Zhang was born in Anguo County (now Anguo), Hebei, in August 1964. In 1980, she was admitted to the Agricultural University of Hebei, majoring in agricultural economic management. After graduation, she taught at the university. She also received her doctor's degree in agriculture from Huazhong Agricultural University in 1998. She served as deputy dean of the School of Economics and Management in January 1998, and was promoted to the dean position in December 2000. In August 2002, she rose to become vice president of the university.
Zhang joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in November 1983, and got involved in politics in June 2004, when she was appointed deputy head of Organization Department of the CCP Hebei Provincial Committee. She was made deputy party secretary of Tangshan in December 2008, concurrently serving as head of Organization Department of the CCP Tangshan Municipal Committee since June 2009. In May 2010, she become executive deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the CCP Hebei Provincial Committee, a position he held until February 2012, when she was appointed head and party branch secretary of Hebei Provincial Human Resources and Social Security Department.
In February 2019, Zhang was assigned to south China's Guangdong province, where she took office as head of Organization Department of the CCP Guangdong Provincial Committee.[2] She was also admitted to member of the standing committee of the CCP Guangdong Provincial Committee, the province's top authority.[2]