Job Description & Details
This is a heavy-duty Zendesk ownership role embedded in an enterprise HR tech stack, specifically bridging the gap between Zendesk and Workday. You won't just be configuring ticket queues; you'll be owning the entire architecture, governance, and vendor ecosystem for HR service delivery at Smithfield. If you like driving high-impact integrations and cleaning up messy automated workflows, this one's worth looking at.
What You'll Actually Be Doing
You'll spend your days acting as the gatekeeper and architect for the Zendesk and AskHR portal ecosystem. Half your time will go toward reviewing proposed changes for ticket routing, self-service flows, and permissions, while the other half involves untangling the Workday-to-Zendesk user sync. You'll work closely with vendors like Zenplates to keep custom themes from breaking, audit AI and automation features to ensure they actually deflect tickets rather than annoy employees, and partner with HR leaders to redesign processes before building out new macros or triggers.
The Core Tech Stack
You need deep, hands-on mastery of Zendesk architecture—specifically advanced routing, triggers, automations, and Zendesk AI capabilities. Just as importantly, you must understand Workday integration mechanics, specifically how supervisory orgs, user syncs, and attribute mapping feed down into Zendesk. Experience managing custom portals via Zenplates and familiarity with HTML/CSS/JS for custom theme code are non-negotiable since you'll be coordinating theme upgrades and mobile responsiveness.
Interview Expectations
Expect the hiring team to test your deep understanding of Zendesk data structures and integration edge cases by asking how you would troubleshoot a silent failure in the Workday-to-Zendesk user sync that breaks agent access and role assignments. They are secretly looking for a structured troubleshooting methodology and an ability to coordinate cross-functional root-cause analysis across HRIS and IT teams. You should also be ready to explain a time you redesigned an over-automated Zendesk workflow that was causing conflicting triggers, demonstrating your balance between automation and clean maintenance.
Application Advice
Your resume needs to scream enterprise Zendesk administration and Workday integration experience, not just helpdesk support. Make sure to explicitly include keywords like 'Zendesk Platform Architecture', 'Workday Integration', 'Zenplates', 'Ticket Routing', and 'Zendesk AI' to easily clear the ATS parsing filters. Frame your past bullet points around measurable outcomes like reduced ticket reopens, faster resolution times, and successful deflection strategies rather than just listing daily administrative tasks.