Chief of Staff, People Team

Zendesk, Inc.; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 277,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Zendesk, Inc. in the United States seeks a strategic, senior leader to partner with the CPO and drive the People team's strategy, planning, and operating cadence.

You will own portfolio management, budgeting, executive communications, board materials, and global People initiatives, shaping priorities and delivering measurable results with a data-informed approach. This role blends leadership with hands-on project management in a global, hybrid environment, leveraging AI-enabled tools while

Qualifications

• 10+ years in business strategy/operations or similar.
• 4+ years partnering with C-suite or senior leaders.
• Experience leading enterprise planning and cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience developing exec and Board materials with financial data.
• Budgets, forecasting, or financial planning experience with Finance.

Responsibilities

• Shape and execute People team strategic priorities and annual plans.
• Lead portfolio management across People initiatives and surface trade-offs.
• Own planning process and budget rhythm with Finance.
• Develop clear narratives and materials for Board and exec discussions.
• Plan leadership offsites and pre-reads; drive accountable actions.
• Coordinate All Hands and engagement moments across a global team.
• Collaborate with People Leadership Team and cross-functional partners.
• Lead high-priority, confidential projects from diagnosis to measurable results.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Executive communication

Discretion and judgment

Prioritization & portfolio mgmt

Budgeting & forecasting

Influence without authority

Ambiguity management

AI-enabled tools awareness

Job description

Job Description

Join us at Zendesk, where we're on a mission to power exceptional service for every person on the planet. We're accelerating that ambition by building products rooted in AI, automation, and intelligent customer experiences, because behind every interaction lies an opportunity to make a human connection.

What you’ll be doing

• Partner closely with the CPO to shape and execute the People team’s strategic priorities, annual plans, and operating cadence.
• Lead portfolio management across People initiatives: clarify outcomes, dependencies, resourcing, risks, decisions, and progress; surface trade-offs early and keep work moving.
• Own the People team planning process and budget rhythm in partnership with Finance and functional leaders, including forecasting, reporting, and investment recommendations.
• Drive preparation for Board and executive-level discussions, developing clear, accurate, and compelling narratives, materials, and follow-through for People-related topics.
• Plan and facilitate People Leadership Team offsites, including agenda design, pre-reads, decision capture, and accountability for agreed actions.
• Lead the planning and coordination of People Team All Hands and engagement moments that build connection, clarity, and momentum across a global team.
• Serve as an active member of the People Leadership Team and Zendesk’s Chief of Staff community, building strong cross-functional partnerships and sharing effective operating practices.
• Lead high-priority, confidential, and often ambiguous special projects for the CPO—from diagnosis through recommendation, execution, and measurable results.

What you bring to the role

• A strategic operator’s mindset: you can move comfortably between big-picture thinking and the practical details needed to make work happen.
• Strong executive communication skills, with experience translating complex people, business, and financial information into concise narratives, decision documents, and presentations.
• Sound judgment and discretion when handling sensitive employee, organizational, and business information.
• A practical, data-informed approach to prioritization, portfolio management, budgeting, and performance reporting.
• The ability to influence senior leaders and build trust across teams without relying on formal authority.
• A calm, flexible approach to ambiguity and competing priorities, with a bias toward action and follow-through.
• Comfort using AI-enabled tools to improve the speed, quality, and impact of planning, analysis, communication, and operational work; you validate outputs, protect sensitive information, and use approved tools responsibly.

Basic Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in business strategy, business operations, People/HR operations, consulting, program management, or a related strategic role.
• 4+ years partnering directly with C-suite or senior executive leaders in a Chief of Staff, strategy, operations, or equivalent capacity.
• Experience leading enterprise or functional planning, portfolio management, and cross-functional initiatives with multiple senior stakeholders.
• Experience developing executive- and Board-level materials, including synthesizing business, financial, and people data into clear recommendations.
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, forecasting, or financial planning in partnership with Finance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting a Chief People Officer, CHRO, or senior leadership team in a global technology or SaaS company.
• Experience working in a 3,000+ employee, multi-region organization undergoing growth, transformation, or significant operating change.
• Experience designing leadership-team operating rhythms, offsites, employee communications, or large-scale engagement events.
• Experience using planning, portfolio management, and analytics tools to create transparent reporting, strengthen decision-making, and improve team effectiveness.

The US annualized base salary range for this position is $185,000.00-$277,000.00. This position may also be eligible for bonus, benefits, or related incentives. While this range reflects the minimum and maximum value for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations, the offer for the successful candidate for this position will be based on job related capabilities, applicable experience, and other factors such as work location. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only (or OTE for commissions based roles), and do not include bonus, benefits, or related incentives.

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.