Principal Sales Engineer

At Zendesk, we're revolutionising what's possible in Customer Experience (CX) and Employee Service (ES).

As a Principal Sales Engineer you'll serve as a trusted advisor, innovative strategist, and technical thought leader.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Lead strategic solution design: Partner with Sales to architect transformative, AI-powered customer experience solutions that address business challenges and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Drive technical strategy across the sales cycle: Own the end-to-end technical engagement.
• Champion AI & automation: Translate advanced AI/ML capabilities into actionable CX strategies that increase efficiency, personalisation, and scalability.
• Influence product evolution: Leverage customer insights to inform product innovation, shape reference architectures, and influence future roadmap priorities.
• Deliver executive-level engagements: Present complex technical concepts with clarity and credibility to C-suite and senior stakeholders.
• Orchestrate cross-functional teams: Lead and coordinate virtual teams across Sales, Product, Professional Services, and Customer Success.
• Execute proofs of value & pilots: Scope, manage, and deliver high-impact pilots that validate value realisation and technical viability.
• Integrate & scale: Design secure, scalable, cloud solutions leveraging Zendesk APIs, middleware and peripheral technologies.
• Promote thought leadership: Represent Zendesk as a domain expert - evangelising innovation in AI, CX, ES, and digital transformation.

What You Bring:

• 7+ years of presales or solutions consulting experience in SaaS, enterprise software, or customer experience platforms.
• 3+ years leading large, strategic, and complex enterprise deals.
• Deep technical fluency with web/scripting technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON, LLMs, MCP) and SaaS architectures.
• Proven success in positioning the business value of technical solutions and the strategic role of Professional Services and Partners.
• Hands-on experience scoping, managing, and executing customer pilots or proofs of concept.
• Expertise in at least two of the following: Contact Center, Customer Service software, ITSM, Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing, Workforce Management, QA or Integration & Middleware.
• Strong understanding of AI and automation technologies (LLMs, NLP, ChatGPT, MCP, predictive analytics) and their impact on customer service transformation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead virtual teams to successful outcomes and build consensus across technical and business functions.
• Superior presentation, communication and storytelling skills - able to translate complexity into clarity for diverse audiences.
• Experience designing or influencing reference architectures to support enterprise-grade client solutions.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience (graduate degree is a plus).
• Willingness and ability to travel as required.

Who You Are:

• Strategic technologist: You see beyond features and functions, architecting solutions that drive long-term business value.
• AI-forward innovator: You're passionate about the future of CX and ES.
• Trusted advisor: You build credibility quickly with executives and guide customers through complex decisions with empathy and confidence.
• Collaborative leader: You thrive in cross-functional settings, aligning stakeholders and inspiring teams toward shared success.
• Analytical storyteller: You use data and insight to craft compelling narratives that connect technology to measurable outcomes.
• Execution-focused: You balance visionary thinking with the ability to deliver results on time, on point and at scale.