Manager, Customer Care Technology & Automation (Zendesk)

Want to help us help others? We’re hiring! GoFundMe is the world’s most powerful community for good, dedicated to helping people help each other. By uniting individuals and nonprofits in one place, GoFundMe makes it easy and safe for people to ask for help and support causes—for themselves and each other. Together, our community has raised more than $40 billion since 2010.Join us! The GoFundMe Team is searching for a strategic, systems-oriented leader to own the technology ecosystem that powers our Customer Care organization.Reporting to Senior Director, Global Customer Care, this role is responsible for the strategy, administration, optimization, and evolution of our support technology stack—including Zendesk, Ada, Sierra, and future AI-enabled customer experience platforms. This role combines systems ownership, AI strategy, operational excellence, and cross-functional partnership to ensure our technology enables world-class customer experiences while improving team efficiency, scalability, and quality.You'll work closely with Customer Care, Product, Engineering, Data, Security, and vendors to deliver automation, optimize workflows, introduce AI capabilities, and build the future of customer support.Candidates considered for this role will be located in San Diego, CA. The JobOwn the Customer Care Technology EcosystemServe as the primary owner for Zendesk, Ada, Sierra, and supporting Customer Care technologies.Define and execute the technology roadmap aligned to Customer Care strategy and company objectives.Evaluate emerging AI technologies and recommend opportunities to improve customer experience and operational efficiency.Partner with Engineering and Product on integrations, APIs, and platform enhancements.Lead AI Strategy for Customer CareOwn AI deployment across customer support channels.Optimize chatbot performance, AI containment, routing, and escalation experiences.Continuously evaluate LLM capabilities and identify opportunities for responsible adoption.Partner with vendors to influence product roadmaps and maximize platform capabilities.Establish governance around AI quality, accuracy, compliance, and customer experience.Optimize Zendesk & Support OperationsOwn Zendesk administration including workflows, automations, triggers, macros, views, forms, routing, SLAs, and permissions.Improve agent workflows to reduce friction and increase productivity.Design scalable support processes that improve consistency and reduce manual effort.Ensure technology supports evolving operational needs across global support teams.Drive Automation & EfficiencyIdentify repetitive workflows suitable for automation.Build business cases for automation investments.Measure and improve automation adoption across customer journeys.Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing operational effort while maintaining high-quality customer experiences.Analytics & PerformanceDefine technology performance metrics including:AI containmentDeflection rateTime to resolutionCost per contactAgent productivityAutomation utilizationCSATSLA adherenceBuild executive dashboards that provide visibility into technology effectiveness and operational health.Use data to identify opportunities for optimization and investment.Vendor & Stakeholder ManagementOwn relationships with Zendesk, Ada, Sierra, and other technology vendors.Lead vendor reviews, roadmap discussions, and contract optimization in partnership with Procurement.Coordinate cross-functional initiatives involving Customer Care, Product, Engineering, Security, Data, and Legal.Technology GovernanceEstablish best practices for support technology configuration and change management.Maintain documentation, release processes, testing standards, and system governance.Ensure platform reliability, security, and compliance with company standards.You5+ years managing Customer Care technology, Customer Experience platforms, Support Operations, or Business Systems, ideally with time leading a front line Care team yourselfDeep expertise administering Zendesk in a large-scale customer support environment.Experience implementing and optimizing AI-powered customer support platforms such as Ada, Sierra, Intercom Fin, Salesforce Agentforce, or similar technologies.Experience designing support workflows, automation, routing logic, and self-service experiences.Strong understanding of LLMs, conversational AI, prompt design, and AI operations.Experience integrating support platforms using APIs and automation tools.Strong analytical skills with SQL, BI tools, and dashboard development.Demonstrated success leading technology implementations and organizational change.Ability to translate business challenges into scalable technology solutions.Strong vendor management and stakeholder influence skills.Excellent communication skills with the ability to present technical concepts to business leaders.Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment.Passion for leveraging AI to transform customer experiences.PreferredExperience with Ada, Sierra, Zendesk AI, or comparable conversational AI platforms.Experience with Salesforce, Segment, Snowflake, Looker, or similar analytics ecosystems.Familiarity with support quality programs and workforce management.Experience leading enterprise technology rollouts.Experience managing support technology in high-growth SaaS, marketplace, fintech, or ecommerce organizations.Understanding of Responsible AI principles and governance.Success MeasuresWithin your first year, you will:Increase AI containment while maintaining or improving CSAT.Improve Customer Care productivity through workflow automation and process optimization.Deliver a clear multi-year roadmap for Customer Care technology.Reduce manual effort through intelligent automation and system improvements.Establish governance and best practices across Customer Care technology platforms.Build trusted partnerships across Customer Care, Product, Engineering, and vendors.Position GoFundMe as a leader in AI-enabled customer support.Why you’ll love it hereMake an Impact: Be part of a mission-driven organization making a positive difference in millions of lives every year.Innovative Environment: Work with a diverse, passionate, and talented team in a fast-paced, forward-thinking atmosphere.Collaborative Team: Join a fun and collaborative team that works hard and celebrates success together.Competitive Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay and comprehensive healthcare benefits.Holistic Support: Enjoy financial assistance for things like hybrid work, family planning, along with generous parental leave, flexible time-off policies, and mental health and wellness resources to support your overall well-being.Growth Opportunities: Participate in learning, development, and recognition programs to help you thrive and grow.Commitment to DEI: Contribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion through ongoing initiatives and employee resource groups.Community Engagement: Make a difference through our volunteering program.We live by our core values:impatient to be great, find a way, earn trust every day, fueled by purpose. Be a part of something bigger with us!GoFundMe is proud to be an equal opportunity employer that actively pursues candidates of diverse backgrounds and experiences. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnicity, nationality or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy status, marital status, age, medical condition, mental or physical disability, or military or veteran status.The annual U.S. salary range for this full-time position is $128,500.00 - $192,500.00. The company also offers equity and other benefits to employees, including healthcare, dental, vision, life insurance and 401(k) saving program. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific total compensation package during the hiring process.If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete a job application or a job interview or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please fill out this accommodation form.Global Data Privacy Notice for Job Candidates and Applicants:Depending on your location, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or certain US privacy laws may regulate the way we manage the data of job applicants. Our full notice outlining how data will be processed as part of the application procedure for applicable locations is available here. By submitting your application, you are agreeing to our use and processing of your data as required. Learn more about GoFundMe:We’re proud to partner with GoFundMe.org, an independent public charity, to extend the reach and impact of our generous community, while helping drive critical social change. You can learn more about GoFundMe.org’s activities and impact in their FY ‘25 annual report.Our annual “Year in Help” report reflects our community’s impact in advancing our mission of helping people help each other.For recent company news and announcements, visit our Newsroom.#LI-RC1