Vice President, Total Rewards

Job Description Vice President, Total Rewards – senior executive responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive total rewards strategy, including compensation, benefits, equity, accommodations and compliance across Zendesk’s global operations. The role defines enterprise standards, leverages automation and AI to scale delivery, and provides leadership and board‑level insights on people risk and pay strategy. Responsibilities Design and govern competitive compensation, equity and benefits programs (base, variable, sales compensation) informed by benchmarking, pay‑equity analysis and cost modeling. Partner with Executive Leadership to design and administer executive compensation programs—base pay, short‑ and long‑term incentives, bonuses and commissions that drive company performance. Drive adoption of AI and analytics tools to automate compensation analysis, surface pay equity insights, model scenario impacts and reduce manual, error‑prone processes. Simplify and reduce complexity in total rewards operations—rationalize policies, eliminate redundant processes, establish clear governance and scale support into the Employee Services team. Own executive presentations and board materials on total rewards strategy, benchmarking results and gap remediation progress. Mentor and develop a high‑performance Total Rewards team. Qualifications 12+ years of progressive HR experience with deep total rewards and executive compensation expertise; at least 7 years in senior/global leadership or equivalent scope. Proven experience designing and operating enterprise compensation, equity and benefits programs at global, complex SaaS or comparable technology companies. Experience implementing or leading selection/governance of HR automation and AI‑enabled solutions. Data‑driven operator comfortable with people analytics, HRIS and compensation/benefits platforms to measure and iterate program impact. Strong collaborative executive ability to influence and partner with cross‑functional stakeholders (Legal, Finance, TA, Technology) and communicate with senior leadership. Experience creating board materials and presenting succinctly to C‑suite and Boards. Experience leading within private, PE‑backed firms and public companies. Strong track record managing multi‑jurisdictional compliance issues. Preferred Qualifications Experience with SaaS/AI/technology companies or high‑growth enterprises. Experience with Workday. Experience managing benefits negotiations and renewals. Ownership of global equity programs and sales compensation programs. AI literacy, including evaluating vendors and defining governance and safe‑use policies for AI in HR. Compensation & Benefits US annualized base salary range: $283,000–$425,000. Eligible for bonus, benefits and other related incentives. Comprehensive benefits package (health, dental, vision, retirement, etc.) and flexible work arrangement. EEO Statement Zendesk is an equal opportunity employer. We are proud of our ongoing efforts to foster global diversity, equity and 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. Zendesk is an AA/EEO/Veteran/Disabled employer. #J-18808-Ljbffr