Principal, Strategy

Job Description We are looking for an experienced Principal for the Zendesk Strategy & Planning team to accelerate Zendesk's transformational strategy and execution plans. This high‑impact role sits at the intersection of data, execution, and growth strategy, influencing company direction and action through data‑based decision making. About You Intellectually curious, always searching for context and insight behind the numbers. Excellent analytical and critical‑thinking skills. Strategic thinker with the ability to see the big picture while attending to granular details. Strong team player with a great work ethic and a desire to exceed expectations. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to communicate across audiences. Motivated self‑starter who thrives in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment. Detail oriented, resourceful, and scrappy. What You’ll Be Doing Partner closely with internal stakeholders to understand business strategies and develop metrics, analyses, and scorecards to evaluate strategy health. Generate strategic insights and translate business priorities (such as AI capability penetration, GRR, CSAT/NPS) into focused analytics agendas and testable hypotheses. Hands‑on analytics and data development: write efficient SQL to extract, transform, and model data across multiple functional domains. Champion actionable viewpoints by forming and testing hypotheses with data on Zendesk’s strategy health. Data storytelling and executive communication: translate complex analyses into crisp, decision‑oriented messages tailored to technical and non‑technical audiences. Develop SQL queries to analyze trends across the buyer journey and identify underlying drivers. Work with cross‑functional teams to surface actionable insights that reinforce strong strategy execution and enable fast pivots when market dynamics warrant a change. Collaborate with the Enterprise Data and Analytics team on technical requirements, metric definitions, and documentation to monitor strategy execution across Zendesk. Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, engineering, or related discipline (or equivalent experience). 8+ years in business strategy, operations, or consulting with a focus on SaaS, AI, and GTM. Strong analytical, modeling, and data storytelling skills. Fluency with Excel/Sheets, BI tools (Looker, Sigma), CRM systems (Salesforce, Gainsight), and use of SQL, Python, and ELT data ops. Demonstrated expertise in advanced analytics and statistical modeling, including predictive modeling, segmentation, and data mining techniques. Excellent communication and collaboration skills. Thrives in ambiguous situations and possesses a proactive problem‑solving attitude. Preferred Qualifications Experience with strategy & planning or program management teams. Experience in AI, ML, or customer experience (CX) domains. Expertise in developing measurement and benchmarking frameworks that directly drive business insights. Experience with data visualization/BI tools (Looker, QuickSight, etc.). Familiarity with big‑data technologies and cloud‑based data platforms (Snowflake, dbt, Airflow). Prior exposure to CRM or customer support data environments is a strong plus. Our Data and Tech Stack ELT & Data Orchestration: Snowflake, dbt, Airflow, Kafka. Machine Learning & Analytics: Python/R, PyTorch, TensorFlow, AWS Batch, EMR for ML pipelines. Visualization: Looker, Tableau. Where We Work Zendesk offers competitive pay, benefits, appealing offices, snacks, and a culture dedicated to enabling conversations and support. We help staff maintain work‑life balance with flexible hours, remote work options, and dynamic parental leave plans. The Social Impact team engages locally with community groups, investing thousands of hours each year. Diversity and inclusion remain core priorities, ensuring the team reflects the world around us and delivers a welcoming experience for all. Location & Hybrid Hybrid work is designed at the team level to give you a rich onsite experience packed with connection, collaboration, learning, and celebration, while also providing flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. The role must attend the local office for part of the week, with the specific in‑office schedule determined by the hiring manager. This position requires the employee to be physically located in Mexico City (CDMX) or Mexico State (Estado de Mexico). EEO Statement 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. Zendesk is an equal opportunity employer. We endeavor to make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans pursuant to applicable federal and state law. If you are based in the United States and would like more information about your EEO rights under the law, please visit the relevant resources. Legal We are an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabled employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans in compliance with applicable law. If you require a reasonable accommodation to apply, please complete the application with our equal employment opportunity accommodations process. #J-18808-Ljbffr