Senior Technical Program Manager, Product Development

Job Description

Join us at Zendesk where were on a mission to power exceptional service for every person on the planet. Were accelerating that ambition by building products rooted in AI automation and intelligent customer experiences because behind every interaction lies an opportunity to make a human connection.

Location: San Francisco CA (Hybrid)

Job Summary:

As a Senior Technical Program Manager within Product Development in San Francisco working on Forethought AI Agents by Zendesk you will own and drive complex cross-functional technical programs that deliver measurable outcomes and support Level 2/3 OKRs. Youll work closely with Product Design and Engineering partners (CIO Data Legal Finance and GTM teams) to identify and resolve cross-team dependencies early reduce delivery risk and translate strategy into clear executable plans.

Youll establish program cadence and governance with managers and directors manage scope/critical path/risk and ensure predictable high-quality delivery through strong change management and stakeholder alignment. Trusted for sound judgment in ambiguity youll connect the dots across roadmaps raise program execution standards through practical process improvements and coach peers. Youll be the connective tissue across Product Engineering and partner functions driving delivery of scalable features and services that support Zendesks AI and CX priorities. Expect to collaborate with colleagues across EMEA APAC and AMER.

What youll do:

• Lead and deliver multi-team technical programs that span Product Development and partner functions ensuring milestones quality standards and outcomes are met.

• Translate strategy and OKRs into program structure plans milestones and measurable success criteria; keep progress visible to stakeholders.

• Build program governance: establish operating cadences decision forums escalation paths and clear RACI for cross-functional delivery.

• Identify track and mitigate risks and dependencies proactively; manage scope and critical path to limit surprises.

• Facilitate alignment and decision-making across partner functions; run workshops retrospectives and steering committee meetings.

• Produce concise decision-ready updates and status reporting for various levels of stakeholders.

• Improve program processes and standards; coach teams on planning risk management and reporting best practices.

• Mentor and partner with other program managers to raise execution standards across the PMO.

What youll bring to the role

• Proven track record delivering technical programs in a software/engineering environment; experience launching multiple large-scale releases.

• Strong cross-functional awareness and ability to connect roadmaps anticipate impacts and manage upstream/downstream dependencies.

• Prior experience working on AI ML or platform initiatives (or programs that support developer/platform teams).

• Demonstrated success partnering with Director-/VP-level stakeholders and operating at a global scale (multi-geo programs).

• Excellent execution discipline: scope management critical-path planning proactive risk mitigation and effective change control.

• Skilled facilitator and communicator: able to drive alignment among diverse stakeholders and synthesize complex inputs into clear narratives.

• Comfortable operating with ambiguous inputs and making tradeoffs that balances speed quality and business impact.

• Familiarity with program/delivery tools and practices (Jira Confluence Kanban/Agile) and with program governance frameworks.

• Data-informed: able to define and track KPIs partner with analytics teams and use metrics to guide decisions.

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 were 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 with your specific accommodation request.