Startup and Venture Capital Manager, Bay Area

Location : San Francisco, California, United States of America

Requisition ID : R33026

Position_Type : Full time

Job Description

About Zendesk for Startups : Zendesk for Startups empowers startups to scale and thrive by delivering best-in-class customer experience solutions. With over 160,000 customers globally, we’ve supported trailblazing companies such as Slack, Uber, Instacart, Canva, Nubank, Limebike, and Deliveroo from their earliest stages. Our mission is to drive sustainable startup growth through strategic partnerships, vibrant community engagement, and innovative go-to-market programs.

What you’ll be doing

The Zendesk for Startups team is seeking a highly motivated and experienced startup partnerships manager to serve as the lead for our Startup VC Community for the Bay Area, reporting to the Head of the Americas. This critical role is designed to accelerate revenue growth within the Bay Area’s vibrant startup segment by embedding a dedicated leader focused on cultivating high‑value relationships, expanding marketing pipeline quality, and amplifying Zendesk’s presence across the region’s top‑tier startup ecosystem. This is a field‑based role, working hand‑in‑hand with our Bay Area Sales Team to consistently surface and engage high potential startups and their partners.

What you bring to the role

Strategic thinking : Owns the development and execution of the annual go‑big SF / Bay Area Hub Strategy, aligns with the Zendesk for Startups Global Plan, Sales, and Startup Marketing; identifies direct paths to penetrate high volume startup communities in the SF / Bay Area; manages and refreshes a Top Startups List to support Marketing and Sales‑led engagements.

Ecosystem‑building experience : Embeds Zendesk’s brand and solutions within Tier 1 venture capital firms, accelerator programs, and key tech partner networks to establish Zendesk as the preferred service company within the Bay Area startup community; launches a Startup Advocacy / Ambassadors program, serves as a passionate ambassador at community events, industry conferences, and partner forums.

Designing high‑value programs : Designs and executes experiential Bay Area‑only programs that provide founders with differentiated GTM support from the Zendesk network.

Generating marketing pipeline : Collaborates closely with Startup Marketing and Bay Area Sales to translate ecosystem access into qualified pipeline, warm introductions, and faster deal cycles.

Forging strong partnerships : Positions Zendesk as a trusted startup partner across the most influential investor and founder communities in the Bay Area.

Must be willing to travel across the Bay Area to meet with partners, customers, funds, and affiliated tech companies.

Basic Qualifications

6+ years of proven experience in business development, partnerships, or sales within the technology sector, specifically with a focus on technology startups or venture capital.

Deep understanding of the Bay Area startup ecosystem, including key startups, market trends, particularly AI, and funding landscape.

Demonstrated ability to cultivate high‑value relationships with founders, investors, and strategic partners.

Strong track record of generating qualified marketing pipeline and contributing to revenue growth.

Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.

Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a fast‑paced sales environment.

Strategic thinker with a hands‑on approach to execution.

Outcomes

Market Leadership : Establish Zendesk as the preferred customer experience company within the Bay Area startup community.

Improved Pipeline Quality and Velocity : Improve access to startup and funder communities to increase marketing pipeline and quality.

Revenue Growth : Contribute to net new customer acquisition and revenue expansion by accessing high‑value, well‑funded startups.

Higher Average Deal Size : Increase average contract values and expansion potential by engaging founders with greater funding and product / customer maturity.

Preferred Qualifications

Startup Ecosystem Expertise : Background as a founder or worked with accelerators / incubators and / or Venture Capital; demonstrated deep experience and familiarity of the Bay Area startup ecosystem.

Ecosystem Partner Engagement : Proven experience in collaborating and building relationships with early‑stage VCs, Corporate Venture Capital (CVC), Angel networks, accelerators, and incubators.

Community Building : Hands‑on experience cultivating and nurturing self‑sustaining startup communities, fostering engagement between startups and key partners.

Practical Tool & GTM Expertise : Proficiency with Zendesk products (and ideally other CRMs like Salesforce or Airtable), plus a strong understanding and application of startup GTM motions.

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