Design Operations Intern, Product Design
Local Measure
Job Description
About Zendesk
Zendesk makes sales, support, and customer engagement software to help businesses offer a differentiated customer experience. Design is an integral part of everyday life at Zendesk, and Design Operations is instrumental in enabling our team to work together more effectively and have a greater impact on our people and products.
About the Role
We are looking for a Design Operations Intern (also known as a Design Program Manager or Producer intern) to join the Zendesk Product Design team with a specific focus on AI Enablement.
As the design landscape rapidly shifts, we are evolving our usage of AI tools. You will help drive this internal transformation by auditing design workflows, piloting new AI capabilities, and supporting the team in integrating AI as a partner for both craft and speed. You will report to the Director of Product Design Operations and work closely with our "AI Champions" to operationalize the future of design at Zendesk.
Our Commitment to Responsible AI At Zendesk, we are committed to building and using AI that is transparent, accountable, and safe. As a Design Ops intern, you will play a key role in ensuring our internal AI enablement respects user privacy, mitigates algorithmic bias, and maintains the "human-in-the-loop" philosophy that is core to our design craft.
Who You Are
AI-Literate & Curious: You stay on top of the rapidly evolving landscape of AI tools (like LLMs, generative UI tools, and AI-powered design plugins) and are eager to explore how they can be applied to design processes.
Process-Oriented: You enjoy breaking down complex workflows and identifying friction points where automation or AI can add the most value.
People-Centered: You are a strong communicator who can translate technical AI capabilities into practical guidance for designers, researchers, and content designers.
Design-Minded: You have a solid understanding of the product design lifecycle and are passionate about maintaining high design quality while increasing operational velocity.
Critically Optimistic: You are excited about AI’s potential but remain healthily skeptical of its "black box" nature. You ask the hard questions: "Is this fair? Is this transparent? Who might this exclude?"
What You’ll Do
Workflow Optimization: Identify specific design and research workflows (e.g., documentation, prototyping, synthesis) that can be best enabled by AI to help increase creative bandwidth
Audit & Inventory: Help maintain and update an internal AI tool inventory, tracking approved tools, primary use cases, and integration opportunities
Enablement Materials: Assist in creating and publishing "AI in Design" quick-start guides, FAQs, and best practices for tools like Figma, Make, and Lovable.
Community Support: Help coordinate the "AI Champions" program and knowledge-sharing rituals like "AI Show & Tells" to surface successful AI use cases across the design org.
Measure Impact: Support the collection and analysis of metrics regarding AI adoption, time saved, and its impact on designer satisfaction.
Basic Qualifications
Currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate program in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Business Operations, Program Management, or a related field.
A portfolio/collection of case studies demonstrating design thinking and problem solving skills
Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with Design Thinking principles and the product development lifecycle.
Hands-on experience with emerging AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Figma AI, or coding assistants like Cursor).
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple small-scale projects or experiments simultaneously.
Curiosity, high tolerance for ambiguity, and passion for learning
Strong interest in Inclusive Design or Accessibility (A11y), applying these lenses to how AI tools are used or what they produce.
Familiarity with established ethical AI frameworks (e.g., IEEE 7000, the FAST principles—Fairness, Accountability, Sustainability, Transparency, or the EU AI Act).
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.
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 peopleandplaces@zendesk.com with your specific accommodation request.
