Job Description
Job Summary:
The Sr. Manager of Operations will serve as the operational backbone for the Product-Led Growth (PLG) and Online Self-Service Business Unit, overseeing annual planning, budget management, operational cadences (e.g., MBRs, QBRs), and cross-functional governance. This leader will ensure seamless execution of operational strategies across Performance Marketing, Website Optimization, Digital Sales, eCommerce, and Scaled Programs.
In this role, you will lead an operations team, drive accountability across planning cycles, and ensure alignment between strategic priorities and day-to-day execution. The ideal candidate has a deep background in business operations, thrives in complex environments, and excels at building scalable frameworks to drive efficiency and clarity across cross-functional teams.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Planning & Governance:
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Lead annual planning and quarterly business planning (QBRs) processes, partnering with cross-functional stakeholders to set objectives, define priorities, and allocate resources effectively.
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Own the budget management process, tracking spend, optimizing investments, and ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
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Drive and facilitate Monthly Business Reviews (MBRs), Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), and Executive/Board level presentations, delivering clear structured updates on performance, risks, and opportunities.
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Build and maintain governance structures to track strategic initiatives, dependencies, and milestones across teams.
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Partner with Finance and Leadership to ensure transparency and alignment on resource allocation, budget utilization, and investment priorities.
Operational Excellence:
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Design and implement scalable operational frameworks to improve workflows, optimize resource allocation, and ensure alignment across teams.
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Lead the creation and management of operational dashboards to monitor critical business metrics, track team performance, and identify bottlenecks.
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Establish and maintain standardized process documentation and playbooks for recurring operational tasks and key workflows.
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Proactively identify gaps in operational processes and develop solutions to drive efficiency and better outcomes.
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Collaborate with IT and Data teams to ensure systems and tools are optimized for operational needs.
Program Management & Execution:
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Oversee key cross-functional initiatives, ensuring they are executed on time, within scope, and aligned with business objectives.
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Drive project prioritization and resource planning across key programs, balancing long-term goals with short-term priorities.
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Create and maintain operational roadmaps to ensure clarity and alignment across teams on priorities, dependencies, and timelines.
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Act as the central point of contact for operational updates, escalations, and decision-making across critical programs.
Leadership & Team Management:
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Lead and mentor an Operations team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
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Set clear goals and expectations for team members, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
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Provide coaching, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to enable team members to thrive.
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Champion a culture of operational excellence across the broader Online Business team.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
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Serve as a key liaison between Marketing, Product, Sales, Finance, and IT teams to ensure seamless execution of operational priorities.
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Partner with Sr. Manager of Analytics to integrate data-driven insights into operational strategies and planning processes.
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Ensure alignment across teams through clear communication, regular check-ins, and structured operational cadences.
Qualifications:
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7+ years of experience in Operations, Program Management, or Business Strategy, with a strong focus on annual planning, budget management, and business reviews (MBRs, QBRs) in a SaaS or Product-Led Growth (PLG) environment.
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Experience with marketing funnel reporting and key industry metrics, such as website sessions, MQLs, pipeline, conversion rates, and bookings
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3+ years of experience managing and developing teams, with a track record of building high-performing operations teams.
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Proven expertise in business planning cycles, including annual and quarterly planning, resource allocation, and budget oversight.
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Experience in building and running operational governance frameworks (e.g., QBRs, MBRs).
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Proficiency with Salesforce, Tableau, JIRA, Asana, or similar operational tools.
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Strong experience in program management and cross-functional coordination across large, complex organizations.
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Exceptional organizational, communication, and leadership skills, with a talent for driving alignment across diverse stakeholders.
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High degree of comfort with financial modeling, budget tracking, and operational forecasting.
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Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Finance, or a related field (MBA is a plus).
Why Zendesk:
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A dynamic, inclusive workplace where your contributions make a difference.
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Opportunities to drive high-impact initiatives across a global organization.
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A supportive culture focused on career growth, collaboration, and operational excellence.
The US annualized base salary range for this position is $170,000.00-$254,000.00. 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 will be based on job related capabilities, applicable experience, and other factors such as work location. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only (or OTE for commissions based roles), and do not include bonus, benefits, or related incentives.
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