Remote-Ready Retail New-Business Director

Zendesk, Inc.; Indiana; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Zendesk, Inc. seeks a Strategic Account Director, Retail New Business to create and close durable net-new enterprise opportunities with large retail and consumer brands.

You will engage executive buyers, align goals to Zendesk’s AI-enabled service solutions, and drive complex deals from discovery to close. You’ll lead cross-functional teams, manage pipeline, and optimize forecasts while ensuring a smooth handoff to post-sale teams.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of related experience in complex retail software sales.
• Record of owning new-business opportunities and delivering measurable commercial outcomes.
• Experience with prospecting, value-based discovery, executive engagement, and complex deal ownership.
• Ability to discuss AI, automation, and platform value credibly, and involve specialists when deeper technical expertise is needed.
• No specific degree is required.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage qualified pipeline through targeted prospecting, inbound opportunities, partner relationships, and territory planning.
• Lead complex sales from discovery and qualification through business case, proposal, negotiation, and close.
• Connect customer goals and service challenges to a Zendesk platform and AI solution, with measurable outcomes.
• Build relationships across executive, business, technical, finance, security, and procurement teams.
• Own pursuit strategy, deal progression, and commercial decisions within approved guidelines.

Skills

New business mindset

Executive engagement

Forecasting

Complex deal ownership

AI/Automation understanding

Negotiation

Tools

CRM (Salesforce)

Job description

Zendesk, Inc. seeks a Strategic Account Director, Retail New Business to create and close durable net-new enterprise opportunities with large retail and consumer brands.

You will engage executive buyers, align goals to Zendesk’s AI-enabled service solutions, and drive complex deals from discovery to close. You’ll lead cross-functional teams, manage pipeline, and optimize forecasts while ensuring a smooth handoff to post-sale teams.