Senior Zendesk Specialist Needed for Rapid Optimization Project (Forms, SSO, SLA Logic, Routing, AI)

We are redesigning our support workflow and need an expert Zendesk consultant to help implement core improvements quickly. Our goal is to transition from an email-driven support experience to a structured, authenticated, form-based workflow with clear SLA handling, routing, and reporting. We have a clear requirements document and need an experienced freelancer who can execute, validate, and advise on best practices. Key Objectives (Top Priorities) 1. Form-Based Case Intake (Critical) • Build two authenticated forms (external customer form + internal CS/Sales form) • Apply conditional fields and logic • Form must work behind JWT SSO (we will implement token handoff; you configure the Zendesk side) 2. SSO Integration Support (Critical) • Configure Zendesk JWT SSO for authenticated Help Center access • Validate token mapping, user creation rules, and org matching • Must ensure seamless login flow: Customer → Their IDP (Okta/Azure) → SecureW2 Portal → Zendesk (no second login) 3. SLA-Based Color Coding + Escalation (Critical) Build operational logic: • No agent reply Greater than 2 days → mark red, escalate to Leads • Case age Greater than 8 days - tag + send to Senior Engineer queue • Build required triggers + automations • Configure Views to visually highlight these states 4. Ticket Threading Fix (Critical Pain Point) • Ensure meeting invites + repeated subject lines append to existing tickets • Implement triggers or apps to prevent duplicate ticket creation 5. Routing & Weekend Priority Workflow • Replace existing Zapier-based weekend alert workflow (currently unreliable) • Build a stable, native Zendesk routing/notification alternative 6. Reporting (Essential) Create Explore dashboards: • Tickets greather 8 days with agent + timestamp breakdown • SLA breaches • Form submissions by type • Agent workload views 7. AI & Knowledge Setup (If experienced) • Enable Intelligent Triage / Answer Bot • Enable Knowledge Builder • Guidance on ingesting external blogs (manual currently)