Job Description

We are looking for a highly motivated and results-driven Principal Program Manager to join our dynamic team supporting the CIO Organization. Responsible for coordinating multiple projects or initiatives under a single program, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and meet the desired outcomes - this role requires a self-starter who thrives in an environment with little to no direction and can take initiative to drive projects forward. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem solver, an effective communicator, and someone who excels in fast-paced, evolving environments.

As a Principal Program Manager, you will oversee and manage the strategic and operational aspects of a series of programs across our organization spanning monetization objectives and initiatives. You will lead planning, execution, evaluation activities, ensuring that the program aligns with organizational goals. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth project execution and alignment with business goals.

Key responsibilities for this role:

• Program Development and Planning: Design and define program objectives, budgets, timelines, and resources required for successful implementation.

• Team Leadership and Management: Lead and manage program staff, ensuring clear communication, motivation, and team collaboration.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Work cross-functionally with stakeholders to understand their needs and ensure the program meets expectations.

• Budget Management: Manage program budgets, monitoring expenses, and ensuring financial efficiency.

• Monitoring and Evaluation: Measure the program’s success against its objectives and making necessary adjustments for continuous improvement. Take ownership of the end-to-end project lifecycle, from ideation to delivery, ensuring smooth transitions and timely execution.

• Reporting and Communication: Provide regular updates and reports to senior management and other key stakeholders. Ensure expectations are clear, progress is transparent, and issues are addressed swiftly.

Key Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in program management, operations improvement, business process improvement, change management, data analysis, and/or private equity.

• Proven experience in technical program management, with a track record of successfully managing multiple initiatives simultaneously.

• Ability to lead with little to no direction, demonstrating initiative and self-sufficiency in fast-paced environments.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively interact with various teams and stakeholders.

• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with an ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.

• Deep understanding of project management frameworks and methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, and the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

• Experience with SaaS product offerings, implementations, and service models.

• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex environments and manage stakeholders with competing priorities.

• Ability to adapt quickly to change, maintaining a solution-oriented approach.

Nice to Have:

• Experience with Quote to Cash (Q2C) processes, billing systems and eCommerce solutioning, including integration with back-end systems and business processes.

• Experience with AI-driven tools and platforms to enhance leadership, planning, and operational management processes.

• Ability to leverage AI for data analysis, decision-making, and workflow optimization to improve efficiency and outcomes across teams and projects.

• Professional certifications such as PgM (Program Management), PgMP (Program Management Professional), Scrum Master, or PMP.

• Familiarity with SaaS product lifecycle management and cloud-based solution implementation.

• Experience in driving digital transformation and leading cross-functional teams in a rapidly evolving business landscape.

Where We Work
Zendesk is not your average tech company. We have all the stuff you’d expect - competitive pay, benefits, appealing offices, snacks, and more. We also have a culture deeply dedicated to enabling conversations and providing appreciative support. We help our staff keep work-life balance, from flexible hours to remote work, to the most dynamic parental leave plans on the market. Our Social Impact team is actively engaged in our community and enables us to invest thousands of hours with local community groups each year. We invest in diversity and inclusion so that our team reflects the diversity of the world around us. We have a whole crew dedicated to ensuring our workplace experience is top notch and welcoming for all.

Hybrid: In this role, our hybrid experience is designed at the team level to give you a rich onsite experience packed with connection, collaboration, learning, and celebration - while also giving you flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. This role must attend our local office for part of the week. The specific in-office schedule is to be determined by the hiring manager.

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.

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 peopleandplaces@zendesk.com with your specific accommodation request.