Software Engineering Manager

Zendesk; Maharashtra; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Office in Pune

Collaborative culture

Job summary

Zendesk seeks an Software Engineering Manager in Pune to lead a new Data Applications Engineering team within the Enterprise Data & Analytics group. You will oversee progression from prototypes to production, ensuring scalable, reliable systems and a strong engineering culture.

This is a hands-on leadership role with close collaboration across globally distributed teams. The role requires 10+ years of industry experience and 3+ years in management, with expertise in Python/Java backend,

Qualifications

• Industry experience of 10+ years with 3+ years in a leadership or management role.
• Track record of shipping production web applications with full-stack teams.
• Strong backend foundation (Python/Java, distributed systems) and ability to review UI decisions.
• Experience migrating prototypes to production and defining API contracts.
• Excellent communication and ability to influence stakeholders globally.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small engineering team (2–4 engineers) and provide direction across the project lifecycle.
• Collaborate with Data Engineering, ML, Product Management, Sales and CX to improve delivery and reliability.
• Architect transitions from prototypes to production-ready environments with clear API boundaries.
• Guide the team through scalability and performance challenges while delivering features.
• Promote engineering excellence through best practices in coding, testing, and observability.
• Foster a high-performance culture with clarity, ownership and impact.
• Hold 1:1s focusing on growth, performance and well-being.

Skills

Tech leadership

Python

Java

Distributed systems

React/TS review

SQL/data warehousing

AI adoption

Tools

React

TypeScript

FastAPI

Snowflake

OpenAI

Job description

Job Description

We are seeking a Software Engineering Manager based in Pune with a strong background in software development to lead our newly built Data Applications Engineering team. This team sits under the Enterprise Data & Analytics (EDA) organization and owns the full stack of an internal AI-powered GTM Intelligence Platform used by 1500+ employees and growing. In this role, you will be responsible for overseeing the engineering team. Your leadership will have a direct impact on the Zendesk customer experience and is vital to the success of our business.

As an Engineering Manager, you will be the founding engineering leader of this team, manage and inspire a team of engineers, cultivating a collaborative and innovative work environment. You will collaborate closely with globally distributed engineering teams and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure timely project delivery while maintaining high standards of code quality. This is a player‑coach role at an early stage — you will get your hands dirty while building the systems and culture that let the team scale.

This role is based in Pune and requires you to work from office at least 3 days a week.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead a team of 2-4 engineers, providing direction and support at every stage of the project lifecycle to ensure successful outcomes.
• Work closely with leaders across Data Engineering, Product Management, ML Teams, Sales and CX Teams to continually improve software delivery and service reliability.
• Architect and oversee the technical transition from Data Science prototypes to production-ready environments, defining clear API contracts and operational boundaries alongside Data Engineering and Data Science partners.
• Guide your team through technical challenges, balancing new feature development with system scalability and performance.
• Champion engineering excellence, ensuring best practices in coding, testing, and observability.
• Drive a high-performance culture that prioritizes clarity, ownership, and impact.
• Have quality 1:1s with your team members focusing on their performance, growth and well-being.

What you bring to the role

• Industry experience of 10+ years with 3+ years in a technical leadership or management role leading and mentoring engineers.
• Track record of managing full-stack teams shipping production web applications
• Strong backend engineering foundation (Python,Java, distributed systems, caching); sufficient frontend familiarity to review React/TypeScript code and guide UI architecture decisions.
• Backend experience on OLTP Databases & Cloud Data warehousing (MYSQL, Snowflake, Redshift, Bigquery)-> we use
• Prior experience of driving effective AI adoption
• A solid technical foundation and professional experience in developing and maintaining complex architectures.
• A passionate mentor capable of inspiring and empowering team members to achieve their full potential through effective coaching.
• Strong communication and collaboration with the ability to work cross-functionally and influence stakeholders globally.
• Comfortable engaging directly with Sales and Customer Experience leaders, translating business requests into engineering scope and communicating tradeoffs clearly.
• Solid understanding of agile scrum framework and experience of running scrum ceremonies.
• Proven ability to prioritise effectively, focusing efforts on high-impact areas while balancing short-term objectives with long-term growth strategies.
• A dedication to continual self-development and fostering a learning environment within the team.

NICE TO HAVE

• Background in data engineering or analytics engineering adjacent to software engineering — enough to collaborate fluently with a data platform team on shared infrastructure
• Strong expertise of Python backend applications highly desirable.
• Experience with AI/LLM-powered product features
• Familiarity with GTM tools (Salesforce, Gainsight, Gong, Clari)

Tech Stack

• Frontend - React 18, TypeScript 5, Vite 7, styled-components 6, Tailwind CSS 3
• Backend - Python, FastAPI, Snowflake
• AI Stack -> OpenAI Agent SDK, LLM Proxy

Please note that Zendesk can only hire candidates who are physically located and plan to work from Karnataka or Maharashtra. Please refer to the location posted on the requisition for where this role is based.

Hybrid: In this role, our hybrid experience is designed at the team level to give you a rich onsite experience packed with connection, collaboration, learning, and celebration - while also giving you flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. This role must attend our local office for part of the week. The specific in-office schedule is to be determined by the hiring manager.

The Intelligent Heart Of Customer Experience

Zendesk software was built to bring a sense of calm to the chaotic world of customer service. Today we power billions of conversations with brands you know and love.

Zendesk believes in offering our people a fulfilling and inclusive experience. Our hybrid way of working, enables us to purposefully come together in person, at one of our many Zendesk offices around the world, to connect, collaborate and learn whilst also giving our people the flexibility to work remotely for part of the week.

As part of our commitment to fairness and transparency, we inform all applicants that artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision systems may be used to screen or evaluate applications for this position, in accordance with Company guidelines and applicable law.

Zendesk is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster global diversity, equity, & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment and employees at Zendesk are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabled employer.

Zendesk endeavors to make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans pursuant to applicable federal and state law.