Design Operations Intern, Product Design at Zendesk · San…

Summary: Zendesk makes sales, support, and customer engagement software to help businesses offer a differentiated customer experience. They are seeking a Design Operations Intern to support the Product Design team with a focus on AI Enablement by optimizing design workflows and piloting new AI capabilities. Responsibilities: - Optimize specific design and research workflows (e.g., documentation, prototyping, synthesis) that are best enabled by AI to help increase creative bandwidth - Help maintain and update an internal AI tool inventory, tracking approved tools, primary use cases, and integration opportunities - Assist in creating and publishing "AI in Design" quick-start guides, FAQs, and best practices for tools like Figma Make and Lovable - Help coordinate the "AI Champions" program and knowledge-sharing rituals like "AI Show & Tells" to surface successful AI use cases across the design org - Support the collection and analysis of metrics regarding AI adoption, time saved, and its impact on designer satisfaction Required Qualifications: - Currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate program in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Business Operations, Program Management, or a related field - A portfolio or work samples demonstrating design thinking and problem-solving — this could include academic, personal, and/or work projects - 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) Required Skills: AI tools familiarity, Design Thinking principles, Product design lifecycle Important Skills: Inclusive Design, Ethical AI frameworks Nice-to-Have Skills: Curiosity, High tolerance for ambiguity Benefits: Bonus, Benefits, Related incentives