Strategic Chief of Staff for People Leadership

The Work at Home Woman; Wisconsin; Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 277,000; Full time

Job summary

Zendesk is seeking a Chief of Staff to partner with the Chief People Officer and People Leadership Team, driving strategy, operating cadence, and cross-functional coordination. You will manage high-priority, confidential projects and prepare executive-level materials.

You will lead planning across global teams, design engagement moments, and help translate complex people and financial data into actionable decisions.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in business strategy, operations, or related strategic role.
• 4+ years partnering with C-suite or senior leaders in Chief of Staff, strategy, or equivalent capacity.
• Experience leading enterprise planning, portfolio management, and cross-functional initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the CPO to shape and execute People team's priorities and plans.
• Lead portfolio management across People initiatives, with clear outcomes and dependencies.
• Own planning, budgeting, forecasting, and investment recommendations with Finance.

Skills

Executive communication

Portfolio management

Budgeting & forecasting

Strategic thinking

Influence without authority

Ambiguity handling

AI tools

Tools

Analytics tools

Job description

Zendesk is seeking a Chief of Staff to partner with the Chief People Officer and People Leadership Team, driving strategy, operating cadence, and cross-functional coordination. You will manage high-priority, confidential projects and prepare executive-level materials.

You will lead planning across global teams, design engagement moments, and help translate complex people and financial data into actionable decisions.