403, US
Geographic Context:
- Bellevue is a thriving city located in the Eastside region of Seattle, Washington
- It offers a mix of urban and suburban living, with a strong job market and high quality of life
- The area is known for its natural beauty, with plenty of parks, trails, and outdoor recreation opportunities
Work Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week. This role requires an in-office presence 3 days per week (Tue-Thur).
ASSUMPTION: The Bellevue office provides a dynamic and engaging work environment, with ample opportunities for collaboration and professional growth.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Phone or video screen with the hiring manager
- In-depth interview with the Global Head of Customer Marketing
- Case study presentation or skills assessment
- Final interview with the regional marketing director
Key Assessment Areas:
- Communication skills and ability to craft compelling narratives
- Project management skills and ability to juggle multiple priorities
- Customer focus and ability to build strong relationships
- Understanding of customer lifecycle and reference best practices
Application Tips:
- Highlight your experience with customer reference programs and success stories
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to emphasize your relevant skills and experiences
- Prepare for behavioral interview questions that focus on your communication, project management, and customer focus skills
ATS Keywords: Customer Marketing, Customer References, Customer Success, Project Management, Communication, CRM Systems, B2B SaaS, Customer Lifecycle, Reference Best Practices
ASSUMPTION: The interview process for this role is likely to be comprehensive, with a focus on assessing the candidate's communication, project management, and customer focus skills.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce)
- Advocacy tools (e.g., UserEvidence)
- Marketing automation platforms (e.g., Marketo, HubSpot)
- Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello)
- Customer reference platforms (e.g., G2, TrustRadius)
ASSUMPTION: Familiarity with these tools and technologies is beneficial for this role, but not always required. Freshworks may provide training and support to help the right candidate succeed.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Customer-centric
- Transparent
- Innovative
- Collaborative
- Accountable
Work Style:
- Fast-paced and dynamic
- Collaborative and team-oriented
- Data-driven and results-focused
- Adaptable and open to change
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment?
- Are you comfortable working with data and using it to drive decision-making?
- Do you have a customer-centric mindset and a passion for building strong relationships?
- Are you adaptable and open to change, even in the face of uncertainty?
ASSUMPTION: Freshworks values candidates who are customer-centric, transparent, innovative, collaborative, and accountable. They seek employees who can thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and are comfortable working with data to drive decision-making.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Managing multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- Building and maintaining strong relationships with customers and stakeholders
- Adapting to changes in the market and customer needs
- Balancing strategic thinking with day-to-day execution
- Working effectively with remote teams and stakeholders
ASSUMPTION: These challenges are common to roles of this nature and can be overcome with strong project management skills, a customer-centric mindset, and a willingness to adapt and learn.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- Customer Success Manager: Focuses on driving customer adoption, retention, and expansion. This role is more customer-facing and focused on day-to-day customer management.
- Marketing Manager: Responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies to drive brand awareness, lead generation, and revenue growth. This role is more focused on marketing campaigns and less on customer references.
- Customer Experience (CX) Manager: Focuses on designing and implementing customer experiences that drive customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy. This role is more focused on the overall customer journey and less on customer references.
ASSUMPTION: While these roles share some similarities, each has its unique focus and requirements. The Customer Marketing Specialist role is ideal for someone who enjoys working cross-functionally, building customer relationships, and driving customer success through compelling customer stories.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing a customer reference program from scratch, including identifying and qualifying referenceable customers, creating compelling customer stories, and measuring the impact of reference activities
- Collaborating with marketing to embed customer references in regional campaigns, sales collateral, web content, and executive communications, driving customer success and business growth
- Supporting operational aspects of reference fulfillment, including SPIFF tracking, internal dashboards, and program health checks, ensuring the smooth running of the reference program
ASSUMPTION: These projects are representative of the types of initiatives a Customer Marketing Specialist might work on, but the specific projects will vary depending on the organization's needs and priorities.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you describe a successful customer reference program you've implemented in the past, and what made it successful?
- How do you balance strategic thinking with day-to-day execution in this role?
- What are the key priorities for this role in the first 30, 60, and 90 days?
- How does this role collaborate with other marketing teams and stakeholders to drive customer success and business growth?
- What are the most challenging aspects of this role, and how have previous incumbents overcome them?
ASSUMPTION: These questions are designed to help you better understand the role, the team, and the organization, and to demonstrate your interest and preparation for the position.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant skills and experiences, with a focus on customer reference programs, project management, and communication
- Prepare for behavioral interview questions that focus on your communication, project management, and customer focus skills
- Research Freshworks and the customer support software industry to demonstrate your knowledge and enthusiasm for the role
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to express your continued interest in the position
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
