Customer Success Manager, SCI in San Diego, California at Surfline

About Surfline

Millions of people around the world depend on Surfline’s products to enrich their experiences in and around the ocean. Since 1985, our company has connected people with the ocean. Starting with surfers and expanding to offshore cruisers, anglers and a myriad of other ocean enthusiasts, we’ve made it our mission to deliver peak maritime experiences. We provide those who work and play in the ocean with all the advanced tools, personalized insights and immersive content to make their lives better -- supplying them with the information they need to make smarter decisions, seek out new experiences and gain valuable knowledge.

We are dedicated to bringing people together across the globe, and we champion and encourage those who bring different perspectives, ideas, and creativity. At Surfline, we recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, gender identity, gender expression, age, veteran status, and any other protected status.

Surfline Coastal Intelligence (SCI) is seeking a Customer Success Manager to own and elevate the client experience as we scale. This is a high-impact, cross-functional role where you will lead the post-sale journey end-to-end, from onboarding through long-term success, ensuring every client realizes clear, measurable value from our platform.

As an early member of the SCI team, you will help build the customer success function from the ground up by establishing processes, setting standards, and shaping how we support and grow our client base. You will work directly with government and private sector partners to drive seamless onboarding, dependable product delivery, and meaningful, outcome-driven engagement.

This role reports to the General Manager of Surfline Coastal Intelligence and partners closely with Sales, Data Science, Product, and Camera Operations to deliver a best-in-class customer experience.

Under Surfline’s “Work from Anywhere” policy, this position may be performed on a full-time remote basis from any location within California.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients post-sale, owning the end-to-end customer experience.
• Lead onboarding, ensuring clients are set up for success with clear expectations, goals, timelines, and deliverables.
• Align with clients on goals, success metrics, and use cases; track progress and outcomes over time.
• Coordinate closely with Camera Operations on installation planning, logistics, and delivery timelines.
• Partner with Data Science to ensure accurate, timely, and actionable data delivery.
• Manage day-to-day client communication, inquiries, and issue resolution with a proactive mindset.
• Drive customer product adoption through training, education, and ongoing engagement.
• Monitor client health, satisfaction, and retention; identify risks and address them early.
• Collaborate with Sales on renewals, upsells, and expansion opportunities.
• Act as the voice of the customer internally, helping shape product and service improvements.

What We’re Looking For

• 4-5+ years of experience in customer success, account management, operations, or a similar client-facing role
• Strong track record of managing and growing client relationships post-sale, with clear ownership of outcomes.
• Experience operating in ambiguous, fast-moving environments where processes are not fully defined.
• Proven ability to build, refine, and scale processes with minimal oversight.
• Highly organized, with strong project management skills and attention to detail across multiple work streams.
• Excellent communicator who can build trust with diverse stakeholders, from municipal partners to technical teams.
• Comfortable working cross-functionally to coordinate complex projects and timelines.
• Proactive, resourceful, and solutions-oriented, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

You May Also Have

• Experience working in a startup or early-stage business environment.
• Familiarity with government (B2G) or enterprise clients.
• Experience with data products, analytics platforms, or technical solutions.
• Interest in cutting-edge technology, particularly AI and computer vision.
• Background or interest in coastal science, oceanography, or related fields.
• Personal passion for the ocean, beaches, or surfing.

Compensation and Benefits:

The base salary range for this position is $80,000 - $110,000. In accordance with applicable state laws, the range provided is Surfline's reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount may be higher or lower, based on non-discriminatory factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and location. In addition, Surfline offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package including 100% company-paid healthcare (medical, dental, and vision), a 401(k) plan and match, 'Use What You Need' PTO, and more