AI Data Engineer

Overview

Who we’re looking for: The Zendesk Analytics Prototyping (ZAP) team is seeking a Data Engineer to support our mission of building a robust data foundation for CRM insights and improving customer support tools. As a Data Engineer, you will design and implement scalable, high-quality data solutions, collaborating closely with engineering and analytics teams to enhance Zendesk’s operations. This role offers the opportunity to grow your skills in a dynamic environment and make a measurable impact on how Zendesk leverages data.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Collaborate with team members to define requirements and translate them into scalable data models and pipelines.
• Develop and maintain ELT pipelines, ensuring data reliability and scalability for business reporting and analytics use cases.
• Build and optimize SQL-based data models using dbt and other ETL tools.
• Identify and implement improvements in data delivery, processing performance, and system efficiency.
• Contribute to the team’s technical vision and bring innovative solutions to enhance data systems.

What You Bring to the Role

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of data engineering experience building, maintaining and working with data pipelines & ETL processes in big data environments.
• Extensive experience with SQL, ideally in the context of data modeling and analysis.
• Hands-on production experience with dbt, and proven knowledge in modern and classic data modeling (Kimball, Inmon, etc.).
• Programming skills in Python or a similar language, with an emphasis on data transformation and automation.
• Experience with cloud columnar databases — primarily Snowflake — including query authoring (SQL) and working familiarity with a variety of databases.
• Proven experience in performance testing, capacity planning, and cost optimization for large-scale, complex data pipelines and systems, including identifying bottlenecks, ensuring scalability, and minimizing operational costs in cloud-based data environments.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• SnowPro Core certification or equivalent hands-on expertise.
• Familiarity with Lean/6 Sigma principles and an understanding of CRM analytics.

Our Data Stack

ELT (Snowflake, dbt, Airflow, Kafka)

BI (Looker)

Infrastructure (AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform, GitHub Actions)

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 come together in person, at one of our offices around the world, while also giving the flexibility to work remotely 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, and inclusion in the workplace. 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 require a reasonable accommodation to submit this application or participate in the selection process, please email with your accommodation request.

Additional Details

Seniority level: Mid-Senior level

Employment type: Full-time

Job function: Information Technology

Industries: Software Development

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