Principal Program Manager - Mergers & Acquisitions

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced and highly skilled Principal Program Manager with expertise in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) integrations to join our IT organization. The successful candidate will play a critical role in driving the strategic direction of systems and software integrations and migrations, ensuring alignment with Zendesk’s business objectives.

The Principal Program Manager, M&A Integrations will partner with Zendesk’s corporate development/strategy team and collaborate across the enterprise to build a world-class acquisition and integration machine. This role will report directly to the VP, CIO Strategy, Operations, and Architecture and work closely with the CIO Leadership Team to identify strategy and tactics on a deal-by-deal basis. You will be responsible for building a comprehensive playbook for Mergers & Acquisitions Integration for the CIO organization, leveraging industry best practices and existing processes at Zendesk**.**

Your responsibilities will include:

• Strategic Leadership: Partner with Zendesk’s corporate development/strategy team and across the enterprise to build a world-class acquisition and integration machine at Zendesk.
• CIO Partnership: Be the point person from CIO, working with the CIO Leadership Team to identify strategy and tactics on a deal-by-deal basis.
• Playbook Development: Build a playbook for Mergers & Acquisitions Integration for the CIO organization, leveraging industry best practices and existing processes and playbooks at Zendesk, including engagement models, repeatable processes, and growth in maturity.
• Business Enablement:Support business to unlock IT as a dependency for business decisions and integration activities
• Process Improvement: Prioritize areas for improvement and create a roadmap for integration capabilities for CIO, in partnership with the M&A community at Zendesk.
• Deal Execution: Contribute to deal execution, including managing contingent resources where necessary. Identify and execute on supplemental projects (e.g. synergy capture) that follow an initial workstream. Partner across functions including Finance to identify challenges and build systems, processes, and tools to support ongoing M&A efforts.
• Performance Metrics: Identify and set key OKRs and KPIs related to CIO’s role for integration, especially related to time to integrate across multiple dimensions.
• Resource Management: Negotiate within the CIO team to identify resource commitments in support of deal execution.
• Status Reporting: Provide regular updates to the CIO and beyond on the CIO integration process and status.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner with Finance and Enterprise Architecture teams to ensure vendor survey, technology overlay, and roadmaps are rationalized from both strategic and tactical perspectives.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field. A master’s degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in program management, with at least 3 years focused on Mergers & Acquisitions integrations.
• Experience in IT systems and software integrations and migrations, with a strong understanding of software platforms, SaaS, and architecture.
• Proven track record of building and implementing playbooks and standardized processes, ideally for M&A integrations.
• Deep understanding of industry best practices in M&A and integration processes.
• Strong strategic thinking and decision-making skills, with the ability to prioritize and create roadmaps for integration capabilities.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex topics succinctly, including for executive audiences.
• Experience in setting and managing OKRs and KPIs related to integration efforts, along with experience defining dashboards and scorecards.
• Proven ability to manage resources and negotiate commitments within cross-functional teams.
• Certification in Program Management Professional (PgMP), Project Management Professional (PMP), or equivalent is preferred.

Where We Work
Zendesk is not your average tech company. We have all the stuff you’d expect - competitive pay, benefits, appealing offices, snacks, and more. We also have a culture deeply dedicated to enabling conversations and providing appreciative support. We help our staff keep work-life balance, from flexible hours to remote work, to the most dynamic parental leave plans on the market. Our Social Impact team is actively engaged in our community and enables us to invest thousands of hours with local community groups each year. We invest in diversity and inclusion so that our team reflects the diversity of the world around us. We have a whole crew dedicated to ensuring our workplace experience is top notch and welcoming for all.

Please note that anyone hired into this position must be physically located in and plan to work from Mexico City (CDMX) or Mexico State (Estado de Mexico).

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.

Hybrid: In this role, our hybrid experience is designed at the team level to give you a rich onsite experience packed with connection, collaboration, learning, and celebration - while also giving you flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. This role must attend our local office for part of the week. The specific in-office schedule is to be determined by the hiring manager.

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. We advocate for digital first customer experiences—and we stick with it in our workplace. Over 5,000 employees worldwide are collaborating from kitchen tables, home offices, coworking spaces, and Zendesk workspaces to make one team.

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.