Director, Global Specialist Organization (SM5)
Location: AMER or EMEA - Remote
Hiring Manager: Oliver Nono
Zendesk is seeking a strategic and operationally strong Director to lead and scale our Global Specialist Organization. This role will oversee three high-impact specialist teams: Employee Service (ES), Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), and Workforce Engagement Management (WEM). Each team serves as a trusted advisor group that accelerates adoption, drives value realization, and strengthens retention across our global customer base.
The ideal candidate has deep experience in at least one of these domains, coupled with a proven track record of leading high-performing teams, navigating complex customer environments, and scaling advisory functions that operate across segments, regions, and product surfaces. This leader will guide a global organization of specialists who partner closely with Customer Success, Professional Services, Sales, Renewals, Product, and CX Enablement to deliver consistent, high-quality customer outcomes.
Success in this role requires excellent judgment, the ability to context-switch across products and customer types, strength in cross-functional influence, and a passion for developing specialist talent that elevates the customer experience.
Team Leadership & Organizational Scale
Lead and scale global specialist functions: ES Specialists, CCaaS Specialists, and WEM Specialists, ensuring each operates with strong execution, clear standards, and measurable impact.
Build a unified strategy and operating model for the Specialist Organization while honoring the unique needs of each product vector.
Develop high-performing managers and senior ICs, with a focus on coaching, career development, and talent diversification.
Operational Excellence & Execution
Establish and maintain consistent frameworks for adoption acceleration, value realization, and customer risk mitigation across all specialist teams.
Drive operational rigor through streamlined engagement models, playbooks, workflows, and data-driven performance measurement.
Partner with CX Programs, CX Operations, Analytics teams to define KPIs, dashboards, and processes that ensure effectiveness and scalability.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Influence
Align closely with Core CSMs, Professional Services, Sales, Renewals, and Digital Programs to ensure specialist engagements amplify customer outcomes.
Partner with Productleads across ES, CCaaS, and WEM to share insights, prioritize customer feedback, and influence product strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with CX Enablement to build and deliver enablement programs that scale specialist capabilities to the broader field.
Customer Engagement & Problem Solving
Guide teams in supporting complex customer needs, including multi-department workflows, advanced use cases, and cross-suite adoption.
Influence strategic customer conversations by bringing clarity, structure, and data-driven recommendations.
Ensure specialist teams are equipped to handle a broad range of engagement styles, from high-touch advisory to scaled 1:many programs.
Program & Portfolio Scaling
Partner with Digital Programs to strengthen and expand scaled specialist offerings such as webinars, campaigns, community events, and self-serve content.
Develop segment-specific strategies that enable specialist teams to support customers efficiently across SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise, and Strategic segments.
Ensure alignment with the OCCO operating model, lifecycle strategies, and broader 2026+ customer success ambitions
Build and lead a multi-vector Specialist Organization delivering deep expertise across ES, CCaaS, and WEM.
Establish clear engagement models, operating frameworks, and governance for specialist-led adoption, optimization, and value realization.
Partner with regional and segment leaders to ensure specialist coverage meets customer needs and is optimized for scale.
Guide teams in delivering workshops, discovery sessions, value reviews, QBR content, and executive-level advisory engagements.
Drive strong alignment with Product teams to close gaps, influence roadmaps, and build customer confidence.
Oversee the creation of collateral, playbooks, best practices, and reusable frameworks that elevate specialist performance globally.
Lead capacity planning, hiring strategies, and resource allocation in partnership with Finance and Operations.
Ensure the organization operates with consistency, high accountability, and an outcomes-driven culture.
12+ years of experience in Customer Success, Professional Services, or GTM roles within enterprise SaaS, with at least 5+ years leading high-performing teams.
Deep expertise in at least one of: ITSM/Employee Experience, CCaaS/Contact Center, or WEM/QA/WFM.
Proven success managing global or multi-regional teams, with the ability to operate across cultures, time zones, and customer segments.
Strong strategy and execution skills, with experience scaling specialist or advisory functions in complex environments.
Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional partners including Product, Sales, Professional Services, and Enablement.
Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts into business value for executive and operational audiences.
Strong analytical and operational capabilities, leveraging data and insights to drive decision-making.
Curiosity, adaptability, and the ability to pivot seamlessly between customer conversations, product discussions, and team leadership topics.
Willingness to travel quarterly to global sites.
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 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 peopleandplaces@zendesk.com with your specific accommodation request.