Zendesk is dedicated to building software designed to improve customer relationships and simplify the complexity of business. Our mission is to unlock the power of billions of interactions, enabling businesses worldwide to forge rich, meaningful relationships with their customers. We are a leader in the sector, driving a "resolution revolution" powered by cutting-edge AI.
Our customer experience platform integrates advanced AI agents, workflow automation, analytics, and omnichannel capabilities, all engineered to boost loyalty, reduce operational costs, and scale with ease. As a global, digital-first company, we embrace a culture of flexibility and connection, enabling our teams to collaborate effectively across continents from remote workspaces and strategically located offices that reflect the global cities we call home. If you are looking to do meaningful work at the intersection of enterprise technology and global commerce, you are in the right place.
The Opportunity: Senior Legal Counsel, EMEAZendesk is seeking an experienced and highly commercial Senior Legal Counsel to serve as a strategic partner to our fast-growing EMEA business organization. This role reports into the EMEA Legal leadership and is central to enabling commercial velocity while mitigating the complex, rapidly evolving risks inherent in SaaS, data privacy, and artificial intelligence technologies.
This is a strategic role requiring seasoned judgment, technical mastery of sophisticated IT contracts, and a transformative focus on internal efficiency. The successful candidate will not only manage high-volume commercial risk but also act as a change leader, driving the responsible adoption of AI and LegalTech within the Zendesk legal function.
What You'll Do: Core ResponsibilitiesLead Commercial Negotiations: Serve as a key strategic advisor to sales leadership on complex commercial deals and contractual matters across SMB to large enterprise clients. Lead negotiations and successfully close sophisticated commercial contracts, including high-value SaaS agreements, enterprise license agreements (ELAs), and professional services agreements.
Manage Partner Ecosystem: Draft and negotiate channel, distribution, and reseller agreements, supporting Zendesk’s indirect GTM strategies across multiple EMEA jurisdictions.
Provide Risk-Balanced Counsel: Deliver practical, business-oriented, and creative solutions to internal clients, including senior executives, by clearly articulating legal risks and balancing these against business objectives.
Drive Scalability: Design, implement, and maintain scalable contract frameworks, playbooks, and standardized resources to support and enable the high-velocity EMEA sales organization.
Data Protection Expertise: Serve as a subject matter expert on EMEA data protection law, providing strategic counsel on novel and evolving hurdles in commercial negotiations related to data processing, GDPR, and cross-border data transfers (SCCs).
AI Regulatory Advisory: Navigate, anticipate, and proactively manage legal and regulatory risks arising from applicable emerging EMEA requirements regarding AI technologies (e.g. the EU AI Act). Advise on the contractual implications and liability associated with the performance and deployment of Zendesk’s AI-powered product features.
Lead LegalTech Adoption: Champion and drive the strategic use of AI in our day-to-day legal work, assisting in the development and execution of the legal department’s internal AI strategy.
Contractual Risk Management: Draft and negotiate robust Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) and specific contractual terms relating to AI use, intellectual property, and security, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations such as DORA and the EU AI Act.
Ensure Financial Integrity: Collaborate with internal stakeholders across Finance, Sales Operations, and the Deal Desk to ensure that commercial agreements align with corporate revenue recognition standards and protect the company’s financial interests against contractual ambiguities.
Experience: 5+ years PQE, combining significant in-house experience at a fast-scaling B2B SaaS or cloud company with previous tenure at a top-tier law firm.
Jurisdiction: Qualified lawyer or solicitor admitted and in good standing in a relevant EMEA jurisdiction (e.g., England & Wales, Ireland, France).
Expertise: Deep expertise in drafting and negotiating complex IT contracts, including SaaS contracts, software licenses, and channel agreements.
Regulatory Command: Proven mastery of GDPR, cross-border transfers, DPAs, and demonstrated knowledge of emerging AI regulatory landscapes.
Technological Fluency: Systems-savvy with strong familiarity using CLM platforms (e.g., IronClad), Salesforce, and enthusiasm for driving legal workflow innovation through emerging technologies like GenAI.
Acumen and Resilience: Exceptional business acumen, excellent judgment, high energy, and the ability to thrive autonomously in a fast-paced, digital-first, and often ambiguous global environment.
Language Skills: Mandatory fluency in English. Fluency in one or more additional European languages (e.g., French, German, Spanish, or Dutch) is highly valued.
We are a global company dedicated to empowering exceptional service for every person on the planet. At Zendesk, people come first, and you will be empowered to deliver meaningful work that shapes the future of our product and our legal function. We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a culture that champions collaboration, continuous learning, and global impact.
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 [email protected] with your specific accommodation request.
