Principal Partner Sales Executive

Job Description

Join us at Zendesk, where we're on a mission to power exceptional service for every person on the planet. We're accelerating that ambition by building products rooted in AI, automation, and intelligent customer experiences, because behind every interaction lies an opportunity to make a human connection.

We’re seeking a Senior Partner Sales Executive to drive partner-led growth across EMEA and APAC, with a focus on Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS). In this role, you’ll recruit and scale strategic partners, execute regional partner GTM motions, and enable partners to deliver AI-enabled Zendesk contact center solutions that improve customer experience and drive predictable partner-sourced revenue.

What you’ll be doing

• Execute the partner-sourced and partner-influenced revenue plan for CCaaS across EMEA and APAC; convert market insight into repeatable partner GTM motions.
• Recruit, onboard, and scale a portfolio of CCaaS partners, including SIs, resellers, consultancies, BPOs/MSPs, and technology alliances.
• Build partner capabilities across contact center transformation, voice, AI, automation, and customer experience solutions.
• Lead co-sell motions and mid-to-large commercial CCaaS opportunities with partners, coordinating with Zendesk account teams and partner sellers to increase win rates and deal velocity.
• Enable partners to commercialize Zendesk CCaaS and AI solutions by developing repeatable onboarding, enablement, packaged offerings, and service-led plays that shorten time to revenue.
• Communicate Zendesk’s AI and CCaaS strategy to partners and customers, translating product capabilities into clear use cases and commercial opportunities.
• Maintain partner pipeline health, forecast accuracy, and regular performance reviews across EMEA and APAC; escalate opportunities and risks through appropriate internal cadences.
• Collaborate with regional Sales, Marketing, Product, Solutions Consulting, and Customer Success teams to execute partner campaigns and improve the partner experience.
• Share regional and partner feedback with Product and Engineering to help shape Zendesk’s CCaaS and AI roadmap.

What you bring to the role

• 8+ years in partner/channel sales, alliance management, or partner GTM roles in SaaS/software, with quota-carrying experience.
• Demonstrated success recruiting and growing partners and driving partner-influenced revenue across EMEA and/or APAC.
• Experience managing commercial negotiations and leading partner-led CCaaS, contact center, customer experience, or related SaaS opportunities from mid-market through enterprise.
• Strong understanding of the contact center ecosystem, including SIs, resellers, BPOs/MSPs, technology alliances, and cloud or communications providers.
• AI fluency: able to explain Zendesk’s AI value proposition and translate AI capabilities into partner-friendly use cases and monetization approaches.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage senior partner, customer, and internal stakeholders.
• Comfortable working across multiple countries, cultures, and time zones in a modern SaaS ecosystem.
• Operational focus and attention to pipeline metrics, forecasting, partner performance, and repeatable onboarding processes.

Basic Qualifications

• 8+ years in partner/channel sales, alliance management, or partner GTM roles within SaaS/software, with quota-carrying experience.
• Demonstrable experience recruiting and scaling partners and driving partner-influenced revenue across a defined EMEA and/or APAC market.
• Experience closing or influencing partner-led CCaaS, contact center, customer experience, or related SaaS deals.
• Experience influencing cross-functional internal teams and coordinating complex regional partner motions.
• Practical AI fluency — able to articulate AI strategy, concrete use cases, and partner monetization opportunities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience operating across EMEA and APAC markets, with familiarity with regional partner landscapes and routes to market.
• Experience with CCaaS, contact center transformation, customer experience, CRM, voice, or workforce engagement solutions.
• Prior experience packaging partner-ready offerings, implementation services, or service-led plays that accelerate partner sales.
• Experience with co-funded partner marketing programs and measuring partner ROI.
• Exposure to commercializing AI/ML capabilities through partners; generative AI experience is a plus.
• Fluency in one or more additional EMEA or APAC languages is a plus.

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.

As part of our commitment to fairness and transparency, we inform all applicants that artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision systems may be used to screen or evaluate applications for this position, in accordance with Company guidelines and applicable law.

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 [email protected] with your specific accommodation request.