Zendesk

Strategy and Operations, Principal, Renewals

Zendesk$178K — $266K *
US-AnywhereRemote in North Carolina, US
Business Services
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7-10+ years in Strategy & Operations within high-growth B2B SaaS environments
  • Deep understanding of the Renewals lifecycle, with specific experience in ARR and churn dynamics
  • Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution
  • High proficiency in Salesforce (SFDC) and forecasting systems like Clari or Gong
  • Strong skills in SQL, Excel/Sheets, and BI tools like Looker or Tableau

Responsibilities

  • Act as primary business partner to the VP of Renewals; provide data-driven recommendations
  • Build and maintain forecasting models for renewals, GRR, and churn
  • Lead the strategic process for setting quarterly and annual renewal targets
  • Improve internal processes for contract negotiation and renewal in Salesforce
  • Leverage AI and analytics to automate forecasting and optimize workflows
  • Consolidate complex data into actionable dashboards for pipeline health

Benefits

  • Opportunity to play a high-impact role within a major tech company
  • Collaborate directly with senior leadership and influence business strategy
  • Work in a domain critical to customer retention and revenue generation
  • Join a team focused on innovative use of technology and data-driven strategies
Full Job Description
Job Description

CXSO Renewals Strategy and Analytics -

About the Role

At Zendesk, we believe the future of customer success is rooted in human connection, driven by insight, and amplified by operational excellence. We are looking for a Strategy & Analytics Partner within our Data and Insights group to serve as the primary architect and orchestrator for our Global Renewals organization.

In this high-impact role, you will be the primary business partner to our VP of Renewals, bridging the gap between frontline renewal management and strategic execution. You aren't just managing tasks; you are designing the "connective tissue" that ensures our Renewals team hits its objectives, Gross Retention Rate (GRR), and revenue outcomes through sophisticated data insights and robust process development. Your focus will be on maximizing the retention of Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), providing deep insights into churn and contraction, and building sophisticated models to set and track targets for GRR and Churn & Contraction (C+C).
Key Responsibilities
  • Strategic Business Partnership: Act as the primary business partner to the VP of Renewals, providing data-driven recommendations to improve retention strategies and global operational efficiency.
  • Forecasting & Modeling: Build and maintain robust forecasting models for renewals, GRR, and C+C. Predict churn and contraction with high accuracy to inform executive decision-making, utilizing systems and tools such as Clari or Gong to drive visibility into the renewal pipeline.
  • Target Setting: Lead the strategic process for setting quarterly and annual renewal targets, ensuring alignment with overall company financial goals and revenue integrity.
  • Process Optimization: Deeply understand and improve internal team processes for contract negotiation and renewal management within Salesforce (SFDC).
  • AI & Technology Integration: Leverage AI and advanced analytical tools to automate forecasting, identify at-risk accounts, and optimize renewal workflows to move from "reactive firefighting" to proactive execution.
  • Data Insights & Ecosystem Integration: Consolidate complex, multi-source data sets into unified, actionable dashboards that provide visibility into pipeline health and attainment.
What You Bring to the Role
  • Experience: 7-10+ years in Strategy & Operations within a high-growth B2B SaaS environment with a multi-product portfolio.
  • Domain Expertise: Deep understanding of the Renewals lifecycle, specifically ARR, GRR, NRR, and churn dynamics, alongside experience in contract negotiation workflows.
  • Strategic Thinker with Operational Rigor: You can balance big-picture goals with the disciplined execution of detailed tasks, translating complex data into clear strategic narratives for executive leadership.
  • Technical Proficiency: High level of comfort with Salesforce (SFDC) for managing renewal cycles. Proficiency in using forecasting systems like Clari or Gong and experience with AI/ML tools for predictive analytics.
  • Systems and Tooling: Proficiency in SQL, Excel/Sheets, and BI tools (Looker or Tableau preferred).
Success Measures
  • Data Visibility: Development of unified reporting and dashboards that provide a "full book of business" view into renewals health and performance metrics.
  • Retention Attainment: Direct contribution to understanding customer needs, bookings attainment, and the consistent retention of ARR.
  • Operational Scalability: Successful global implementation and adoption of standardized renewal workflows that reduce ambiguity and operational silos.

This is a high-impact role at the intersection of technology and customer value. You'll directly enable Zendesk's Renewals team to engage smarter, faster, and more proactively-helping us retain and grow our customer base in 2026 and beyond.

The US annualized base salary range for this position is $178,000.00-$266,000.00. 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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