Senior Director, Technical Support

Hi, my name is John S, CRO at Customer.io, and I am looking to hire a Senior Director, Technical Support. Over 7,500 companies — from scrappy startups to global brands — use our platform to send billions of emails, push notifications, in-app messages, and SMS every day. Customer.io powers automated communication that people actually want to receive. We help teams send smarter, more relevant messages using real-time behavioral data.

We're looking for a Senior Director to lead our Technical Support organization. Reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer, you'll be responsible for how we resolve customer issues, scale support efficiently, and build systems that keep customers confident in the product — even as our platform and customer base grow in complexity.

This is not a traditional support leadership role. We need a technically deep leader who is close to the work, comfortable with APIs and data flows, and capable of building alongside their team. You'll own the day-to-day performance of our support function while also designing the AI-driven systems, workflows, and tooling that will define how support scales over the next several years.

What we value

• Empathy for customers and teammates.
• Clarity and transparency. We communicate openly — whether with customers or colleagues — so expectations are clear and trust is built.
• Bias for action. We move quickly, experiment often, and adapt when things change.
• Operational excellence. We bring structure and rigor to how we work, without overcomplicating or slowing down progress.
• Collaboration over silos. We partner closely with Engineering, Product, Customer Success, and Sales to resolve issues and prevent them from recurring.
• Curiosity and adaptability. We embrace new technology, including AI, and see change as an opportunity to get better.
• Inclusive leadership. We value diverse perspectives, encourage debate, and create space where every team member can grow and thrive.

What you'll do

• Own day-to-day support performance — SLA, resolution time, and customer satisfaction — and the systems, processes, and people that drive those outcomes.
• Design and deploy AI-driven workflows, automation, and tooling that scale Technical Support efficiently, reducing ticket volume and resolution time without simply adding headcount.
• Build scalable support systems — smart routing, prioritization frameworks, escalation paths, self-service programs, and deflection strategies.
• Operate as a true partner to Engineering and Product — driving root cause analysis on recurring issues, participating in incident response, and translating customer pain into actionable product feedback that influences the roadmap.
• Step directly into high-severity and high-impact escalations when needed, building trust with technical stakeholders on the customer side.
• Lead and develop a team of managers and senior ICs, coaching them through complexity and keeping the bar high on technical quality.
• Partner with Customer Success and Sales on critical accounts where support plays a key role in retention or expansion.

What we're looking for

• 10+ years in Technical Support or related technical customer-facing roles, with at least 5 years in senior leadership (Director/Senior Director).
• Deep technical fluency — comfortable understanding and debugging APIs, integrations, data flows, event pipelines, and customer architectures.
• Hands-on experience with AI and automation in a support context — ticket triage, automated resolution workflows, tooling and integrations — not just familiarity, but a track record of building.
• Proven ability to scale a technical support function efficiently, with a mindset of "how do we improve quality and speed without simply adding more people?"
• Strong track record of cross-functional partnership with Engineering and Product teams — influencing the roadmap through data-driven customer insights, not just escalations.
• Experience building and managing escalation frameworks, incident response processes, and self-service programs that improve customer confidence at scale.
• Strong operational acumen — able to bring structure, metrics, and playbooks without slowing down execution.
• A builder and coach who develops strong technical leaders, stays close to the work, and leads with credibility.

Why you'll love this role

• Technical Ownership: Lead a function where your technical depth can help build systems that scale.
• AI-First Opportunity: Shape how AI and automation transform Technical Support at a company that moves fast and values experimentation.
• Strategic Partnership: Work directly with Engineering and Product to influence how our platform improves for customers.
• Impact at Scale: Own the support experience for 7,500+ companies sending billions of messages every day.

We believe in transparency. Salary range for this role is $200,000 - $220,000 (or equivalent in local currency) depending on experience and subject to market rate adjustment. In addition, there will be a variable comp target to enrich the overall package.

We know our people are what make us great, and we’re committed to taking great care of them. Our inclusive benefits package supports your well-being and growth, including 100% coverage of medical, dental, vision, mental health, and supplemental insurance premiums for you and your family. We also offer 16 weeks paid parental leave, unlimited PTO, stipends for remote work and wellness, a professional development budget, and more.

See full benefits here →

No gotchas, no trick questions - just a clear, human process designed to help both of us make an informed decision.

• 30-minute video-call with Recruiter
• 45-minute video-call with Hiring Manager
• 3 x 45-minute interviews with potential team members (Chief People Officer, CFO, and Chief of Staff - Revenue)
• 60-minute Case Study + Review Call

All final candidates will be asked to complete a background check and employment verifications as part of our pre-employment process.

Customer.io recognizes the stifling impact of systemic injustice on diverse communities. We commit to using our influence to increase inclusion and equity within the tech industry. We strive to build an inclusive team culture, implement bias-free hiring practices, and develop community partnerships to expand our global impact.

Zoom is the only video conference platform that we use, virtual interviews will be conducted using the video capability (i.e., not via the chat), and offers will be extended in writing on official Customer.io letterhead. Please be vigilant in all of your job search activity, and if you have any questions please contact [email protected].

Check out our careers page for more information about why you should come work with us! We believe in empathy, transparency, responsibility, and, yes, a little awkwardness. If you’re excited by what you read — apply now.