Director, Strategic Business Development

Company Description

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

We're seeking a strategic, entrepreneurial Director of Strategic Business Development to join our ISV Partnerships organization. In this high-impact role, you will lead the development and execution of our technology partner strategy across AI, automation, cloud, collaboration, and more.

You will identify, shape, and close transformative ISV partnerships that accelerate product innovation, expand our GTM footprint, and fuel long-term revenue growth. This role blends corporate strategy, business development, and deal execution, offering a unique opportunity to build and scale a modern partner ecosystem within a fast-paced B2B SaaS environment.

What You'll Do

• Lead strategic business development initiatives across the ISV ecosystem, targeting high-value categories (AI, automation, cloud, collaboration, etc.).
• Define and execute a multi-year ISV partner strategy aligned with product and GTM priorities
• Build, manage, and prioritize a pipeline of high-impact ISV partnership opportunities.
• Own the full deal lifecycle — from opportunity identification and qualification to 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.
• Conduct market analysis, competitive benchmarking, and whitespace mapping to inform partner prioritization and ecosystem strategy.
• Drive partner planning cycles and influence cross-functional stakeholders through strategic frameworks and ROI-backed proposals
• 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

• 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 ISVs, 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
• Strategic thinker with excellent analytical rigor and operational discipline
• Exceptional communication, storytelling, and relationship-building skills
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or experience in consulting, investment banking, or corporate strategy preferred
• Willingness to travel up to 25%, including international

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 $229,100 - $283,000. 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.