Customer Advocacy Manager, Startups

At Vanta, our mission is to help businesses earn and prove trust. We believe that security should be monitored and verified continuously, and we empower companies to practice better security and prove it with ease. Vanta has a kind and talented team, and while some have prior security experience, many have been successful at Vanta without it.

As the Customer Advocacy Manager, Startups at Vanta, you’ll own and scale programs that activate early-stage customers as trusted advocates — turning founder trust into long-term growth and brand influence.

This role is part of the Customer Engagement team, which drives customer marketing, advocacy, and community initiatives. Our mission is to scale high-signal community and advocacy programs that strengthen customer health and fuel new business growth. By activating early-stage customers as trusted voices — and giving them the spaces, stories, and programs to thrive — we influence how founders buy, use, and champion Vanta. You’ll play a key role in bringing this to life for our startup segment.

We’re looking for a builder who’s passionate about founders and operators, and who knows how to cultivate advocacy at scale — through storytelling, advisory programs, and authentic peer connections. You’ll work closely with Product Marketing, Brand, VC Partnerships, Sales, and Success to shape how Vanta shows up across the founder journey.

What you’ll do as a Customer Advocacy Manager, Startups at Vanta:

• Own and scale founder-first advocacy programs — including the Startup Advisory Board (Trust SOCiety), customer storytelling, and builder-focused activations.

• Identify, activate, and grow startup champions — sourcing advocates for referrals, content, events, and peer-led moments that build trust and influence growth.

• Drive visibility for startup voices by partnering with Product, Field, and Brand Marketing to feature founders in key campaigns and GTM motions.
  Own and evolve startup-facing digital spaces (e.g., Slack, Reddit, Indie Hackers), fostering authentic peer engagement and community-driven advocacy.

• Collaborate cross-functionally across GTM, PMM, Brand, and VC Channel teams to amplify founder proof points and shape high-impact programs.

• Lead program communications and roadmap planning — tracking what works, iterating on what doesn’t, and aligning advocacy efforts to business needs.

How to be successful in this role:

• Have the ability to commute to the San Francisco office in a hybrid setting.

• 2–5 years of experience in customer marketing, advocacy, or startup ecosystem programs.

• Empathy for early-stage founders — ideally with firsthand experience building or supporting startups (YC, Techstars, On Deck, etc. a plus).

• Proven ability to identify, activate, and grow advocates across storytelling, referrals, and peer-led initiatives.

• Clear, confident communicator with experience influencing across teams and functions.

• Comfortable owning both strategy and execution — knowing when to lead, iterate, or adapt.

What you can expect as a Vantan:

• Industry-competitive compensation

• 100% covered medical, dental, and vision benefits with dependents coverage

• 16 weeks fully-paid parental Leave for all new parents

• Health & wellness and remote workplace stipends

• Family planning benefits through Carrot Fertility

• 401(k) matching

• Flexible work hours and location

• Open PTO policy

• 11 paid holidays in the US

• Offices in SF, NYC, London, Dublin, and Sydney

To provide greater transparency to candidates, we share base pay ranges for all US-based job postings regardless of state. We set standard base pay ranges for all roles based on function, level, and country location, benchmarked against similar-stage growth companies. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors and may vary based on candidate location, skills, depth of work experience, and relevant licenses/credentials.

At Vanta, we are committed to hiring diverse talent of different backgrounds and as such, it is important to us to provide an inclusive work environment for all. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender identity, age, religion, sexual orientation, veteran or disability status, or any other protected class. As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply.

About Vanta

We started in 2018, in the wake of several high-profile data breaches. Online security was only becoming more important, but we knew firsthand how hard it could be for fast-growing companies to invest the time and manpower it takes to build a solid security foundation. Vanta was inspired by a vision to restore trust in internet businesses by enabling companies to improve and prove their security. From our early days automating security monitoring for compliance standards like SOC 2, HIPAA and ISO 27001 to creating the world's leading Trust Management Platform, our vision remains unchanged.

Now more than ever, making security continuous—not just a point-in-time check— is essential. Thousands of companies rely on Vanta to build, maintain and demonstrate their trust— all in a way that's real-time and transparent.