Lead, Product Strategy & Operations – AI Agents

Zendesk; Lisboa; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Zendesk is transforming customer service through AI, and our AI Agents organization sits at the heart of that transformation. We seek a Lead, Product Strategy & Operations to partner with AI Agents Product leadership, working with cross-functional teams to drive operational excellence and data-informed strategy.

You will optimize existing development programs, engage with customers and stakeholders, and help translate insights into strategic decisions that advance the business.

Qualifications

• Several years of experience in Product Strategy & Operations, Product Operations, Product Management, Chief of Staff, or similar strategic operational roles within B2B SaaS.
• Experience partnering with senior Product, Design, or Engineering leaders in a complex, fast-moving product organization.
• Strong understanding of Product Development processes, customer discovery, product planning, and cross-functional execution.
• Exceptional organizational and operational skills, with a record of improving processes and bringing clarity to ambiguous, high-complexity environments.
• Strong analytical skills and experience translating customer feedback, product data, and business priorities into actionable recommendations and measurable outcomes.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder-management, and influencing skills, with the ability to engage executives and move complex work forward without formal authority.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Product leadership to create a clear, integrated view of AI Agents priorities and translate that view into executive-ready recommendations.
• Connect customer insights and data to product strategy by ensuring signals inform planning and prioritization.
• Drive cross-functional alignment across Product Development, Customer Experience, Go-to-Market, Data, and other partners.
• Optimize Product Development programs by improving planning, discovery, launch, and customer-engagement processes.
• Drive operational excellence by identifying friction, proposing improvements, and measuring impact.

Skills

Product Strategy & Operations

Product Operations

Product Management

Chief of Staff

B2B SaaS

Job description

Job Description

Zendesk is transforming customer service through AI, and our AI Agents organization is at the center of that transformation. We’re looking for an experienced Lead, Product Strategy & Operations to join the Product Strategy and Operations team and serve as a strategic operating partner to AI Agents Product leadership. This role will work closely with the AI Agents Product Development team and cross-functional partners, including Go-to-Market teams, to drive operational excellence, cross-functional alignment, data-informed product strategy, and continuous process improvement.

This is a highly cross-functional, strategic individual contributor role. You'll work alongside Product leaders to connect customer insights, product priorities, and business initiatives into a clear, actionable view that enables better decision-making across the organization.

Rather than building new operational processes from scratch, you'll help the team get the most value from existing Product Development programs, improve how they work for AI Agents, and ensure Product teams can effectively engage with customers and cross-functional stakeholders.

What You'll Do

• Partner with Product leadership to create a clear, integrated view of AI Agents priorities, customer-impacting initiatives, dependencies, and strategic decisions and translate that view into executive-ready recommendations and communications.
• Connect customer insights and data to product strategy by working with the broader Product Strategy and Operations team to ensure customer feedback, Early Access Programs, product data, and other signals inform product planning and prioritization.
• Drive cross-functional alignment across Product Development, Customer Experience, Go-to-Market, Data, and other partners through clear operating rhythms, ownership, and follow-through.
• Optimize Product Development programs by helping AI Agents teams get greater value from existing planning, discovery, launch, and customer-engagement processes and driving focused improvements with program owners.
• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement by identifying friction and process gaps, developing actionable recommendations with the Product Strategy and Operations team, and measuring the impact of agreed improvements.

What We're Looking For

• Several years of experience in Product Strategy & Operations, Product Operations, Product Management, Chief of Staff, or similar strategic operational roles within B2B SaaS.
• Experience partnering with senior Product, Design, or Engineering leaders in a complex, fast-moving product organization.
• Strong understanding of Product Development processes, customer discovery, product planning, and cross-functional execution.
• Exceptional organizational and operational skills, with a record of improving processes and bringing clarity to ambiguous, high-complexity environments.
• Strong analytical skills and experience translating customer feedback, product data, and business priorities into actionable recommendations and measurable outcomes.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder-management, and influencing skills, with the ability to engage executives and move complex work forward without formal authority.

Nice To Have

• Experience working on AI-powered or SaaS products.
• Familiarity with Product Development frameworks, Jira Plans, PDLC, or similar planning methodologies.
• Experience partnering with Customer Experience, Sales, Marketing, or Customer Success organizations.
• Experience improving product feedback loops, Early Access Programs, or customer engagement initiatives.
• Experience working across globally distributed Product Development and go-to-market teams.

Why This Role Is Exciting

• Shape how one of Zendesk's fastest-growing AI organizations makes product decisions.
• Work directly with Product leadership on strategic initiatives.
• Influence Product, Engineering, Customer Experience, GTM, and executive stakeholders.
• Improve how customer insights translate into better AI products.
• Build a durable Product Strategy and Operations capability for AI Agents while influencing outcomes across one of Zendesk’s most strategically important product areas.

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. If you are based in the United States and would like more information about your EEO rights under the law, please click here.

Zendesk endeavors to make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans pursuant to applicable federal and state law. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to submit this application, complete any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please send an e-mail to [e-mail] with your specific accommodation request.