Workflow & Systems Engineer, Operations

Group 1001is a consumer-centric, technology-driven family of insurance companies on a mission to deliver outstanding value and operational performance by combining financial strength and stability with deep insurance expertise and a can-do culture. Group1001’s culture emphasizes the importance of collaboration, communication, core business focus, risk management, and striving for outcomes. This goal extends to how we hire and onboard our most valuable assets – our employees.

Why This Role Matters:

This role is centered on operational workflow engineering and continuous process improvement. The Workflow & Systems Engineer is responsible for designing, building, and optimizing operational workflows within Zendesk and supporting automation tools, with a focus on driving towards zero-touch processing where applicable by identifying and eliminating manual intervention points across operational workflows. This individual translates business requirements into system configurations, automations, and AI-driven solutions that improve efficiency, reduce manual effort, and enable data-driven decision-making. This individual serves as a bridge between business stakeholders and engineering/IT teams, partnering with IT on platform-level integrations and enhancements while owning Zendesk configuration, AI/automation initiatives, and operational reporting.

How You'll Contribute:

• Own the design, configuration, and continuous improvement of Zendesk workflows, automations, and agent experience
• Drive towards zero-touch processing by identifying manual intervention points and engineering automated solutions to eliminate them
• Identify, evaluate, and implement AI and automation opportunities that reduce toil, improve quality, and scale operations — including evaluating and leveraging third-party applications and marketplace integrations to streamline operations
• Build and own operational dashboards and reporting frameworks that provide leadership visibility into workflow performance, bottlenecks, automation impact, and opportunities for improvement
• Partner with IT/Engineering on platform integrations and cross-platform needs, serving as the operations subject matter expert for requirements, testing, and acceptance
• Bridge business stakeholders and technical teams by gathering requirements, scoping solutions, and translating operational needs into actionable configurations
• Champion a culture of continuous process improvement, constantly evaluating how workflows can be made more efficient, more automated, and closer to straight-through processing

Zendesk Administration & Workflow Design

• Design, build, and optimize Zendesk workflows including triggers, automations, routing rules, macros, views, SLAs, ticket forms, custom fields, and escalation paths
• Manage Zendesk Suite administration across Support, Guide (knowledge base), Talk/Chat channels, and Explore reporting
• Analyze existing business processes and identify opportunities to streamline through Zendesk configuration improvements
• Evaluate, recommend, and implement third-party applications and marketplace integrations that plug into the workflow system to extend capabilities and reduce manual effort
• Test and QA all configurations in sandbox environments before production deployment
• Manage user roles, permissions, groups, and organizational structures within Zendesk

AI & Automation

• Evaluate and implement AI-powered tools within the operations workflow — including Zendesk AI features (intelligent triage, auto-tagging, suggested macros, generative replies) and third-party AI/automation platforms
• Build and manage chatbot flows, auto-response logic, and self-service deflection strategies
• Identify and map manual touchpoints across operational workflows and develop automation strategies to achieve zero-touch processing where applicable
• Identify repetitive, manual processes and engineer automation solutions using native platform capabilities, low-code tools (e.g., Zapier, Make), or scripting
• Monitor automation performance and continuously tune for accuracy, coverage, and customer experience quality
• Stay current on emerging AI/automation capabilities relevant to customer operations and recommend adoption where appropriate

Reporting & Analytics

• Develop and maintain dashboards and reports in Zendesk Explore covering resolution times, first response times, agent productivity, SLA adherence, CSAT, and workflow throughput
• Design and own executive-level dashboards that surface actionable insights on workflow efficiency, automation coverage, and progress towards zero-touch processing goals
• Build reporting on AI/automation impact — deflection rates, auto-resolution rates, bot effectiveness, and time savings
• Monitor operational KPIs and proactively surface trends, anomalies, and improvement opportunities to leadership
• Support cross-platform reporting needs by exporting or integrating Zendesk data with broader BI tools as needed

Cross-Functional Collaboration & IT Partnership

• Partner with IT/Engineering teams on platform integration requirements, providing operational context, acceptance criteria, and UAT support
• Serve as the operations liaison for any platform integration work between Zendesk, CRM, and internal systems
• Collaborate with third-party vendors on platform enhancements, feature requests, and issue resolution
• Work with SMEs and cross-functional stakeholders to identify process improvements and prioritize enhancements

Documentation & Process Management

• Document all workflows, SOPs, system configurations, and automation logic for knowledge management and onboarding
• Gather business requirements from operations teams and translate them into technical specifications and configuration plans
• Assist in special projects related to new tool evaluations, platform enhancements, and operational scaling initiatives

What We're Looking For:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field
• 2+ years of experience in a business analyst, workflow analyst, systems administrator, or operations technology role
• Zendesk administration experience — configuration of triggers, automations, macros, routing, SLAs, and reporting (Explore)
• Demonstrated interest or hands-on experience with AI tools, automation platforms, or process automation
• Strong analytical skills with logical thinking and process orientation
• Excellent communication, documentation, and organizational skills
• Microsoft Office proficiency (Excel in particular)
• Ability to manage multiple projects and work cross-functionally

Preferred / Nice to Have:

• Zendesk Administrator certification
• Experience implementing or managing AI features — chatbots, intelligent triage, auto-tagging, generative AI tools
• Familiarity with low-code/no-code automation platforms (Zapier, Make, Power Automate)
• Experience evaluating and integrating third-party apps, plugins, or marketplace solutions into a workflow or ticketing platform
• Basic API/integration knowledge (REST APIs, webhooks, Postman) for connecting Zendesk with other systems
• Basic SQL or experience with BI/data analysis tools (QuickSight, Tableau, Looker)
• Light scripting ability (Python, JavaScript) for custom automations or data manipulation — strongly preferred
• Experience working in a contact center or customer operations environment
• ITIL, Lean, or Six Sigma exposure

Key Differentiators of This Role:

This is not a traditional analyst or reporting role. The ideal candidate is someone who:

• Owns Zendesk as a platform — not just using it, but shaping how the entire team uses it
• Is genuinely curious about AI and automation and actively seeks ways to apply them to real operational problems
• Can operate independently between business and technical teams, translating in both directions
• Treats every manual, repetitive process as a problem to solve
• Understands that good reporting starts with good instrumentation — building the right data capture into workflows from the start
• Views dashboards and reporting not as an afterthought, but as a core function — building the visibility that drives decision-making and continuous improvement
• Sees platform administration as a means to an end — the real job is making operations faster, leaner, and more scalable through smarter workflows

Compensation: 

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several U.S. geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $65,000/year in our lowest geographic market up to $85,000/year plus bonus in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on a number of factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Benefits Highlights:

Employees who meet benefit eligibility guidelines and work 30 hours or more weekly, have the ability to enroll in Group 1001’s benefits package. Employees (and their families) are eligible to participate in the Company’s comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plan options. Employees are also eligible for Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance, Short and Long-Term Disability. All employees (regardless of hours worked) have immediate access to the Company’s Employee Assistance Program and wellness programs—no enrollment is required. Employees may also participate in the Company’s 401K plan, with matching contributions by the Company.

Group 1001, and its affiliated companies, is strongly committed to providing a supportive work environment where employee differences are valued. Diversity is an essential ingredient in making Group 1001 a welcoming place to work and is fundamental in building a high-performance team. Diversity embodies all the differences that make us unique individuals. All employees share the responsibility for maintaining a workplace culture of dignity, respect, understanding and appreciation of individual and group differences.