Position Overview
We're seeking a leader to drive value creation initiatives at the intersection of Commercial and Product Strategy, shaping the trajectory of innovative software and tech-enabled businesses. As a Director, you will drive high-impact growth strategies for leading private equity firms and their software portfolio companies.
Ideal candidates will possess a strong track record in one or more of the following areas: buy-side or sell-side M&A with a focus on software, technology, product strategy and go-to-market leadership within SaaS or tech-enabled businesses, or commercial diligence within the software sector.
As a Director, you will play a central role in defining and delivering high-impact value creation programs across our private equity and software client base, programs that drive significant revenue growth and enterprise value. You thoroughly understand the dynamics shaping software markets: how industries evolve, how buyers behave, where value concentrates, and use that understanding to craft clear, actionable strategies that move companies forward. Fluent in the language of product and go-to-market architecture, you are comfortable navigating capital contexts and known for developing clear, compelling narratives that align executive teams and unlock growth.
AI is a critical dimension of your work. You will be instrumental in helping clients identify and implement AI-driven opportunities across their platforms and operations, as well as leveraging AI tools to enhance our strategic analysis, leading to faster, more insightful, and higher-quality strategic recommendations.
This is a senior-level role with the opportunity to shape platform strategy and guide executive teams at moments of material strategic inflection. You will lead multi-disciplinary workstreams that integrate product strategy, market design, and pricing architecture, all in service of growing enterprise value. As a leader within the firm, you will also mentor consultants, refine our advisory approach, and play a key role in scaling Thinktiv's strategic offerings through productized services and reusable IP.
Responsibilities
- Lead client engagements across core value creation workstreams, driving tangible improvements in platform strategy, pricing architecture, customer segmentation, messaging development, GTM design, and transaction readiness.
- Develop and articulate data-driven strategy recommendations rooted in a deep understanding of how software businesses grow, translating market dynamics, buyer behavior, and internal constraints into focused commercial direction.
- Identify and define where AI can be leveraged to strengthen client product offerings, operational workflows, or competitive positioning, helping clients assess feasibility and impact.
- Utilize AI tools and frameworks to improve research speed, pattern recognition, and the precision of insight development across projects, enhancing the efficiency and impact of our strategic analysis.
- Create structured, high-impact deliverables that communicate direction with clarity, whether in slides, models, or briefing documents, designed for board-level audiences and operating executives.
- Facilitate strategic alignment among executive stakeholders and private equity partners during moments of platform change, growth inflection, or investment transition.
- Guide and mentor project teams, ensuring the quality of output and fostering the development of team members.
- Contribute to Thinktiv's internal strategy offering by evolving and codifying repeatable IP, frameworks, and service models.
- Support business development efforts by shaping scopes of work, participating in prospective conversations, and identifying opportunities to expand client relationships.
Requirements
- 7+ years of progressive experience in strategy consulting, product leadership, corporate strategy, or investment roles within software or tech-enabled businesses.
- Deep understanding of B2B software economics, including buyer dynamics, monetization models, GTM structures, and key drivers of valuation.
- Proven track record leading complex client engagements with demonstrable results that resulted in material commercial or strategic impact, ideally in post-close value creation, growth planning, or exit preparation.
- Experience developing product and platform strategies, including roadmap design, pricing, segmentation, and positioning across varying customer segments.
- Demonstrated ability to identify and frame where AI creates leverage, whether as a product feature, business enabler, or operational accelerator.
- Regular user of AI tools (e.g., GPT-4, Claude, Copilot, Figma AI, Midjourney) in your strategy workflow, demonstrating a commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies for strategic advantage.
- Strong communication skills with a bias toward visual and structured storytelling; adept at presenting to executives and investment teams.
- Comfort working from first principles in ambiguous environments, able to move from insight to recommendation without a playbook.
- Experience mentoring consultants and shaping the quality and consistency of strategic output across a team.
- Familiarity with Python, SQL, or lightweight data tools is a plus, but not required.
- Located in or willing to relocate to Austin, Boston, or New York City.
About Thinktiv
Thinktiv is a strategy consulting firm partnering with software and technology-enabled businesses, private equity investors, and operating teams to address critical growth and product challenges throughout the transaction lifecycle, from diligence to post-close value creation.
Our pragmatic, product-centered approach focuses on the intersection of Commercial Strategy and Product Strategy. We identify levers to drive revenue, enhance performance, and support valuation growth utilizing strategies for launching new initiatives, evolving product portfolios, and integrating artificial intelligence to achieve differentiation, scalability, and long-term enterprise value.