Senior Manager, Startup Marketing

Job Description

About Zendesk for Startups

Zendesk for Startups empowers startups to scale and thrive by delivering best-in-class customer experience solutions. With over 160,000 customers globally, we’ve supported trailblazing companies such as Slack, Uber, Instacart, Coinbase, Nubank, Limebike, and Deliveroo from their earliest stages. Our mission is to drive sustainable startup growth through strategic partnerships, vibrant community engagement, and innovative go-to-market programs.

About the Role

As the Group Manager, Startup Marketing, you will own the vision and execution of Zendesk for Startups’ global marketing strategy. You will be responsible for building and leading a high-performing marketing team that creates scalable frameworks, integrated campaigns, and virtual events that the broader field marketing teams can localize and execute at a high quality across regions. This also includes managing the Zendesk for Startups messaging, social media, customer stories, and cross-functional work with PR. 

This strategic role acts as the critical driver behind how Zendesk for Startups manifests its brand, generates pipeline, and deepens startup ecosystem engagement worldwide. As this is a new and evolving function, you will bring the knowledge, skills, and entrepreneurial mindset required to build the marketing plan from the ground up and execute it with impact. We seek a dynamic leader who thrives in ambiguity and will push beyond business-as-usual to develop innovative, disruptive marketing strategies that set Zendesk for Startups apart in the competitive ecosystem landscape.

What You’ll Do

• Manage, mentor, and inspire a team of Regional Marketing Managers, driving experimentation, innovation, and localization across multiple global markets.
• Lead the planning and seamless execution of startup events integrated within Zendesk flagship events such as Relate, Showcase, and the AI Summit.
• Build and lead thought leadership and digital marketing campaigns that position Zendesk for Startups as a leader in the startup ecosystem and drive engagement and pipeline growth.
• Develop scalable, repeatable programming across executive engagements (CxO breakfasts, VC/Enterprise introductions) and other marketing motions globally.
• Support sales teams by aligning marketing programs with regional pipeline goals, enabling sales teams with targeted messaging, and facilitating follow-up strategies.
• Own the social media, PR, and AR strategy for Zendesk for Startups, leveraging platforms to amplify messaging, grow community, and engage startups and partners effectively.
• Own and manage the global marketing calendar and campaign strategy, including always-on programs, paid media, search, display advertising, ABM, and PR motions.
• Grow and cultivate the global startup community through thoughtful event engagement strategies that deepen ecosystem participation and foster brand loyalty.
• Oversee event budgeting, logistics, and onsite management to ensure exceptional execution and high ROI.
• Innovate event formats and experiences by incorporating digital and hybrid event technologies to maximize reach and engagement.

What You Bring

• 8+ years of professional work experience, with proficient marketing functional knowledge, preferably in high-growth SaaS or technology companies with significant startup ecosystem engagement.

• 3+ years of management experience.

• Proven experience managing and scaling marketing teams, especially with global-led, regional- executed models and managing with remote team dynamics.

• Experience executing global marketing plans that incorporate both virtual and large-scale in-person events.

• Strong expertise in campaign management, event marketing, PR, paid media, ABM, social media, and community marketing strategies.

• Exceptional project management and organizational skills with the ability to juggle multiple high-impact initiatives simultaneously.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills—comfortable interfacing with executive leadership, sales teams, and external partners alike.

• Analytical mindset with a track record of using data and metrics to optimize marketing performance.

Nice to Haves

• Experience working in startup programs, accelerators, or venture-backed environments.

• Familiarity with Zendesk products or customer experience software landscape.

• Hands-on experience with marketing automation platforms, CRM, event management platforms, and digital analytics tools.

• Prior experience coordinating PR / AR activities.

Who You Are

You lead with purpose, thrive in dynamic environments, and enjoy building marketing programs that scale globally yet resonate locally. Passionate about the startup ecosystem, you understand the nuances of engaging early-stage companies and the partners that support them. You bring operational rigor combined with creativity and a collaborative spirit that empowers your team and aligns cross-functional partners around shared goals. You are comfortable navigating ambiguity, building processes and campaigns from scratch by anticipating needs and iterating quickly.

#LI-SM12

The US annualized base salary range for this position is $158,000.00-$236,000.00. 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 peopleandplaces@zendesk.com with your specific accommodation request.