Zoho Administrator

THE ROLE We’re hiring a Zoho One Administrator to take ownership of our Zoho One platform administration and configuration. You’ll report to our IT department and serve as the go-to person for configuring, maintaining, and improving the business processes that run on Zoho. This is a configurator role, not a developer role. We’re looking for someone who is an expert at Zoho’s native configuration tools: workflows, blueprints, custom fields, layouts, approval processes, and the built-in automation capabilities across the Zoho One suite. You don’t need to be a Deluge programmer. We have an existing Zoho programmer we’ll continue to work with for custom development as needed. Your job is to get the maximum out of what Zoho provides natively, and to know when a task requires a developer. Your first significant project is to deliver automated renewal and quoting workflow automation – configuring the flow from pricing calculator through quote generation to invoice and automated renewal reminders. From there, this becomes an ongoing role focused on continuous business process improvement across the platform. CONTRACT DETAILS - Type: Independent contractor via Upwork - Hours: 32 hours per week (full-time equivalent for this engagement) - Compensation: $15–$22 USD/hour, commensurate with experience - Benefits: None – this is an Upwork contractor engagement - Location: Remote, open worldwide. India strongly preferred. - Schedule: Near-full overlap with California business hours required. Core hours of approximately 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Pacific Time are expected daily. - Duration: Ongoing – this is a long-term role, not a fixed project WHAT YOU'LL DO Zoho One Platform Administration: Own day-to-day administration of our Zoho One environment: user management, access control, module configuration, data hygiene, and platform maintenance. You are the person who keeps Zoho running well. Renewal & Quoting Workflow Automation (First Major Project): Configure our automated renewal and quoting process – pricing calculator, quote generation, invoicing, and automated renewal reminder sequences. This is the immediate priority and the first proof point for the role. Zoho Application Integration: Configure and maintain the connections between our core Zoho One applications (Analytics, Campaigns, CRM, Desk, Flow, Forms, Qntrl, Sign, WorkDrive) to support our customer success, operations, and reporting needs. Ensure our data flows cleanly between systems so the business can make better decisions. Business Process Configuration: Build and maintain automated business processes using Zoho’s native tools – workflow rules, blueprints, approval processes, assignment rules, validation rules, and scheduled automations. Day-to-Day Business Support: Serve as the first point of contact for Zoho requests from IT, Sales, Operations, Finance, and Customer Success. Triage requests, configure solutions, and escalate development needs to our Zoho programmer. User Training & Enablement: Establish and deliver training for our internal users. Create documentation, run training sessions, and ensure our team uses the systems well and according to best practice. Adoption is part of the job, not an afterthought. Continuous Improvement: Proactively learn about our company’s existing processes, and speak directly with employees across departments to understand their workflows. Use that understanding – combined with your knowledge of the Zoho One suite – to recommend and implement improvements that make the business more effective and efficient. Maintain a prioritized backlog of improvements and ship them consistently. We’re hiring for ongoing optimization, not a single build. Reporting & Dashboards: Build and maintain Zoho Analytics reports and dashboards that give leadership visibility into business performance. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR - 3+ years of hands-on Zoho administration experience. This is non-negotiable – you must be able to work independently in the Zoho platform from day one. - Deep Zoho CRM configuration expertise. Workflow rules, blueprints, custom modules and fields, layouts, approval processes, assignment rules, validation rules. - Experience with our core Zoho One applications - Analytics, Campaigns, CRM, Desk, Flow, Forms, Qntrl, Sign, WorkDrive, including configuring integrations between Zoho applications. - Experience with Zoho Sign and Zoho Analytics, including configuring integrations between Zoho applications. - Experience configuring quote, invoice, or renewal workflows in Zoho or a comparable CRM platform. - A configurator’s mindset. You know how to solve problems with native platform capabilities before implementing custom code, and you know where that line is. - Strong business process thinking. You can talk to employees about their pain points and translate it into a configured solution. - Proactive process discovery. You proactively learn our company’s existing processes, coordinate directly with employees to understand their workflows, and use that insight to recommend improvements that make the business run effectively with the Zoho One suite. - User training and documentation skills. You can teach non-technical people to use what you’ve built and write down how it works. - Excellent written and spoken English. You’ll be working directly with US-based stakeholders daily. - Availability during core California business hours (9:00 AM – 3:00 PM PT). This is a hard requirement. The role depends on real-time collaboration with our US team. - Self-motivated and dependable. You’ll work remotely with minimal supervision and need to manage your own workflow and deadlines. - Reliable internet connection and a quiet, professional remote work environment. NICE TO HAVE - Zoho certifications (Zoho CRM Administrator, Zoho Certified Consultant, or similar). - Zoho Partner experience or a background at a Zoho implementation firm. - Experience with additional Zoho One applications: Zoho Books, Zoho Billing/Subscriptions, Zoho Desk, Zoho Flow, Zoho Creator, Zoho Projects. - Basic Deluge familiarity. Not required, but helpful for understanding what our programmer builds and maintaining it. - B2B SaaS or subscription business experience, particularly around renewals and recurring revenue workflows. - Experience working with US-based companies and distributed teams. - Familiarity with Upwork and a strong Upwork profile/rating. WHAT WE OFFER - Immediate start. This role is fully budgeted and ready to go. - Fully remote. Work from anywhere, with a preference for candidates based in India. - Consistent hours. 32 hours per week with a predictable, ongoing workload. - Real ownership. You’ll be the go-to Zoho person at our company, with the autonomy that comes with it. - Developer support when you need it. We have an existing Zoho programmer for custom development, so you’re not stuck when something exceeds native configuration. - A long-term role. We’re hiring for the relationship, not the project. The right person grows with us. - A small, respectful team that values reliability and clean work. HOW TO APPLY Please submit your Upwork proposal with: 1. Your resume, highlighting Zoho administration experience specifically. 2. A description of the Zoho environments you’ve administered – which Zoho applications, company size, and what project you have owned. 3. A specific example of a business process you configured in Zoho. What was the problem, what did you build, and what changed as a result? Please be concrete. 4. Any Zoho certifications you hold. 5. Your hourly rate and availability to start. 6. Confirmation of your availability during 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Pacific Time, and what your local hours would be to accommodate that. Priority will be given to candidates with verified Zoho administration experience, strong Upwork ratings, and confirmed availability during California core hours. We are ready to move quickly for the right person.