At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead global customer support and manage critical situations to ensure client success.
- Company: Join Proofpoint, a leader in cybersecurity, dedicated to protecting people and data.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, flexible work options, and a focus on wellness and community.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in cybersecurity while driving customer satisfaction and operational excellence.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in customer support leadership with strong technical and communication skills.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team that values innovation and collaboration.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 140000 ÂŁ per year.
About Us
Proofpoint is a global leader in human- and agent-centric cybersecurity. We protect how people, data, and AI agents connect across email, cloud, and collaboration tools. Over 80 of the Fortune 100, 10,000 large enterprises, and millions of smaller organizations trust Proofpoint to stop threats, prevent data loss, and build resilience across their people and AI workflows. Our mission is simple: safeguard the digital world and empower people to work securely and confidently. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people.
How We Work
At Proofpoint you will be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity guided by our BRAVE core values:
- Bold in how we dream and innovate
- Responsive to feedback, challenges and opportunities
- Accountable for results and best in class outcomes
- Visionary in future focused problem-solving
- Exceptional in execution and impact
Director, Global Critical Situation Management and Incident Response
Customer Success and operational excellence are vital to Proofpoint's longâterm growth and profitability. Ultimately, Proofpoint's success is dependent on the success of its customers. The business must ensure its customers are receiving significant value from both its products and services. As such, Proofpoint needs a senior leader to drive success for its customers, executing against the organization's broader customer success strategy.
The Director of the Global Critical Situation Management team is a senior leader responsible for driving worldâclass customer support outcomes, leading the organization's most urgent customer escalations, and ensuring that customers achieve maximum value from Proofpoint's products and services. This role blends operational leadership of global technical support with the strategic, customer advocacy driven functions of critical incident command. The Director will oversee break/fix support delivery, manage critical customer situations from initiation through resolution and postâmortem, strengthen crossâfunctional alignment, and drive continuous improvement across people, process, and technology.
Key Responsibilities
- Execute a comprehensive critical situation management and customer success strategy, including hiring, onboarding, performance standards, and operational plans.
- Define success criteria and track adherence to key operational metrics for escalations.
- Develop standards for handling customer incidents, escalation paths, and communication frameworks that drive successful outcomes.
- Improve customer satisfaction and overall customer health across the lifecycle.
- Evaluate customer needs, identify gaps, and drive initiatives that strengthen customer value realization.
- Collaborate crossâfunctionally with Technical Account Management, Professional Services, Product and Engineering to support customer success.
- Promote business continuity and operational excellence across the global support community.
- Lead effectively in a matrixed, crossâfunctional environment.
Critical Situation Management & Escalation Leadership
- Serve as the executive escalation point for the most urgent and complex customer situations.
- Lead crossâfunctional triage and resolution efforts, coordinating Support, Engineering, Product, Security, and Operations.
- Provide clear, timely, customerâfacing status updates and internal reporting during critical incidents.
- Manage SEV 0 escalations from initial detection through root cause analysis and postâincident review.
- Conduct postâescalation analysis and author customerâfacing cause analysis documents.
- Evaluate customer requests related to SLA violations and ensure appropriate internal review.
- Lead crossâdepartmental process improvements to maximize customer retention and reduce repeat escalations.
- Participate in the 24Ă7 onâcall rotation as needed.
Strategic & Operational Excellence
- Use customer data, operational metrics, and market insights to identify trends and drive continuous improvement with product and engineering teams.
- Partner with business and technical leaders to build consensus on strategy, prioritization, and process evolution.
- Identify systemic issues and lead corrective action efforts across departments.
- Provide leadership in documentation quality reviews, ensuring technical guides, troubleshooting content, and internal training are accurate and effective.
- Drive improvements within the broader Services organization, influencing processes across teams.
What You Will Accomplish
- Navigate ambiguity with confidence and treat obstacles as opportunities to innovate.
- Communicate effectively with stakeholders at all organizational levels, including executives and customers.
- Demonstrate the courage to think differently and challenge existing assumptions.
