VP of Platform (Product & Engineering)

Job Description

Zendesk is seeking an influential, visionary, innovative, strategic, hands-on leader to lead the development of our Service Platform, where the customer is at the center of everything we do and AI is at the center of everything we build.

As VP of Platform (Product & Engineering), you will drive the vision and execution of Zendesk's Service Platform – including CX, EX and CCaaS - to ensure it is robust, scalable and AI-ready. You will lead a highly talented team of Software Engineers and Product Managers across the AMER and APAC regions.

This role will guide the strategy and execution for Zendesk's platform portfolio. Current capabilities include a rich ecosystem of extensibility features e.g., APIs, Custom Objects, Apps and the App Marketplace, Triggers and Automations, Sandbox, 3rd party integrations, Web Hooks, and many other developer, low, and no-code solutions that ~100K businesses use to extend and customize their service needs. As we expand our AI footprint, we are also developing new Action Builder integrations and workflow engines, and interconnects for AI Agents leveraging MCP, A2A, and other emerging AI integration and development technologies.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Customers: Start with the customer and work backwards. Develop trust and deepen our relationships with our customers by partnering with early adopters, soliciting feedback, exploring new opportunities, and listening. 
• Platform Strategy: Develop a strategy for Zendesk as a Platform company in the Service, EX and CCaaS Platform markets that enables our Customers to build and customize their solutions.. Define execution path including Roadmaps with timeline commitments. You will develop and own the Zendesk Service Platform roadmap, ensuring a balance is met across the various customers who use, develop, and configure our products.
• Platform Development: Execute against the roadmap working with other leads (Application, Omnichannel, Foundation, Architecture and the AI teams).
• AI Transformation: Service is at the forefront of a major shift in technology with the recent developments in AI and Large Language Models. You will lead the transformation of our Service Platform, with AI at the center, so Zendesk customers are able to fully leverage and integrate with automated, agent workflows and services.
• Team: You will build, manage, and develop the Platform Product Development team, which includes Software Engineering and Product Management. Build a data-driven, performance culture.
• Partnerships: Work with our technology partners to drive value and new functionality to our customers.

DESIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• At least 10+ years leading and managing Software Engineers and Product Managers
• Familiarity with AI - LLMs, MCP, A2A, and related technologies
• Previous experience developing SaaS software products as a product owner
• Ability to drive product vision and strategy for customer-facing platform features and capabilities
• Experience developer ecosystems - tools / communities and integrations
• Experience with cloud platforms and services
• Data integration and application extensibility
• You know how to get things done in a global organization working across functions and multiple time zones.
• You have experience developing and growing partnership programs with highly engaged, successful partners and 3rd party ISVs.
• You’ve built and managed high performing teams and are comfortable with both direct and indirect lines of management.
• You’re great at taking complex technology and making it simple for customers to understand and use.
• You write and speak in a clear and compelling manner.
• You’re ready to make an immediate impact.
• A university degree in Computer Science or related field

The US annualized base salary range for this position is $245,000.00-$367,000.00. 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.

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 [email protected] with your specific accommodation request.