Zendesk Specialist (Custom Development & UI), CPX OPERATIONS

At Nielsen, we are passionate about our work to power a better media future for all people by providing powerful insights that drive client decisions and deliver extraordinary results. Our talented, global workforce is dedicated to capturing audience engagement with content - wherever and whenever it’s consumed. Together, we are proudly rooted in our deep legacy as we stand at the forefront of the media revolution. When you join Nielsen, you will join a dynamic team committed to excellence, perseverance, and the ambition to make an impact together. We champion you, because when you succeed, we do too. We enable your best to power our future.

ABOUT GRACENOTE

Gracenote is an entertainment data and technology provider powering the world’s top music services, automakers, cable and satellite operators, and consumer electronics companies. At its core, Gracenote helps people find, discover and connect with the entertainment they love. Daily, Gracenote processes 35 Billion rows of data and is quickly becoming a world-leader in return-path “big data.” Over the past 2 years, the company has grown to more than 1800 employees in 20 countries, including over 400 of the world’s top engineers with a passion for music, video, sports, and entertainment technology.

ROLE OVERVIEW

As a Zendesk Custom Development & UI Specialist, you will move beyond standard out-of-the-box setups to take total ownership of the engineering, frontend customization, and optimization of our Zendesk ecosystem. You will build bespoke user interfaces, design dynamic custom forms, write advanced client-side scripts for data validation, and seamlessly embed Zendesk functionalities directly into our Core Products. Acting as a crucial bridge between CPX Operations, Product, and Core Engineering, you will ensure our service touchpoints are highly technical, secure, and uniquely tailored.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Custom Development & UI/UX Engineering

• Tailored Product Interfaces: Own the frontend design and custom layouts of the Zendesk Help Center (Guide), agent workspaces, and custom apps, ensuring seamless visual and functional consistency with Gracenote’s product branding.

• Bespoke Application Development: Architect, develop, and maintain custom applications utilizing the Zendesk Apps Framework (ZAF v2) to add advanced capabilities that native configurations do not support.

• Dynamic Custom Forms: Build and maintain intelligent, multi-layered ticket and request forms embedded with conditional logic to cleanly capture technical datasets from global customers.

• Scripted Custom Validations: Author robust client-side and server-side scripts (JavaScript/TypeScript) to implement rigorous custom data validations on form submissions, ensuring data integrity before ticket routing.

Advanced Architecture & Scripting

• Programmable Solutions: Architect “outside-the-box” solutions using Zendesk REST APIs, Webhooks, and Sunshine Profiles/Objects to handle complex data relationships.

• Scripted Automations: Write script-based routines (e.g., Node.js, Python) to handle complex bulk migrations, cross-system data manipulation, and automated event triggers where native business rules fall short.

• Deep Tech Stack Integration: Build, monitor, and scale bi-directional pipeline integrations between Zendesk and engineering tools like Jira, ServiceNow, and enterprise platforms to eliminate data friction.

Product Collaboration & Release Management

• Technical Requirement Translation: Function as the primary technical point-of-contact, translating operational requirements from product and support leads into clear frontend code and programmatic logic.

• Environment & Release Governance: Manage development lifecycles across Sandbox, staging, and production environments. Oversee deployment pipelines, code reviews, and comprehensive User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for all custom scripts and templates.

• Feedback Loop Optimization: Partner directly with Core Product Teams to ingest feedback from Zendesk custom apps and validation data to streamline customer-facing tools in subsequent sprint cycles.

• Experience Baseline: 10+ years of overall technical experience, with 8+ years focused in an enterprise or multi-brand Zendesk development/architecture capacity.

• Core Scripting Languages: Advanced proficiency in JavaScript (ES6+) or TypeScript, HTML5, and CSS3/SASS. Deep hands-on experience utilizing modern frontend libraries (e.g., React.js or Vue.js) to build custom web applications.

• Backend & Automation Scripting: Strong capability in writing scripts via Node.js or Python to handle automation tasks, API queries, and data extraction.

• API Mastery: Proven track record of interacting heavily with the Zendesk REST API ecosystem, Zendesk Apps Framework (ZAF), and building custom webhooks.

• Database & Query Skills: Proficiency in SQL for retrieving and manipulating complex historical platform data.

• Integration Expertise: Demonstrated ability architecting secure integrations between Zendesk and engineering toolsets (Jira, ServiceNow) using middleware or custom scripts.

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a highly related technical field.

BONUS POINTS:

• Zendesk Certified App Developer or Zendesk Certified Support Administrator.

• Experience working in Git/GitHub for version controlling custom Zendesk themes and application code.

Please be aware that job-seekers may be at risk of targeting by scammers seeking personal data or money. Nielsen recruiters will only contact you through official job boards, LinkedIn, or email with a nielsen.com domain. Be cautious of any outreach claiming to be from Nielsen via other messaging platforms or personal email addresses. Always verify that email communications come from an @nielsen.com address. If you're unsure about the authenticity of a job offer or communication, please contact Nielsen directly through our official website or verified social media channels.