Principal Product Manager, CRM & Sales Systems

Zendesk; Austin, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 183,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Zendesk in Austin is seeking a Principal Product Manager for CRM & Sales Systems to own the multi-year vision, strategy, and roadmap for our sales technology stack, aligning investments with global revenue goals. You will operate as part of a leadership triad with the CRM Architect and CRM Platform Tech Lead to translate business needs into scalable, AI-enhanced solutions.

The role emphasizes an AI-first mindset, a deep understanding of B2B sales processes, and a relentless focus on reducing

Qualifications

• 8+ years of Product Management experience with 3+ years in GTM, CRM, or Sales Ops at Principal or Senior level.
• AI-first mindset and ability to identify AI opportunities to transform workflows.
• Deep understanding of B2B sales, forecasting, and Lead-to-Cash.
• Strong collaboration with Architecture and Engineering teams.
• User-centric approach focused on reducing admin burden for sales and ops.

Responsibilities

• Define vision and multi-year roadmap for CRM and sales systems.
• Partner with CRM Architect and CRM Platform Tech Lead to deliver scalable solutions.
• Prioritize backlog and balance strategic features with tech debt.
• Establish KPIs for adoption, satisfaction, and business impact.
• Drive AI-enabled capabilities like copilots and automation into the CRM.

Skills

Strategic product leadership

CRM & GTM systems

AI-first mindset

Stakeholder alignment

Cross-functional collaboration

User-centric design

Tools

Salesforce

AI integrations

Job description

We are seeking a highly strategic and forward-thinking **Principal Product Manager for CRM & Sales Systems** to drive the vision, strategy, and roadmap for our foundational sales technology stack. In this role, you will be the ultimate owner of the \"What\" and the \"Why,\" ensuring our CRM ecosystem solves critical business problems, accelerates sales velocity, and empowers our global revenue teams.You will not be doing this alone. This role operates as part of a critical leadership triad. You will partner deeply with the **CRM Architect** (who designs the long-term, scalable \"How\") and the **CRM Platform Tech Lead** (who drives the day-to-day delivery and execution of the \"How\"). Together, this trio will pioneer **new ways of working**, transforming business requirements into a world-class, AI-enhanced CRM experience that fundamentally changes how our sales teams operate. ### **What You Will Do*** **Define the Vision & Roadmap:** Own the multi-year product strategy for our CRM (Salesforce) and broader sales systems ecosystem. Align technology investments directly with global sales and revenue goals.* **Champion an AI-First Mindset:** Identify and integrate high-impact AI capabilities (e.g., generative AI, predictive forecasting, sales copilots, automated data capture) into the CRM to eliminate busywork, surface actionable insights, and make sellers wildly more productive.* **Drive New Ways of Working:** Redefine traditional sales workflows rather than just digitizing them. Challenge the status quo by introducing modern, adaptive processes that leverage intelligent automation to reduce friction.* **Lead the Triad:** Partner closely with the CRM Architect and CRM Platform Tech Lead. You will translate business needs into clear product requirements, while they ensure the solutions are architecturally sound and delivered efficiently.* **Deep Stakeholder Alignment:** Act as the primary bridge between the engineering teams and global business stakeholders (Sales Leadership, Revenue Operations, Enablement, and Marketing).* **Ruthless Prioritization:** Manage and prioritize the product backlog. Balance the delivery of high-value strategic features with the need to address technical debt and system performance.* **Define & Track Success:** Establish clear KPIs for system adoption, user satisfaction, and business impact (e.g., reduced time-to-quote, CRM data hygiene, AI adoption rates). ### **What You Bring*** **Experience:** 8+ years of Product Management experience, with at least 3+ years specifically focused on internal GTM systems, CRM platforms, or Sales Operations at a Principal or Senior level.* **AI & Innovation Focus:** An **AI-first mindset** with a passion for discovering how emerging technologies can create entirely **new ways of working** for revenue organizations. You leverage AI not just in the product, but to enhance your own productivity as a PM.* **Domain Expertise:** Deep understanding of B2B sales motions, pipeline management, forecasting, and the Lead-to-Cash lifecycle.* **Technical Fluency:** While you won't be coding, you must possess a strong understanding of enterprise CRM capabilities (specifically Salesforce) and modern AI integrations to have meaningful, productive debates with Architects and Tech Leads.* **Collaboration Skills:** Proven success operating in a Product/Architecture/Engineering triad model. You know how to build healthy tension that results in the best possible outcomes for the business.* **User-Centric Mindset:** A passion for building intuitive, low-friction experiences. You view sales reps and ops teams as your primary customers and obsess over reducing their administrative burden. ### **Bonus Points*** Direct experience working in a Sales, RevOps, or Sales Engineering role before transitioning to Product Management.* Salesforce Admin or related certifications to demonstrate platform literacy.* Proven track record of successfully rolling out an AI product or copilot feature to a large internal sales team. **Why Join Us?*** **Lead the transformation of our GTM technology** through innovative solutions, AI, and scalable execution.* **Work closely with business leaders and engineering teams** to directly impact revenue growth and operational efficiency.* **Be part of a collaborative, forward-thinking tech team** with access to the latest enterprise tools and frameworks.* **Enjoy a competitive salary** and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you in and out of the office.The US annualized base salary range for this position is $183,000.00-$275,000.00. 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.