Senior Director, Strategy & Planning

Job Description

We are looking for a highly experienced and visionary Senior Director of Strategy & Planning to drive the direction of our company via strategy development, planning and OKRs. This role is crucial for guiding our long-term business planning, identifying growth opportunities, and ensuring alignment across all business units. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the tech industry, strong leadership capabilities, and a proven track record of successfully developing and executing strategic initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategy Development: Lead a cross-functional group of leaders in developing our long term company strategy, identifying how we will navigate and capitalize on key opportunities, threads, trends and competitors.

• Strategic Planning: Lead the planning process to deliver on the company’s long-term strategy, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives and market trends.

• Market Landscape & Opportunity: Partner with Market Intelligence function to produce a market landscape & opportunity analysis that serves our strategic planning efforts. Provide relevant inputs about key strategic questions that need answering.

• Annual Planning: lead the Annual Planning effort determining how we approach planning and facilitating the process so it is easy, cross-functional and sets us up to execute well.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborate with senior leadership and department heads to align strategic initiatives across all business units, ensuring a cohesive execution plan.

• OKRs & Performance Management: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to track the success of strategic initiatives. Own methodology we use and ongoing use across the company.

• Executive Communication: Present strategic plans, progress, and insights to the executive team, and other key stakeholders.

• Team Leadership: Lead a small but mighty high-performing strategy and planning team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in strategic planning, strategy development, or a related role within the tech industry.

• Proven track record of developing and executing successful business strategies that drive growth and profitability.

• Strong understanding of the technology landscape, including emerging trends, market dynamics, and competitive pressures.

• Exceptional leadership and team management skills, with experience leading cross-functional teams.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.

• Superior communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.

• Experience leading executive workshops on strategy and planning.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a strong focus on results.

Why Join Us?

• Play a key role in shaping the future of Zendesk with significant impact.

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

• Flexible work arrangements, including remote and hybrid options.

• Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.

• Collaborative, innovative, and inclusive company culture.

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.

The US annualized base salary range for this position is $204,000.00-$306,000.00. 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