German Speaking Senior Engagement Manager

Job Title: Senior Engagement Manager Job Description: Zendesk Professional Services is focused on maximising the impact and value of Zendesk software for both existing and new customers.  The Professional Services team works on projects across EMEA with customers of all sizes, from Commercial to Enterprise. Engagements range from new customer implementations, focused on delivering Zendesk at scale and transforming existing CX operations, to working with existing customers to further customise and enhance their use of Zendesk.  A Senior Engagement Manager at Zendesk plays a pivotal role in driving the success of our most complex and high-value customer implementation projects. The role involves leading complex, large-scale implementation programmes across EMEA, from mobilisation through to go-live and transition.  The role requires a strong balance of leadership, excellent communication skills and advanced project and programme management capabilities. You will lead distributed, cross-functional teams, influence senior customer stakeholders and steer complex engagements towards agreed customer outcomes. You should be a strong problem solver, able to manage competing priorities, make sound decisions and maintain momentum in ambiguous and time-sensitive situations.  You will also need strong technical fluency across CX and AI solutions, with the ability to use this understanding to shape delivery plans, minimise risks, challenge assumptions and understand the solution being delivered.  Part of the role will focus on improving our delivery methodologies as Zendesk’s product evolves, helping us deliver customer value more consistently, efficiently and at scale.

Lead large, complex and commercially significant implementation programmes for Zendesk’s customers from mobilisation through to go-live Deliver to agreed customer outcomes, milestones and commercial commitments  Translate customer business objectives into measurable delivery outcomes to ensure projects focus on adoption, operational readiness and value realisation, beyond just technical implementation and project commercials  Apply strong technical fluency, to understand SaaS products, CX and AI solutions, integrations, data migration, voice, reporting and analytics, technical dependencies, custom applications and configuration. Use this understanding, not to deliver those project components, but to shape delivery plans, identify risks, challenge assumptions and support sound customer decisions. Coordinate multiple workstreams, cross-functional delivery teams, internal specialists, partners and subcontractors, ensuring roles, capacity, responsibilities and dependencies are clear and actively managed  Establish appropriate programme governance, including delivery cadence, executive reporting, RAID management, decision tracking and escalation paths. Anticipate delivery risks and lead a solution-oriented approach to resolving them quickly  Act as the senior delivery connector across Professional Services, Pre-sales, Sales, Customer Success, Product and other internal teams, ensuring that commitments made during the sales process translate into deliverable plans and successful customer outcomes Manage and influence stakeholders at all levels, from system administrators and SMEs to C-suite leaders, including customers, internal teams and delivery partners  Take ownership of escalations and associated recovery plans  Shape delivery standards to continually improve Professional Services operations at Zendesk  Operate with a high degree of autonomy and be able to make sound recommendations and decisions in ambiguous situations  Maintain strong commercial control of assigned engagements, including budget, margin, forecasting, scope, assumptions, change control and revenue performance  Identify opportunities to extend or expand services engagements and partner with Sales and Customer Success on appropriate follow-on work, while