Sr. Director, Global Startups Business

Job Description

Position Summary:
The Sr. Director, Global Startups Marketing will drive Zendesk’s growth within the startup ecosystem on a global scale. This high-impact role focuses on building and leading a team of marketers dedicated to establishing strategic partnerships with top venture capital firms, accelerators, incubators, and other key players in the startup community. You will position Zendesk as the preferred customer experience platform for startups, fostering new customer acquisition and supporting the journey from initial engagement to long-term paid customer conversion.

In this role, you will develop and execute tailored marketing programs and offers that meet the unique needs of startups. Through high-touch events, targeted campaigns, and strategic programs, you will raise awareness, build trust, and drive engagement. Additionally, you will oversee end-to-end marketing strategies that maximize acquisition channels and showcase the full value of Zendesk’s offerings to startups from day one.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystem Development

  • Cultivate and strengthen partnerships with top VCs, accelerators, incubators, and other startup-focused entities globally.

  • Establish Zendesk as a trusted advisor and key partner for startups through co-marketing programs with ecosystem partners.

• Global Marketing Programs

  • Lead and design startup-focused marketing programs, events, and offers that increase brand awareness, engage startup audiences, and accelerate conversion.

  • Execute targeted campaigns, webinars, and events tailored for high-growth startups to support customer acquisition and retention.

• Team Leadership and Development

  • Build, mentor, and lead a global team of marketing professionals, promoting a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability.

  • Guide the team on best practices, enhance team performance, and foster a high-performance environment.

• Awareness, Trust, and Brand Positioning

  • Amplify Zendesk’s brand presence in the startup community, ensuring Zendesk remains top-of-mind as startups evaluate customer experience platforms.

  • Drive brand credibility through strategic storytelling, thought leadership, and advocacy programs targeting founders and early-stage companies.

• Performance Measurement and Optimization

  • Define and monitor KPIs, regularly optimizing strategies and campaigns to maximize results and ensure a strong ROI.

  • Utilize analytics and data-driven insights to refine program effectiveness, improve campaign performance, and enhance pipeline impact.

Qualifications:

• Proven record of driving startup engagement and growth through partnerships, marketing programs, or acquisition channels.

• Extensive experience in growth marketing, ecosystem development, and strategic partnerships within tech or startup sectors.

• Demonstrated leadership in building and leading globally distributed marketing teams with a focus on performance and accountability.

• Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, with a deep understanding of the startup landscape and ecosystem.

Impact and Opportunity:
In this role, you will be instrumental in expanding Zendesk’s presence within the startup community, driving brand affinity and customer growth. As the Sr. Director of Global Startups Growth Marketing, you will shape Zendesk’s strategy for engaging and converting high-potential startups, establishing Zendesk as the go-to customer experience solution for the next wave of market disruptors.

The US annualized base salary range for this position is $227,000.00-$341,000.00. 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.

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.