Service Operations Automation Administrator

OverviewThe Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA)*, the private fundraising and alumni relations organization for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is seeking a Service Operations Automation Administrator to join our Information Technology team! The Service Operations Automation Administrator is accountable for end-to-end ownership of the Zendesk platform - configuration, administration, governance, and continuous improvement - while also leading a measurable program of AI-enabled operational efficiencies across service delivery for the Infrastructure and Security teams. This role is also responsible for maintaining a roadmap, enforcing standards, optimizing workflows, and partnering with stakeholders to improve agent productivity, self-service, and the overall end-user experience.This role partners with other IT teams and business stakeholders to streamline intake-to-resolution processes, expand knowledge management, improve customer service and implement practical automation using Zendesk and approved AI platforms.Please note: We are open to hiring for this position to work remotely, with periodic travel to Madison expected throughout the year. Remote candidates must reside in one of the following states to be considered: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Texas, or Wisconsin.Essential FunctionsZendesk Platform Administrator Own the Zendesk product roadmap, balancing usability, scalability, governance, speed, and evolving operational priorities.Administer and optimize all core Zendesk components, including queues/views, routing, forms, fields, SLAs, triggers, automations, macros, templates, roles, permissions, reporting and environment hygiene. Define and enforce standards for categorization, tagging, and data quality to improve triage efficiency, automation effectiveness, and reporting accuracy. Serve as the primary point of contact for platform health, upgrades, feature adoption, vendor coordination, and license and utilization management. Maintain platform governance and controls, including role-based access, data hygiene, auditability, and system reliability across environments and configurations. Ensure workflows, data handling, and configurations align with organizational, privacy, security, and regulatory requirements in partnership with Security & Compliance. Own and enhance integrations between Zendesk and key collaboration, telephony, identity, and business systems to ensure end-to-end visibility, accurate data flow, and reliable routing. Manage Zendesk-related vendor relationships, including support escalations, renewals, and roadmap alignment to drive timely issue resolution and value realization. Design, govern, and continuously improve knowledge management and self-service capabilities (Zendesk Guide / Help Center), including content standards, publishing workflows, search optimization, ticket deflection, and KPI reporting. Define operational KPIs and build dashboards (Zendesk Explore and/or BI tools) for volume, backlog health, SLA attainment, cycle time/aging, reopen rate, deflection, and top ticket drivers.Automation & AI Enablement Identify, prioritize, and deliver automation opportunities in Zendesk (triggers, automations, macros, routing logic) and adjacent tools to reduce manual effort and increase consistency.Implement Zendesk AI capabilities where available (e.g., agent assist features such as ticket summaries and suggested replies; intelligent triage/categorization) with clear guardrails, human-in-the-loop controls, and quality validation.Evaluate, pilot, and operationalize approved AI platforms to automate repeatable operational work (ticket summarization, response drafting, knowledge creation workflows, intake normalization) while meeting privacy, security, and compliance requirements.Maintain an automation lifecycle and backlog (intake → feasibility → pilot → release → measurement), including documentation, rollback plans, and training.Measure automation impact (hours saved, deflection, improved first-response/resolution time, reduced reopens/escalations) and continuously iterate based on performance data.Stakeholder Partnership, Enablement & Change Management Partner with operational teams and business stakeholders to gather requirements, translate needs into platform designs, and align priorities to service outcomes.Lead change adoption: communications, training, office hours, documentation, and agent coaching to ensure consistent use of workflows, forms, and knowledge standards.Develop and maintain runbooks, configuration documentation, and playbooks for Zendesk administration, release management, and operational processes.Mentor and enable other administrators and specialists (as applicable), providing standards, training, and coaching to improve platform consistency and operational maturity.QualificationsRequired Qualifications:Associate degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or relative experience that provides