Zendesk

Principal Product Manager, CRM & Sales Systems

Zendesk$183K — $275K *
Enterprise Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of Product Management experience, focusing on GTM systems or CRM platforms.
  • 3+ years at a Principal or Senior level in relevant roles.
  • Deep understanding of B2B sales motions and pipeline management.
  • Strong grasp of enterprise CRM capabilities, particularly Salesforce.
  • Proven experience in a Product/Architecture/Engineering triad model.
  • User-centric mindset with a focus on intuitive experiences.

Responsibilities

  • Own the multi-year product strategy for CRM and sales systems ecosystem.
  • Integrate high-impact AI capabilities into the CRM for improved productivity.
  • Redefine sales workflows with intelligent automation processes.
  • Translate business needs into product requirements while collaborating with tech leads.
  • Act as a bridge between engineering teams and global business stakeholders.
  • Prioritize the product backlog to maximize strategic features and performance.
  • Establish KPIs for system adoption and measure business impact.

Benefits

  • Lead the transformation of GTM technology through innovative solutions and AI.
  • Collaborate with business leaders to influence revenue growth and operational efficiency.
  • Access to a collaborative, forward-thinking tech team.
  • Comprehensive benefits package designed to support employees.
Full Job Description
Job Description

We are seeking a highly strategic and forward-thinking Principal Product Manager for CRM & Sales Systems to drive the vision, strategy, and roadmap for our foundational sales technology stack. In this role, you will be the ultimate owner of the "What" and the "Why," ensuring our CRM ecosystem solves critical business problems, accelerates sales velocity, and empowers our global revenue teams.

You will not be doing this alone. This role operates as part of a critical leadership triad. You will partner deeply with the CRM Architect (who designs the long-term, scalable "How") and the CRM Platform Tech Lead (who drives the day-to-day delivery and execution of the "How"). Together, this trio will pioneer new ways of working, transforming business requirements into a world-class, AI-enhanced CRM experience that fundamentally changes how our sales teams operate.

What You Will Do
  • Define the Vision & Roadmap: Own the multi-year product strategy for our CRM (Salesforce) and broader sales systems ecosystem. Align technology investments directly with global sales and revenue goals.
  • Champion an AI-First Mindset: Identify and integrate high-impact AI capabilities (e.g., generative AI, predictive forecasting, sales copilots, automated data capture) into the CRM to eliminate busywork, surface actionable insights, and make sellers wildly more productive.
  • Drive New Ways of Working: Redefine traditional sales workflows rather than just digitizing them. Challenge the status quo by introducing modern, adaptive processes that leverage intelligent automation to reduce friction.
  • Lead the Triad: Partner closely with the CRM Architect and CRM Platform Tech Lead. You will translate business needs into clear product requirements, while they ensure the solutions are architecturally sound and delivered efficiently.
  • Deep Stakeholder Alignment: Act as the primary bridge between the engineering teams and global business stakeholders (Sales Leadership, Revenue Operations, Enablement, and Marketing).
  • Ruthless Prioritization: Manage and prioritize the product backlog. Balance the delivery of high-value strategic features with the need to address technical debt and system performance.
  • Define & Track Success: Establish clear KPIs for system adoption, user satisfaction, and business impact (e.g., reduced time-to-quote, CRM data hygiene, AI adoption rates).

What You Bring
  • Experience: 8+ years of Product Management experience, with at least 3+ years specifically focused on internal GTM systems, CRM platforms, or Sales Operations at a Principal or Senior level.
  • AI & Innovation Focus: An AI-first mindset with a passion for discovering how emerging technologies can create entirely new ways of working for revenue organizations. You leverage AI not just in the product, but to enhance your own productivity as a PM.
  • Domain Expertise: Deep understanding of B2B sales motions, pipeline management, forecasting, and the Lead-to-Cash lifecycle.
  • Technical Fluency: While you won't be coding, you must possess a strong understanding of enterprise CRM capabilities (specifically Salesforce) and modern AI integrations to have meaningful, productive debates with Architects and Tech Leads.
  • Collaboration Skills: Proven success operating in a Product/Architecture/Engineering triad model. You know how to build healthy tension that results in the best possible outcomes for the business.
  • User-Centric Mindset: A passion for building intuitive, low-friction experiences. You view sales reps and ops teams as your primary customers and obsess over reducing their administrative burden.

Bonus Points
  • Direct experience working in a Sales, RevOps, or Sales Engineering role before transitioning to Product Management.
  • Salesforce Admin or related certifications to demonstrate platform literacy.
  • Proven track record of successfully rolling out an AI product or copilot feature to a large internal sales team.


Why Join Us?
  • Lead the transformation of our GTM technology through innovative solutions, AI, and scalable execution.
  • Work closely with business leaders and engineering teams to directly impact revenue growth and operational efficiency.
  • Be part of a collaborative, forward-thinking tech team with access to the latest enterprise tools and frameworks.
  • Enjoy a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you in and out of the office.


The US annualized base salary range for this position is $183,000.00-$275,000.00. 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.

About Zendesk

Zendesk is a customer service software company headquartered in San Francisco, California, USA. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the symbol ZEN and is a constituent of the Russell 2000 Index. The company provides a cloud-based customer support platform which allows quicker and easier interaction between businesses and customers. Zendesk has over 4,000 employees and serves 150,000 customers in 160 countries. The company was founded in 2007 by Mikkel Svane, Morten Primdahl, and Alexander Aghassipour.
Learn more about Zendesk
Size
2,570 employees
Market Cap
$10.3 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$218.1 million
Founded
2007
5 Year Trend
+33.7%
Revenue
$1 billion
NASDAQ

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