Senior People Partner

Zendesk, Inc.; Oregon; Hybrid; USD 157,000 - 235,000; Full time

Job summary

Zendesk, Inc. is seeking a strategic Sr. HR Business Partner to support the Product Development organization.

You will partner with leaders to translate business priorities into practical people plans that build healthy, high-performing teams and help Zendesk grow sustainably. You will shape people strategies with senior leaders, coach through organizational design and change, and use data to diagnose trends.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of HR Business Partner or People Partner experience.
• 3+ years partnering with director- and VP-level leaders in tech/SaaS.
• Expertise in organizational design, talent management, performance management, employee relations, and workforce planning.
• Ability to use AI-enabled tools responsibly to improve speed and quality of work.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior Product Development leaders to shape people strategies that support business goals, organizational health, and long-term growth.
• Coach leaders through organizational design, workforce planning, talent planning, team effectiveness, and change across a distributed product organization.
• Use people data, business context, and employee feedback to identify trends, diagnose root causes, and recommend clear, practical actions.
• Lead complex talent conversations, including performance management, succession planning, employee relations, and development planning, with sound judgment and care.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, People Operations, Learning & Development, Employee Relations, and Legal to deliver consistent, scalable people solutions.
• Help leaders create inclusive, accountable team cultures where people understand priorities, receive meaningful feedback, and can do their best work.
• Guide leaders through change with thoughtful communication, strong stakeholder management, and a focus on employee experience.
• Improve People Partner practices and operating rhythms for the Product Development People Team.

Skills

Organization design

Workforce planning

Talent reviews

Performance management

Employee relations

Change management

Data-informed decisions

Executive coaching

Collaboration

AI-enabled tools use

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Organizational Psychology, or related field

Tools

AI tools

Job description

We’re looking for a strategic, hands-on Sr. HR Business Partner to support our Product Development organization. In this role, you’ll partner with leaders to build healthy, high-performing teams and translate business priorities into practical people plans that help Zendesk build great products, move with focus, and grow sustainably.

What you’ll be doing

• Partner with senior Product Development leaders to shape people strategies that support business goals, organizational health, and long-term growth.
• Coach leaders through organizational design, workforce planning, talent planning, team effectiveness, and change across a distributed product organization.
• Use people data, business context, and employee feedback to identify trends, diagnose root causes, and recommend clear, practical actions.
• Lead complex talent conversations, including performance management, succession planning, employee relations, and development planning, with sound judgment and care.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, People Operations, Learning & Development, Employee Relations, and Legal to deliver consistent, scalable people solutions.
• Help leaders create inclusive, accountable team cultures where people understand priorities, receive meaningful feedback, and can do their best work.
• Guide leaders through change with thoughtful communication, strong stakeholder management, and a focus on employee experience.
• Improve People Partner practices and operating rhythms for the Product Development People Team.

What you bring to the role

• 8+ years of progressive HR Business Partner or People Partner experience, including 3+ years supporting senior leaders in a fast-paced technology or SaaS environment.
• Experience supporting Product, Engineering, Design, Data, or other technical organizations, with an understanding of the operating rhythms and talent needs of product development teams.
• Strong business acumen and a track record of connecting organization and talent decisions to business outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational design, workforce planning, talent reviews, performance cycles, and change initiatives.
• Sound judgment in navigating sensitive employee relations, performance, and leadership matters; you know when to coach, when to challenge, and when to bring in the right partners.
• Confidence using qualitative and quantitative people insights to influence decisions, tell a clear story, and measure impact.
• A collaborative, direct, and empathetic approach that builds trust with leaders, employees, and cross-functional partners.
• Comfort working in an AI-enabled workplace, using approved AI tools thoughtfully to improve efficiency and insight while applying human judgment and protecting confidential information.

Basic Qualifications

• 8+ years of HR Business Partner, People Partner, or equivalent strategic HR experience.
• 3+ years partnering directly with director- and VP-level leaders in a technology, SaaS, or similarly fast-moving environment.
• Experience supporting organizations of 300+ employees through growth, organizational change, or transformation.
• Demonstrated expertise in organizational design, talent management, performance management, employee relations, and workforce planning.
• Ability to use AI-enabled tools responsibly to improve the speed and quality of work, validate outputs, understand limitations, and follow approved privacy and data-security practices.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Product Development organizations, including Engineering, Product Management, Product Design, Data, or AI-focused teams.
• Experience in a global, distributed company and working across multiple employment jurisdictions.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide people programs or scaling people practices during periods of significant organizational change.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Psychology, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

The US annualized base salary range for this position is $157,000.00-$235,000.00. 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.