Director, Strategic Business Development - job 1 of 2

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.

Freshworks Inc. builds uncomplicated service software that delivers exceptional employee and customer experiences. Our people-first approach to AI eliminates friction, helping businesses reduce complexity, lower cost-to-serve, and deliver faster, more human support through enterprise-grade yet easy-to-use CX and IT solutions. Nearly 75,000 companies, including Bridgestone, New Balance, Nucor, S&P Global, and Sony Music, trust Freshworks to power their Employee Experience (EX) and Customer Experience (CX) operations.

Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.

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. 

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)

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.