For twenty years, I opened every CSM job description the same way. “Customer Success is not a department — it’s a philosophy.” I believed it completely. And then, right below that line, I wrote: managing a book of business, VOC, QBRs, first point of escalation. Just like everyone else.
The old model worked well enough that nobody had to confront the gap. Renewals came in, relationships held, the QBR calendar filled up. The JD was wrong but the results were tolerable. That’s over now.
AI and downward pressure on NRR have changed all of that. Switching costs are lower. Customers are consolidating vendors. They’re building internal solutions. They’re coming to renewal conversations having already made the decision. The CSM who shows up with a usage report and a relationship doesn’t stand a chance.
So, I rewrote the CSM JD. Gone: First point of escalation. Gone: Generic VOC. Gone: QBR ownership.
Here are some examples of what it actually says:
“You’re a strategic partner. You don’t wait for clients to tell you what they need. You arrive prepared with observations, recommendations, and a point of view. You make clients feel like they have a senior expert in their corner, not a vendor contact managing their account.”
“You understand that the best thing you can do for a renewal is make the client undeniably successful long before the contract conversation starts.”
“You manage your portfolio like a book of business, not a task list.”
“This is not a traditional CSM role. We’re not looking for someone to check in, forward meeting notes, and escalate tickets. We’re looking for a new kind of Customer Success Manager: One who uses AI as an operational multiplier, thinks like a strategist, and brings a level of depth and commercial acumen to client relationships that actually moves the needle.”
I have screened hundreds of CSMs in my career. I will probably screen many, many more. If you are a CSM candidate for a role on my team (or a CSM on my team now, frankly), and you cannot demonstrate to me that you understand your customers’ business models and how our solution can drive results that your clients’ C-level executives care about, you aren’t getting a second interview.
The JD is a public statement of what you believe the job is. If the language hasn’t changed, the belief hasn’t changed — regardless of what the strategy deck says.
What’s still in your JD that you know doesn’t belong there?
Andrea Mulligan is a B2B SaaS executive and advisor with 20+ years of experience building Customer Success, Professional Services, and GTM organizations. She works with growth-stage companies on CS transformation, AI operationalization, and post-sale strategy. Start a conversation →