Director, Strategic Business Development

Organizations everywhere struggle under the crushing costs and complexities of “solutions” that promise to simplify their lives. To create a better experience for their customers and employees. To help them grow. Software is a choice that can make or break a business. Create better or worse experiences. Propel or throttle growth. Business software has become a blocker instead of ways to get work done.
There’s another option. Freshworks. With a fresh vision for how the world works.
At Freshworks, we build uncomplicated service software that delivers exceptional customer and employee experiences. Our enterprise-grade solutions are powerful, yet easy to use, and quick to deliver results. Our people-first approach to AI eliminates friction, making employees more effective and organizations more productive. Over 72,000 companies, including Bridgestone, New Balance, Nucor, S&P Global, and Sony Music, trust Freshworks’ customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) software to fuel customer loyalty and service efficiency. And, over 4,500 Freshworks employees make this possible, all around the world.
Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.

Job Description
About the Role
As we scale our partner ecosystem, this is a rare opportunity to define it. We're hiring a Director of Strategic Business Development to own our ISV strategy end-to-end — from whitespace mapping and partner identification to deal structure, negotiation, and long-term ecosystem growth.
This role sits at the intersection of corporate strategy, business development, and product — working across AI, automation, cloud, and collaboration to build the partnerships that accelerate our product roadmap, expand our go-to-market reach, and drive long-term revenue. You'll operate with high autonomy, influence at the executive level, and mandate to build something lasting inside a fast-growing B2B SaaS company.
What You'll Own:
Strategy & Ecosystem Development

Define and execute a multi-year ISV partner strategy aligned with product and GTM priorities across AI, automation, cloud, collaboration, and adjacent categories
Conduct market analysis, competitive benchmarking, and whitespace mapping to inform partner prioritization and ecosystem investment
Drive partner planning cycles and influence cross-functional stakeholders through strategic frameworks and ROI-backed proposals Deal Origination & Execution

Build, manage, and prioritize a pipeline of high-impact ISV partnership opportunities
Own the full deal lifecycle — from opportunity identification and qualification through proposal development, executive alignment, negotiation, and close
Structure and negotiate complex commercial agreements including integrations, co-sell, OEM, and joint solution partnerships
Build data-driven business cases that quantify revenue impact, product differentiation, and customer value Cross-Functional Leadership

Collaborate with Product, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success to launch and operationalize joint solutions
Develop scalable onboarding, enablement, and performance tracking processes for ISV partners
Define success metrics and regularly report ecosystem performance and partner impact to executive leadership Please note this is a hybrid role with onsite expectations of 3x/week (Tuesday - Thursday) from our San Mateo, CA headquarters.

Qualifications
Required

8-10+ years in Strategic Business Development, Partnerships, Corporate Strategy, or Corporate Development, ideally within B2B SaaS
Proven success sourcing, negotiating, and closing complex partnerships with ISV's, OEMs, or enterprise technology providers
Deep understanding of joint GTM execution, co-sell motions, and ecosystem-driven growth strategies
Strong financial modeling and strategic planning skills; able to build compelling business cases and ROI frameworks
Experience aligning and influencing executive-level stakeholders across multiple functions
Exceptional communication, storytelling, and relationship-building skills
Bachelor's degree required
Willingness to travel up to 25%, including internationally Preferred

MBA or background in management consulting, investment banking, or corporate strategy
Experience in or along side the ITSM or CX space
Familiarity with modern partner ecosystem tools and co-sell program structures (e.g., Salesforce AppExchange, Microsoft marketplace, AWS Partner Network)
Additional Information
Please note this is a hybrid role with onsite expectations of 3x/week (Tuesday - Thursday) from our San Mateo, CA headquarters.
The annual base salary range for this position is $230,000 - $280,000. This role is also eligible for a target bonus.
Compensation is based on a variety of factors including but not limited to location, experience, job-related skills, and level. Bonus/equity may be available.
Freshworks offers multiple options for dental, medical, vision, disability and life insurances. Equity + ESPP, flexible PTO, flexible spending, commuter benefits and wellness benefits are also offered. Freshworks also offers adoption and parental leave benefits.
At Freshworks, we have fostered an environment that enables everyone to find their true potential, purpose, and passion, welcoming colleagues of all backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and ethnicities. We are committed to providing equal opportunity and believe that diversity in the workplace creates a more vibrant, richer environment that boosts the goals of our employees, communities, and business. Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.