The Director of Corporate Development will lead the inorganic growth strategy, manage investment theses, conduct market analysis, execute deals, and maintain relationships with stakeholders.
As the Director of Corporate Development, you will be the primary architect of our inorganic growth strategy, reporting directly to the Chief Strategy Officer. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role designed for a strategic operator who thrives on ownership and is eager to shape the future of our company. You won't just be "running a process"; you will be identifying the next frontiers of our business, building the investment theses that guide our path, and executing the deals that transform our market position.
On a typical day, you might:
- Research & Analysis: Conduct market sizing and TAM analysis for target categories; perform initial financial modeling, including ARR trends, growth rates, and unit economics.
- Strategic Scouting: Continuously research the market for potential targets with strategic technology, talent, or category advantages; maintain a CRM/database with scoring frameworks.
- Product Intelligence: Actively use and test target platforms to evaluate product architecture, APIs, and scalability; perform competitive positioning analysis of targets.
- Project Leadership: Organize and coordinate internal deal teams (Legal, Finance, Product, Engineering) to ensure seamless execution from initial contact to integration planning.
- Relationship Management: Build and maintain relationships with founders, investors, and industry stakeholders to keep our company top-of-mind for strategic opportunities.
- Strategic Pipeline Management: Build and maintain a robust, dynamic pipeline of acquisition targets across varying maturity levels, ensuring leadership has a clear view of the competitive landscape and emerging technology trends.
- High-Fidelity Investment Theses: Develop and present compelling investment memos and opportunity briefs that align target capabilities with our long-term strategic goals.
- Rigorous Due Diligence: Lead comprehensive due diligence processes, moving beyond the spreadsheets to conduct hands-on product testing, technical architecture assessments, and customer research.
- Expert Deal Execution: Drive the end-to-end deal process, coordinating internal cross-functional teams and partnering with leadership to lead negotiations through to a successful close.
- Data-Driven Insights: Deliver weekly pipeline updates, quarterly market maps, and detailed product evaluation reports that provide actionable intelligence to the executive team.
The ideal candidate will bring:
- Proven experience in Corporate Development or a related strategic role within the technology sector.
- Exceptional financial modeling and analytical skills, with the ability to distill complex data into clear, actionable insights and recommendations.
- Deep technical curiosity with a "hands-on" approach to product evaluation and the ability to assess software architecture and scalability.
- Strong executive presence and communication skills, with experience preparing and presenting investment memos to C-suite stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects and manage the end-to-end deal process independently.
- A strategic mindset with a keen eye for detail and the ability to identify emerging trends before they become mainstream.
- Prior experience in SaaS, software, or high-growth technology environments is highly preferred.
About ActiveCampaign:
ActiveCampaign is the autonomous marketing platform for people at the heart of the action. It empowers teams to automate their campaigns with AI agents that imagine, activate, and validate–freeing them from step-by-step workflows and unlocking limitless ways to orchestrate their marketing.
With AI, goal-based automation, and 1,000+ app integrations, agencies, marketers, and owners can build cross-channel campaigns in minutes–fine-tuned with billions of data points to drive real results for their unique business.
ActiveCampaign is the trusted choice to help businesses unlock a new world of boundless opportunities–where ideas become impact and potential turns into real results.
As a global multicultural company, we are proud of our inclusive culture which embraces diverse voices, backgrounds, and perspectives. We don’t just celebrate our differences, we believe our diversity is what empowers our innovation and success. You can find out more about our DEI initiatives here.
Perks and benefits:
At ActiveCampaign, we prioritize employees’ well-being and professional growth by cultivating a culture centered on collaboration and innovation. When you join our team, you’ll not only have the opportunity to make a significant impact, but also enjoy a range of benefits tailored to support your personal and career development.
Here are some of the benefits we offer:
-Comprehensive Health & Wellness: Top-tier benefits package that includes a fully-covered High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), complimentary access to telehealth services, and a free subscription to Calm.
-Growth & Development: Access to LinkedIn Learning, professional development programs, and career growth opportunities in a fast-growing organization.
-Generous Paid Time Off: Recharge and take the time you need to maintain work-life balance with open PTO.
-Total Rewards: Generous 401(k) matching with immediate vesting, quarterly perks with commuter and lunch benefits for hub based employees or a stipend for remote workers, and a four-week paid sabbatical with bonus after five years.
-Collaborative Culture: Work alongside brilliant, passionate colleagues in an environment that values innovation, teamwork, and mutual support.
ActiveCampaign is an equal opportunity employer. We recruit, hire, pay, grow and promote no matter of gender, race, color, sexual orientation, religion, age, protected veteran status, physical and mental abilities, or any other identities protected by law.
Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) strive to foster a diverse inclusive environment by supporting each other, building a strong sense of belonging, and creating opportunities for mentorship and professional growth for their members.
Top Skills
APIs
Crm/Database
Financial Modeling
SaaS
Software Architecture
ActiveCampaign Chicago, Illinois, USA Office
Located in the heart of the Loop overlooking State Street, with views of the lake and Millennium Park with easy access to the Metra & CTA stations.
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