- Lead with urgency in fastâpaced, dynamic environments; drive accountability and follow through.
- Apply analytical thinking and dataâdriven decision making to improve support outcomes and customer loyalty.
Qualifications
- 7+ years of customer support, customer success, or professional services leadership in a B2B SaaS environment.
- Proven track record managing enterpriseâclass support organizations to customer success goals (CSAT, NPS, etc.).
- 7+ years of experience in escalation or incident management roles with demonstrated success resolving complex, highâimpact issues.
- Strong business and management acumen with experience influencing senior leadership.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
- Strong technical proficiency, including: broad understanding of cybersecurity as it relates to email security, enterprise archiving, data and application security; understanding of databases and SaaS architecture; Linux command line competence.
- Skilled communicator and influencer with customers, executives, and internal teams.
- Experience with Salesforce Service Cloud or similar support systems.
- Ability to independently troubleshoot complex system environments with multiple configurations and protocols.
- Project Management experience: PMP certification is a plus.
Why Proofpoint
Proofpoint is a fastâgrowing, customerâfocused organization with marketâleading products and a culture grounded in innovation, collaboration, and appreciation. As a global company with offices in over 10 countries, we believe that hiring exceptional peopleâand treating them wellâis the foundation of our success. Joining the team means contributing to an environment that values diverse perspectives and empowers employees to make an impact.
Why Proofpoint?
- Competitive compensation
- Comprehensive benefits
- Career success on your terms
- Flexible work environment
- Annual wellness and community outreach days
- Always on recognition for your contributions
- Global collaboration and networking opportunities
Our Culture
Our culture is rooted in values that inspire belonging, empower purpose and drive successâevery day, for everyone.
Accessibility
We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. If you need accommodation during the application or interview process, please reach out to accessibility@proofpoint.com.
How to Apply
Interested? Submit your application along with any supporting informationâ we canât wait to hear from you!
Director, Global Critical Situation Manager in Belfast employer: Proofpoint
Contact Detail:
Proofpoint Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice đ¤Ť
We think this is how you could land Director, Global Critical Situation Manager in Belfast
â¨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees at Proofpoint on LinkedIn. A friendly chat can give you insider info and maybe even a referral, which can really boost your chances.
â¨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into Proofpoint's products and services. Show us that you understand our mission and how you can contribute to safeguarding the digital world. Knowledge is power!
â¨Tip Number 3
Practice your STAR method responses for behavioural questions. We love hearing about your past experiences, so structure your answers to highlight your skills and achievements clearly.
â¨Tip Number 4
Donât forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and shows us that youâre genuinely interested in the role. Plus, itâs a great chance to reiterate why youâre a perfect fit!
We think you need these skills to ace Director, Global Critical Situation Manager in Belfast
Some tips for your application đŤĄ
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Director, Global Critical Situation Manager role. Highlight your experience in customer success and incident management, and show how your skills align with our mission at Proofpoint.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: We want to see your leadership style! Share examples of how you've successfully managed teams and driven customer success in previous roles. This is your chance to shine a light on your strategic thinking and operational excellence.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read. We appreciate straightforward communication, especially when it comes to complex topics like cybersecurity.
Apply Through Our Website: Donât forget to submit your application through our website! Itâs the best way for us to receive your details and ensures youâre considered for the role. We canât wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Proofpoint
â¨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you have a solid understanding of cybersecurity, especially in relation to email security and SaaS architecture. Brush up on your technical knowledge and be ready to discuss how it applies to customer success and incident management.
â¨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in managing customer support teams and driving successful outcomes. Be ready to discuss how you've navigated complex situations and led cross-functional teams to resolve critical incidents.
â¨Understand the Company Culture
Familiarise yourself with Proofpoint's BRAVE core values. Think about how your personal values align with theirs and be prepared to share examples of how you've demonstrated these qualities in your previous roles.
â¨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions that show your interest in the role and the company. Inquire about their approach to customer success and how they measure satisfaction. This not only shows your enthusiasm but also helps you gauge if the company is the right fit for you.