Financial Analysis & Strategy Manager - Military veterans preferred

Location: Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America

Requisition ID: R32689

Position_Type: Full time

Job Description

Financial Analysis & Strategy Manager - Marketing

What you'll be doing:

• Lead partnership with Marketing and cross-functional teams to advise on strategy, monitor costs, and communicate critical financial developments.

• Oversee and guide financial modeling and advanced analytics to deepen understanding of Zendesk’s CMO organization and uncover opportunities to drive business value.

• Manage and improve the headcount forecasting process for Marketing cost centers, ensuring accuracy, reconciliation, and on-time delivery through collaboration with business partners and teams.

• Analyze and report on key marketing metrics such as LTV/CAC and pipeline performance to support data-driven decision-making and optimize marketing ROI.

• Provide strategic financial guidance through clear summaries and compelling presentations that influence decision-making at all levels, including executives.

• Own and optimize marketing planning tools such as Allocadia, ensuring data integrity and process efficiency.

Lead month-end financial close, forecasting, and preparation of management reports related to Marketing financial results.

• Serve as a key Finance & Strategy leader and approver for purchase and hiring requisition processes within Marketing.

• Drive continuous process improvements, mentor analysts, and lead ad hoc financial analyses that support evolving business priorities.

What you bring to the role

• Strong financial modeling expertise with advanced skills in MS Excel and Google Workspace (Sheets, Slides), complemented by experience coaching others.

• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines, working independently and fostering collaboration across teams.

• Ownership mindset with a track record of managing projects end-to-end, proactively identifying issues, and escalating when necessary.

• Exceptional critical thinking and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail and data accuracy.

• Confident communicator able to distill complex financial insights for varied audiences, including senior leadership.

• High emotional intelligence and demonstrated success influencing and partnering across matrixed, cross-functional organizations.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field.

• 5+ years of experience in financial analysis, preferably in Marketing finance or strategy roles.

• Advanced proficiency with financial modeling and analytical tools (Excel, Google Sheets).

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Experience partnering with cross-functional teams and leadership.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MBA or advanced degree in related discipline.

• Experience with marketing planning platforms such as Allocadia.

• Prior experience supporting go-to-market strategy with metrics like LTV/CAC and pipeline analysis.

• Demonstrated leadership or mentoring experience.

• Comfortable working in fast-paced, matrixed environments with evolving priorities.

Preferred location - Madison, Wisconsin

The US annualized base salary range for this position is $113,000.00-$169,000.00. This position may also be eligible for bonus, benefits, or related incentives. While this range reflects the minimum and maximum value for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations, the offer for the successful candidate for this position will be based on job related capabilities, applicable experience, and other factors such as work location. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only (or OTE for commissions based roles), and do not include bonus, benefits, or related incentives.

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.

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.

Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

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