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Professional Growth Through Community Roles

Professional Growth Through Community Roles
# Format: AMAs
# Career Growth
# GTM Strategy
# Community

Hear Josh Zerkel, Gradual's in-house community expert, share how community roles evolve into career paths, from generalist beginnings to leadership opportunities.

December 4, 2025 · Last updated on March 3, 2026
Professional Growth Through Community Roles
Community is still a young discipline, and many GTM leaders are asking: what does a career path actually look like for community professionals? To answer that, we’ve framed this piece as an AMA with  Josh Zerkel, Head of Marketing & Community at Gradual . With over 20 years of experience building global communities at Evernote, Asana, and HeyGen, Josh has seen firsthand how community careers evolve from early generalist roles into senior leadership.

Q: How do most people get their start in community?

Josh: Many begin as generalists. In the early days of a program, one manager might launch the forums, write newsletters, host events, moderate discussions, and track metrics. It’s a demanding role, but it builds adaptability and provides a wide-angle view of how engagement fuels the customer journey. Those generalist years lay the groundwork for future specialization.

Q: What kinds of specializations open up as a community scales?

Josh: As communities mature, roles naturally branch into specialized tracks. Some focus on operations—data, tooling, and analytics. Others lead programming and content—designing events, playbooks, and resource hubs. Advocacy managers cultivate ambassadors and councils. And increasingly, education roles are embedded into community, tying structured learning into engagement spaces. Each track builds on the generalist foundation but allows for deeper expertise.

Q: What leadership roles exist for community professionals?

Josh: At the leadership level, titles vary, but the focus is similar: connecting community impact to business outcomes. Heads of Engagement Marketing oversee lifecycle, education, and community as one integrated strategy. Advocacy directors manage executive councils and champion programs. Operations leaders build the systems and analytics to scale. These roles demand vision and cross-functional influence, not just community skills.

Q: Can you share examples of how this progression looks in practice?

Josh: At Atlassian, I’ve seen community managers grow from moderating forums into leading regional events and scaling global programs. At Shopify, merchant advocates evolved into leaders of ambassador networks, shaping the broader ecosystem. And at LinkedIn, I’ve met program managers who advanced into senior engagement roles by directly connecting community insights to product strategy. These examples show how community roles can scale in scope and influence.

Q: Why should GTM leaders care about supporting these career paths?

Josh: When community professionals grow, the business grows. Marketing gains trusted advocates who bring campaigns to life. Sales benefits from champions who influence deals. Product teams receive invaluable feedback from engaged practitioners. And Customer Success scales more effectively because community managers extend reach through peer support. Supporting careers isn’t just a people strategy—it’s a growth strategy.

Q: What advice would you give to a GTM leader who wants to invest in community careers?

Josh: Start by clarifying pathways. Give generalists the chance to explore different tracks, then support specialization where it makes sense. Encourage career rotation between roles to broaden skills. And most importantly, make leadership paths explicit—showing that community is not a side project but a strategic career. This clarity helps attract and retain top talent, while reinforcing community’s central role in GTM alignment.

Where careers and strategy intersect

As Josh highlights, community careers evolve just like communities themselves—starting broad, then branching into specializations and leadership. By recognizing these pathways, GTM leaders can unlock both human potential and business impact.
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