Strategy and Transactions Director - EY-Parthenon Software Strategy Group

Description

Competitive business today is all about making intelligent, informed decisions. As a Director within EY-Parthenon, you will help make that happen. EY-Parthenon is a leading advisory organization focused on strategy consulting. We are committed to combining our unconventional thinking with our clients’ smarts to deliver actionable strategies. The Software Strategy Group (SSG) is a specialized advisory software practice within EY-Parthenon serving private equity investors and their portfolio companies from diligence through strategy and execution.

The opportunity

SSG provides investment and acquisition guidance (including commercial, product, and technology diligence), strategy/value creation and transaction advisory services to companies and investors in the software economy. EY-Parthenon SSG teams have completed hundreds of successful projects and provide a unique capability to help companies make critical decisions and complete successful transactions.

SSG team members conduct primary and secondary research, synthesize and analyze data, build and test hypotheses, and deliver strategic advice to our clients to help them make informed decisions. We have developed the models, industry contacts, benchmarks and methods designed for the software economy. Additionally, SSG works with internal Executive Directors who have been CTOs and CEOs in early and late stage software companies. The combination of the Executive Director team, our Consultants and Vice Presidents with deep software expertise, provides a unique opportunity for you to learn from the best in the field.

You have the ability to develop your career through a broad scope of engagements, mentoring and formal learning. That’s how we develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders, and in so doing, play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

Your key responsibilities

Directors are responsible for leading workstreams and engagements, translating client needs into project tasks and deliverables, manage day-to-day problem-solving and team analytical activities, and serve as key liaisons between consulting team members, SSG VPs and Partners, and our clients. Our Directors lead teams through on a variety of client issues, ranging from diligence to strategy assignments:

Diligence

· Product and technology diligence: the SSG provides market-leading product and technology diligence of companies in the Software Economy, an “inside-out” assessment of product capabilities, product road map, software architecture, technical debt, and the organization and processes associated with a software organization.

· Integrated diligence: when EY-Parthenon teams combine product and technology diligence with leading commercial due diligence “outside-in” capabilities, we provide clients with a cohesive view of their target investment from both a market and an operational perspective, providing insights that each diligence workstream may not uncover independently. We are a leader and innovator in this integrated offering and bring extensive capabilities to the marketplace.

Strategy

· Software development effectiveness: EY-Parthenon teams assess a company’s software development organization for capacity, talent and process, and actionable recommendations to improve productivity, timeliness, predictability, quality and overall alignment with the corporate strategy. This assessment is conducted through site visits, interviews, data analysis, hands-on evaluation, primary research and benchmarking. EY-Parthenon provides a detailed strategy on how to improve internal and external integration, communication and governance.

· Technology strategy and road map: by analyzing clients’ technology road maps and potential alternatives, as well as assessing cost, risk and alignment with strategic objectives, we help companies identify and build a suitable technology strategy and architecture road map — sometimes building on internal efforts and sometimes on brand-new ideas. This type of engagement includes a

potential re-platforming initiative or a major transformational effort, such as a substantial acquisition or a SaaS transformation.

· Product strategy and road map: EY-Parthenon teams analyze a company’s product road map and provide recommendations for improvement in product strategy and road map based on market and competitive research, team capabilities, development cost and risk, and technology underpinnings. This type of engagement typically includes primary research on the competitive landscape and market greenspace. It may also entail post-merger consolidation or rationalization of a product portfolio. Like other engagements, it leverages the combination of capabilities in understanding and assessing competitive marketplaces and deep knowledge of software technologies.

Skills and attributes for success

· Develop business strategies using tools such as market analysis, customer research, macroeconomic forecasting, and portfolio optimization.

· Review transaction rationale and/or deal documents to identify critical business issues and risks relating to a proposed transaction.

· Manage and motivate workstreams and teams with diverse skills and backgrounds.

· Develop, manage and mentor junior team members at the Associate, Senior Associate, and Consultant levels.

To qualify for the role you must have

· A bachelor's degree with outstanding academic performance and at least 5 years of soft-ware related work experience (strategy consulting work experience a plus)

· Experience managing business strategy and/or M&A strategic diligence projects in complex environments

· Ability to make detailed assessments of industry, products, markets, competitors and customers to identify risks and opportunities

· Proficient in the English language, including the ability to listen, understand, read and communicate effectively, both in writing and verbally, in a professional environment.

· Effective organization and time management skills with ability to work under pressure and adhere to project deadlines.

· Willingness and ability to travel, when necessary (approximately 25-50%)

Ideally, you’ll also have

· An MBA with two years of related work experience or graduate degree with at least three years of related work experience, with a particular focus on client advisory or strategic planning within a professional services environment.

· A bachelor’s degree in computer science

· Excellent problem solving, project management, facilitation and interpersonal skills.

· Ability to multitask and work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.

What we look for

We are looking for candidates who have a strong aptitude for quantitative and qualitative analysis and the ability to link business strategy to performance. Being a strong team player is critical with the ability to adapt to changing requirements or deadlines in support of our clients’ goals.