Chief of Staff, People Team at Zendesk

Job description

Job Description Join us at Zendesk, where we're on a mission to power exceptional service for every person on the planet. We're 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. We’re looking for a strategic, highly driven and highly organized Chief of Staff to partner with our Chief People Officer and People Leadership Team. In this role, you’ll turn priorities into progress—bringing clarity to our strategy, portfolio, operating rhythm, and communications so the People team can deliver meaningful outcomes for our employees and the business. What you’ll be doing Partner closely with the CPO to shape and execute the People team’s strategic priorities, annual plans, and operating cadence. Lead portfolio management across People initiatives: clarify outcomes, dependencies, resourcing, risks, decisions, and progress; surface trade-offs early and keep work moving. Own the People team planning process and budget rhythm in partnership with Finance and functional leaders, including forecasting, reporting, and investment recommendations. Drive preparation for Board and executive-level discussions, developing clear, accurate, and compelling narratives, materials, and follow-through for People-related topics. Plan and facilitate People Leadership Team offsites, including agenda design, pre-reads, decision capture, and accountability for agreed actions. Lead the planning and coordination of People Team All Hands and engagement moments that build connection, clarity, and momentum across a global team. Serve as an active member of the People Leadership Team and Zendesk’s Chief of Staff community, building strong cross-functional partnerships and sharing effective operating practices. Lead high-priority, confidential, and often ambiguous special projects for the CPO—from diagnosis through recommendation, execution, and measurable results. What you bring to the role A strategic operator’s mindset: you can move comfortably between big-picture thinking and the practical details needed to make work happen. Strong executive communication skills, with experience translating complex people, business, and financial information into concise narratives, decision documents, and presentations. Sound judgment and discretion when handling sensitive employee, organizational, and business information. A practical, data-informed approach to prioritization, portfolio management, budgeting, and performance reporting. The ability to influence senior leaders and build trust across teams without relying on formal authority. A calm, flexible approach to ambiguity and competing priorities, with a bias toward action and follow-through. Comfort using AI-enabled tools to improve the speed, quality, and impact of planning, analysis, communication, and operational work; you validate outputs, protect sensitive information, and use approved tools responsibly. Basic Qualifications 10+ years of experience in business strategy, business operations, People/HR operations, consulting, program management, or a related strategic role. 4+ years partnering directly with C-suite or senior executive leaders in a Chief of Staff, strategy, operations, or equivalent capacity. Experience leading enterprise or functional planning, portfolio management, and cross-functional initiatives with multiple senior stakeholders. Experience developing executive- and Board-level materials, including synthesizing business, financial, and people data into clear recommendations. Demonstrated experience managing budgets, forecasting, or financial planning in partnership with Finance. Preferred Qualifications Experience supporting a Chief People Officer, CHRO, or senior leadership team in a global technology or SaaS company. Experience working in a 3,000+ employee, multi-region organization undergoing growth, transformation, or significant operating change. Experie