Head of Competitive Intelligence

About the Role

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and maintaining comprehensive competitive assessments, creating executive-ready insights, and building best-in-class objection handling and competitive messaging. This involves close partnership with various teams, including Product Management, Marketing, Sales, and Executive Leadership, to ensure that competitive intelligence is integrated into all strategic decisions. Given the fast-moving nature of the tech industry, especially in AI and machine learning, the ability to adapt to changing market landscapes and competitor strategies is crucial.

What You Will Do

• Develop and own the company's competitive intelligence strategy and operating model, ensuring it is aligned with business objectives and market trends.
• Conduct comprehensive competitive assessments, including analyses of competitors' products, pricing, partnerships, and go-to-market motions.
• Create and present executive-ready competitive insights that can influence product strategy, roadmap prioritization, pricing, and investment decisions.
• Build and maintain competitive intelligence tools and systems to collect, validate, and distribute insights across the company.
• Establish and manage a network of contacts and sources to gather market and competitor information.
• Partner with Product Management to inform roadmap decisions and identify areas of strategic differentiation.
• Collaborate with Marketing to sharpen positioning and messaging based on competitive dynamics.
• Support Sales and Customer Success teams with competitive insights and objection handling strategies.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and reporting to track competitive movements and emerging industry trends.
• Establish frameworks to evaluate competitors across capabilities, enterprise readiness, developer experience, ecosystem, security, and customer value.

What We Are Looking For

• 15+ years of experience in competitive intelligence, strategy consulting, product strategy, corporate strategy, or a similar analytical role.
• Proven track record of building and leading competitive intelligence functions from the ground up.
• Exceptional analytical and structured thinking skills, with the ability to distill complex market data into clear, actionable insights.
• Strong understanding of enterprise software, AI platforms, SaaS, or cloud technologies, with the ability to apply this knowledge to strategic decision-making.
• Experience producing executive-facing strategic analyses and recommendations.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to synthesize quantitative data, qualitative research, customer feedback, and market intelligence into strategic recommendations.
• Experience partnering across Product, Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Executive teams to integrate competitive intelligence into all aspects of business strategy.

Nice to Have

• Experience in AI, machine learning, foundation models, or developer platforms, which can provide a deeper understanding of the competitive landscape in these areas.
• Familiarity with benchmarking methodologies, win/loss programs, and competitive positioning frameworks, which can enhance the competitive intelligence function.
• Experience supporting enterprise sales organizations with battlecards and competitive enablement, demonstrating the ability to apply competitive insights to sales strategies.
• Background in management consulting or strategic planning, which can bring a holistic approach to competitive intelligence and strategy development.

Benefits and Perks

• Competitive compensation package, reflecting the importance of this role in driving business strategy and growth.
• Equity options, providing a long-term incentive for contributing to the company's success.
• Comprehensive health insurance, recognizing the importance of employees' well-being.
• Flexible PTO policy, allowing for a healthy work-life balance in a remote work environment.
• Remote work stipend, supporting the setup and maintenance of a productive home office.
• Professional development opportunities, including access to training, conferences, and workshops to stay updated on the latest trends and technologies in competitive intelligence and strategy.
• Access to cutting-edge technologies and tools, enabling the competitive intelligence function to stay ahead of the curve.
• Collaborative and dynamic work environment, fostered through regular team meetings, social events, and an open communication culture.

• Develop a Strong Understanding of GTM: Familiarize yourself with go-to-market strategies and how competitive intelligence informs these approaches. Be prepared to discuss how you've applied GTM insights in previous roles.
• Highlight Analytical Skills: Showcase your ability to analyze complex market data and competitor information, and how you distill these into actionable insights. Provide examples of times when your analyses led to strategic decisions.
• Prepare for Cross-Functional Questions: Be ready to discuss how you've worked with various teams, including Product, Sales, Marketing, and Executive Leadership, to integrate competitive intelligence into business strategy.
• Emphasize Communication Skills: Competitive intelligence roles require strong written and verbal communication skills. Prepare examples of how you've effectively communicated complex insights to executive teams or cross-functional stakeholders.
• Stay Updated on Industry Trends: Demonstrate your knowledge of the latest trends in AI, machine learning, and competitive intelligence. Discuss how you stay informed and how these trends might impact the company's competitive strategy.
• Showcase Strategic Thinking: Be prepared to discuss how you approach strategic planning and how competitive intelligence fits into your strategic framework. Provide examples of strategic recommendations you've made based on competitive insights.
• Be Ready for Behavioral Questions: Prepare to answer behavioral questions that assess your experience, skills, and fit for the role. Use the STAR method to structure your responses, focusing on situations, tasks, actions, and results.