Senior People Partner

Zendesk•Washington, DC

1d•$157,000 - $235,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Join us at Zendesk, where we're on a mission to power exceptional service for every person on the planet. We're accelerating that ambition by building products rooted in AI, automation, and intelligent customer experiences, because behind every interaction lies an opportunity to make a human connection. We’re looking for a strategic, hands-on Sr. HR Business Partner to support our Product Development organization. In this role, you’ll partner with leaders to build healthy, high-performing teams and translate business priorities into practical people plans that help Zendesk build great products, move with focus, and grow sustainably.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive HR Business Partner or People Partner experience, including 3+ years supporting senior leaders in a fast-paced technology or SaaS environment.
Experience supporting Product, Engineering, Design, Data, or other technical organizations, with an understanding of the operating rhythms and talent needs of product development teams.
Strong business acumen and a track record of connecting organization and talent decisions to business outcomes.
Demonstrated experience leading organizational design, workforce planning, talent reviews, performance cycles, and change initiatives.
Sound judgment in navigating sensitive employee relations, performance, and leadership matters; you know when to coach, when to challenge, and when to bring in the right partners.
Confidence using qualitative and quantitative people insights to influence decisions, tell a clear story, and measure impact.
A collaborative, direct, and empathetic approach that builds trust with leaders, employees, and cross-functional partners.
Comfort working in an AI-enabled workplace, using approved AI tools thoughtfully to improve efficiency and insight while applying human judgment and protecting confidential information.
8+ years of HR Business Partner, People Partner, or equivalent strategic HR experience.
3+ years partnering directly with director- and VP-level leaders in a technology, SaaS, or similarly fast-moving environment.
Experience supporting organizations of 300+ employees through growth, organizational change, or transformation.
Demonstrated expertise in organizational design, talent management, performance management, employee relations, and workforce planning.
Ability to use AI-enabled tools responsibly to improve the speed and quality of work, validate outputs, understand limitations, and follow approved privacy and data-security practices.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting Product Development organizations, including Engineering, Product Management, Product Design, Data, or AI-focused teams.
Experience in a global, distributed company and working across multiple employment jurisdictions.
Experience leading enterprise-wide people programs or scaling people practices during periods of significant organizational change.
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Psychology, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

Partner with senior Product Development leaders to shape people strategies that support business goals, organizational health, and long-term growth.
Coach leaders through organizational design, workforce planning, talent planning, team effectiveness, and change across a distributed product organization.
Use people data, business context, and employee feedback to identify trends, diagnose root causes, and recommend clear, practical actions.
Lead complex talent conversations, including performance management, succession planning, employee relations, and development planning, with sound judgment and care.
Collaborate with Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, People Operations, Learning & Development, Employee Relations, and Legal to deliver consistent, scalable people solutions.
Help leaders create inclusive, accountable team cultures where people understand priorities, receive meaningful feedback, and can do their best work.
Guide leaders through change with thoughtful communication, strong stakeholder management, and a focus on employee experience.
Improve People Partner practices and operating rhythms for the Product Development People Team.