Senior Counsel, Product and Privacy

Job Description

Zendesk develops software that helps its 160,000+ customers across more than 150 countries and territories build the best customer experiences. 

As we scale our business, we are seeking a highly-motivated and adaptive product counsel to guide our development teams as they build industry-transforming AI products that comply with global law and build lasting customer trust. 

This role will report to Zendesk’s Senior Managing Counsel, Product.

Preferred locations: Dublin, London, Lisbon, or Kraków

Responsibilities (what you get to do every day):

• Research, digest, and deeply understand the evolving landscape of privacy and AI-specific laws affecting the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning customer support software, including with reference to peer companies, global law, and incoming regulations.

• Build trusting relationships with engineers, data scientists, and product managers and provide them with practical, high-quality legal advice that allows Zendesk to meet its ambitious goals.

• Become familiar with the architecture of our data warehouse and work cross-functionally to build automated, confidence-inspiring processes for topics such as sanitation, anonymization, and access controls.

• Provide internal support related to the use of AI for productivity and product development purposes, including owning Zendesk’s Generative AI Tools Guidelines. Proactively design ways to minimize data use, IP, accuracy, and other risks.

• Collaborate with the Zendesk Security, Procurement, and Legal teams.

• Advise business leaders on legal risks and propose business oriented solutions.

• Own other special projects/processes as necessary and/or desired.

Minimum Qualifications

• Extensive experience within a top-tier law firm and global SaaS technology company including as an in-house legal privacy leader

• Licensed to practice law in-house in one or more EMEA jurisdictions

• Ability to stay organized and detail-oriented while juggling competing priorities

• Excellent judgment and decision-making capabilities in complex situations

• Strong business acumen and ability to distill legal advice into actionable guidance for business partners

• Attentive to detail with exceptional written and verbal communication skills that allow you to explain privacy concepts to colleagues in direct, easy-to-understand language

• Desire to roll up your sleeves and growth mindset: as a working manager, no task is too big or small with an interest in learning and growing

• Positive attitude and ability to work effectively on a team

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 [email protected] with your specific accommodation request.