Senior Manager, IT Strategic Planning

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We are seeking a Senior Manager, IT Strategic Planning to join our dynamic CIO Team. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in driving the strategic direction of the company-wide IT projects portfolio, influencing strategic technology and data initiatives, and ensuring alignment with existing business objectives and our target architectures.

The IT Strategic Planning Manager will report directly to the Director of CIO Portfolio and Programs and will collaborate closely with senior leadership including our VP of CIO Strategy, Operations, and Architecture to optimize our IT Portfolio and ensure its alignment with our organizationâs strategies and objectives. The IT Strategic Planning Manager will supervise and manage a team of IT Portfolio professionals. In this role, you will lead the evolution, implementation, and governance of our portfolio standards and processes, enabling fact-based decisions on investments across our entire project portfolio. You will also be responsible for defining requirements for and driving creation and management of comprehensive reports for our IT executives and leadership teams.  

Zendeskâs CIO Team is a worldwide organization, and has identified Mexico City as a strategic location for growth.  The IT Strategic Planning Manager will build connection and community while integrating Zendesk culture and practices as we continue to grow our teams in Mexico City.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Strategic Leadership: Lead the IT portfolio's strategic direction, communicating to and across portfolio teams regarding risk and return, and ensuring alignment with overall company strategy.

• Develop and implement strategic IT plans in alignment with the organization's objectives and priorities.

• Partner on the annual IT budgeting process, working closely with finance and senior leadership to allocate resources effectively.

• Identify opportunities for portfolio and planning process improvement and optimization within IT.  Together with CIO leaders create and manage a roadmap of planning and portfolio process maturation initiatives based on priority.  Work cross functionally within IT and across the enterprise to execute process improvements.

• Collaborate with key stakeholders to understand business requirements and translate them into IT initiatives.

• Provide leadership and guidance to the IT planning team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Monitor and report on the progress of IT initiatives, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with established goals and objectives.

• Manage tooling excellence in our portfolio management systems and ensure seamless integration across processes and tools.

• Support the Planning team and our CIO organization in decision-making with up-to-date and relevant portfolio data insights.

• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and industry trends, providing recommendations for their integration into the organization's IT strategy.

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with vendors, partners, and other external stakeholders.

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.

• Proven experience in IT planning, strategic planning, and project management, preferably in a senior role.

• Strong understanding of IT governance frameworks, best practices, and industry standards.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically and drive results.

• Demonstrated leadership and team-building skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire others.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively interact with stakeholders at all levels of the organization and articulate complex technical terms to non-technical stakeholders.

• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong understanding of financial principles related to IT investments, budgeting, and cost modeling.

• Expertise in project management methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, or Lean.

• Exceptional analytical, strategic thinking, and decision-making skills.

• Certification in Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP), Project Management Professional (PMP), or equivalent is highly preferred.

Where We Work
Zendesk is not your average tech company. We have all the stuff youâd 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.

Please note that anyone hired into this position must be physically located in and plan to work from Mexico City (CDMX) or Mexico State (Estado de Mexico).

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.

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.

About Zendesk - Champions of Customer Service

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. We advocate for digital first customer experiencesâand we stick with it in our workplace. Over 5,000 employees worldwide have the flexibility to choose where they work. The fact is, we know great work happens anywhere. Whether youâre collaborating from your home office, a Zendesk workspace, or the kitchen table, youâre part of one team at Zendesk.

Zendesk is an equal opportunity employer, and weâre 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.