Privacy Counsel

Job Description

At Zendesk, our mission is to power exceptional service for every person on the planet. We're accelerating this ambition by building products rooted in the belief that behind every interaction is an opportunity to make a human connection. 

We’re seeking a motivated, adaptable, and business-minded privacy expert to counsel business partners and support our global privacy program. Reporting to Zendesk’s Associate General Counsel, Product & Privacy, you will work closely with stellar stakeholders in Marketing, HR, IT, and Sales.

We value innovation, practicality, and good judgment. Join us! 

 What You’ll Do:

• You’ll own all privacy advising of Zendesk’s Marketing, HR, IT, and Sales departments – Zendesk’s “data controller” activities. 

• You will also manage our privacy program with respect to these activities, including keeping our Privacy Notice sharp and up to date, meeting all consent and cookie/tracking requirements, maintaining our Binding Corporate Rules and Data Privacy Framework certifications, and supporting data subject requests when they get extra tricky.

• You’ll provide short, memorable training not just for the sake of legal compliance, but to educate and orient the company around smart data practices for the AI era.

• You will conduct cogent privacy impact assessments, including on new vendors engaged by your clients.

• For all of this, you will have help from brilliant colleagues in Commercial Legal, Employment Legal, Product-Privacy, Compliance, Data Governance, Security, and Legal Operations, but you will be the owner of the areas mentioned above and execute as needed to uphold our privacy program.

• Basically, you’ll effectively and efficiently mitigate legal risks while helping your clients achieve or even exceed their business goals.

What You’ll Bring:

• 5+ years of in-house or law firm experience, preferably at a globally distributed technology company

• A law degree and qualification to practice law in an EU jurisdiction

• Privacy is a big deal, but not everything, so candidates will stand out with 1) Experience advising Marketing teams holistically – not only with respect to privacy risks, but also consumer protection considerations, and 2) Experience advising on AI safety or bias laws in the hiring and employment contexts

• Experience advising on global privacy issues, including under the GDPR, anti-spam laws like TCPA, cookies regulation, and U.S. State privacy laws (CCPA, etc.)

• A proven track record of turning complex laws into simple, actionable tasks, and executing on projects with a single-owner mentality despite encountering uncertainty or challenges

• A persistent self-starter with a proactive and adaptable mindset, able to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment while effectively adjusting strategy in response to shifting priorities, legal developments, and evolving risk tolerance

• Strong written and oral communication in English (other languages are a plus) and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively autonomously and with cross-functional teams 

• Desire to roll up your sleeves and apply a growth mindset: no task is too big or too small, all are opportunities to learn

#LI-JF2

Hybrid: In this role, our hybrid experience is designed at the team level to give you a rich onsite experience packed with connection, collaboration, learning, and celebration - while also giving you flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. This role must attend our local office for part of the week. The specific in-office schedule is to be determined by the hiring manager.

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 peopleandplaces@zendesk.com with your specific accommodation request.