Senior Engineering Manager, Machine Learning

Zendesk’s people have one goal in mind: to make Customer Experience better. Our products help more than 125,000 global brands (AirBnb, Uber, JetBrains, Slack, among others) make their billions of customers happy, every day.

Our Enterprise Machine Learning team leads the charge in transforming data into actionable intelligence, empowering business teams to make data-driven decisions and enhancing our enterprise capabilities through cutting-edge AI and ML.

We are seeking a Senior Machine Learning Manager to drive the vision, design, and implementation of scalable machine learning and generative AI (LLM) systems. In this role, you’ll provide technical leadership in system architecture, manage and mentor a high-performing team, and proactively engage business stakeholders to ensure the success and relevance of ML initiatives across Zendesk.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Design & Architecture of ML Systems:
  Architect, implement, and oversee scalable machine learning and LLM solutions, focusing on robust system design that meets the business's evolving needs.

• Drive ML Productization at Scale:
  Partner closely with ML engineers, data scientists, analysts, product managers, and business stakeholders to deliver high-quality, production-ready AI features and models at enterprise scale.

• Team Leadership and Development:
  Manage and mentor a team of talented ML engineers and data scientists, fostering a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Stakeholder Engagement:
  Act as a trusted advisor and thought leader, proactively engaging business units to identify opportunities where ML and LLMs can drive value. Prioritize initiatives that align with business goals, and ensure clarity and alignment across all teams.

• Communication & Advocacy:
  Distill complex ML and system architecture concepts into clear, actionable insights for technical and non-technical audiences. Promote best practices and drive organizational learning in machine learning and AI.

• MLOps & Continuous Delivery:
  Champion best practices for ML systems (including MLOps, CI/CD for models, data contracts, monitoring, and automation), and stay ahead with the latest advancements in cloud, data engineering, and AI/ML infrastructure (e.g., AWS, Snowflake, dbt).

• System Reliability & Compliance:
  Oversee instrumentation, monitoring, and compliance measures to guarantee system reliability, data integrity, security, and adherence to industry standards.

About You

• Proven Technical Leadership:
  5+ years of experience in a machine learning, data science, or ML engineering role (with 2+ years in a leadership/managerial capacity). Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or related field; advanced degree preferred.

• Expertise in ML System Design:
  Deep knowledge of statistical modeling, large-scale machine learning, and modern LLM stack implementation. Proficiency with deployment, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and automation pipelines.

• Enterprise-Scale Project Delivery:
  Demonstrated experience architecting and deploying machine learning systems that scale, preferably on cloud platforms (AWS, Snowflake).

• Business Acumen:
  Strong record of translating analytical insights into impactful business actions. Able to partner effectively with non-technical stakeholders, understanding and anticipating their needs.

• MLOps Mastery:
  Familiarity with leading MLOps tools and best practices (CI/CD for ML, system monitoring, data contracts, automation).

• Technical Skills:
  Proficiency with Python. Skilled in large dataset processing, data pipeline design, and modern data stack (e.g., dbt, Astronomer).

• Outstanding Communication:
  Adept at simplifying complex technical ideas and inspiring cross-functional teams to adopt advanced analytical methods and AI capabilities.

• Thought Leadership:
  Recognized as an innovator and advocate, with a continuous passion for staying ahead of the AI/ML curve and influencing Zendesk's technology roadmap.

Why Zendesk?

• Work on impactful projects at a global scale with billions of end-users.

• Collaborate with top-tier ML and data talent in a supportive, innovative environment.

• Lead in shaping the future of AI-driven customer experience.

• Competitive compensation, benefits, and career growth opportunities.

Are you ready to lead the next evolution in scalable AI at Zendesk? Apply now and shape the future of Customer Experience.

#LI-JH1

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.

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.

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 [email protected] with your specific accommodation request.