Application Guide

How to Apply for Customer Success Manager - GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance)

at Workiva

🏢 About Workiva

Workiva is a leader in integrated ESG reporting, helping organizations streamline climate impact and compliance. Its platform is trusted by thousands of companies for transparent, efficient reporting, making it a mission-driven workplace focused on sustainability and innovation.

About This Role

As a Customer Success Manager for GRC, you'll drive adoption of Workiva's solutions, ensuring customers achieve continuous ROI. By consulting on best practices and identifying risks, you'll play a key role in retaining and expanding accounts within the governance, risk, and compliance space.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might include conducting a business review with a key customer to discuss adoption metrics and upcoming compliance needs, followed by an internal meeting to address a potential churn risk. You'll also spend time analyzing usage data, preparing for a quarterly planning session, and advising a customer on best practices for their ESG reporting workflow.

🎯 Who Workiva Is Looking For

  • Experienced in SaaS customer success with a focus on governance, risk, or compliance (e.g., working with GRC platforms or ESG reporting tools).
  • Skilled at building executive-level relationships and conducting strategic business reviews to demonstrate value.
  • Proactive in identifying at-risk accounts and advocating internally for customer needs, with strong problem-solving abilities.
  • Excellent communicator who can simplify complex GRC concepts for diverse stakeholders and present actionable insights.

📝 Tips for Applying to Workiva

1

Highlight any experience with ESG or GRC software (e.g., Workiva, AuditBoard, ServiceNow GRC) in your resume and cover letter.

2

Quantify your impact in previous customer success roles, such as retention rates, upsell revenue, or adoption metrics.

3

Mention familiarity with integrated reporting frameworks (e.g., SASB, GRI, TCFD) and how you've helped customers comply.

4

Tailor your application to show understanding of Workiva's platform and its role in simplifying complex reporting.

5

Include a specific example of how you turned around a struggling account or improved customer ROI through consultative guidance.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your passion for sustainability and helping organizations achieve transparent reporting.', 'Specific experience with SaaS customer success and GRC-related challenges.', 'Ability to drive adoption and demonstrate ROI through strategic business reviews.', 'Proactive risk identification and customer advocacy skills.']

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • Explore Workiva's recent news and blog posts about ESG and GRC innovations.
  • Understand Workiva's competitors (e.g., Diligent, OneTrust) and how they differentiate.
  • Review Workiva's customer success stories and case studies, especially in GRC.
  • Familiarize yourself with key ESG regulations (e.g., CSRD, SEC climate rule) and how Workiva addresses them.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you approach a customer who is not fully adopting Workiva's GRC features?
2 Describe a time you identified an at-risk account and turned it around.
3 How do you prioritize multiple customer accounts with competing demands?
4 What experience do you have with ESG or compliance frameworks?
5 How would you conduct a business review to showcase ROI for a GRC customer?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on technical aspects without emphasizing relationship-building and strategic consulting.
  • Not demonstrating knowledge of GRC or ESG trends, which are central to this role.
  • Providing generic examples that don't tie to customer success metrics or SaaS adoption.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Workiva!