Corporate Development & Alliances Director

Fortinet; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 265,000 - 400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) & equity program

Paid holidays & vacation

Job summary

Fortinet seeks a Director, Corporate Development & Alliances to drive growth through strategic alliances and M&A. You will identify high-value relationships, lead due diligence, and shape execution from concept to completion with cross-functional teams.

You will partner with Product, Engineering, Sales, Finance, Legal, and HR to accelerate innovation, strengthen competitive position, and create long-term business value in cybersecurity, cloud, and AI markets.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to drive growth from strategic alliances and corporate development initiatives.
• Experience evaluating and executing M&A transactions, including target identification, diligence, valuation, and transaction execution.

Responsibilities

• Identify and develop strategic relationships with leading technology companies in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, networking, infrastructure, and adjacent markets.
• Build and manage relationships with strategic alliance partners and ecosystem players.
• Coordinate cross-functional efforts related to top strategic alliance partners and external technologies to accelerate product roadmap and customer value.
• Lead strategic and financial analysis of potential acquisitions, including business case development and market assessment.
• Coordinate due diligence and work with Finance, Legal, Product, Engineering, HR and executives through transaction processes.
• Support deal structuring, negotiation, and preparation of materials for leadership and Board.
• Drive post-acquisition execution including integration planning and governance.

Skills

Strategic Alliances

M&A

Corporate Development

Strategic Partnerships

Negotiation

Job description

Fortinet is seeing an unprecedented opportunity to expand protecting customers, drive market share gains, and grow the business, and we are hiring talented people who are excited to directly contribute meaningfully to capturing the big growth opportunity ahead.

We are seeking a highly strategic and execution-oriented Director, Corporate Development & Alliances to help drive the company's strategic growth agenda across strategic alliances and M&A.

This role will be responsible for identifying and developing high-value strategic relationships, building relationships with the venture capital, investment banking and corporate communities and understanding the networking and cybersecurity landscape, to build a "pipeline" of both strategic alliance and M&A opportunities, evaluating opportunities, shaping strategy, and helping drive complex strategic initiatives from concept through execution with a focus on contributions to growth.

The Director will work closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams including Product, Engineering, Sales, Finance, Legal, and HR to identify opportunities that strengthen our competitive position, accelerate innovation, and create long-term business value.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Alliances

Identify and develop strategic relationships with leading and emerging technology companies across AI, cloud, cybersecurity, networking, infrastructure, and adjacent markets.

• Build and manage relationships with strategic alliance partners such as ServiceNow, OpenAI, NVIDIA, AI companies, hyperscalers, key GSIs, and other key ecosystem players.
• Coordinate as appropriate WW efforts related to top strategic alliance partners
• Develop opportunities for technology integrations, co-innovation, joint solutions, go-to-market initiatives, strategic investments, and other forms of collaboration.
• Drive trackable growth contributions from top strategic alliance partners

• Identify and evaluate new markets, technologies, partnerships, business models, and other strategic growth opportunities.
• Partner closely with Product and Engineering teams to identify external technologies and companies that could accelerate the product roadmap or create differentiated customer value.
• Identify opportunities for joint solutions, new routes to market, co-innovation, and broader strategic collaboration.
• Work closely with Sales and Channel leadership to ensure strategic partnerships translate into measurable business outcomes.

M&A Strategy & Execution

• Support the development and execution of the company's M&A strategy based on business priorities, technology trends, competitive dynamics, and capability gaps.
• Proactively identify, assess, and cultivate potential acquisition targets.
• Build relationships with founders, executives, venture capitalists, investors, bankers, and other participants across the technology ecosystem.
• Lead strategic and financial analysis of potential acquisitions, including business case development, valuation, market assessment, and strategic fit.
• Coordinate cross-functional diligence and work closely with Finance, Legal, Product, Engineering, HR, and other stakeholders throughout the transaction process.
• Support deal structuring, negotiation, and preparation of materials for executive leadership and the Board.
• Help drive post-acquisition execution, including integration planning, governance, organizational alignment, synergy tracking, and performance against the original acquisition thesis.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to drive trackable meaningful contributions to growth from both strategic alliances and corporate development initiatives.
• Significant experience in corporate development, strategic alliances, corporate development, strategy, technology partnerships, investment banking, private equity, venture capital, or a related field.

• Demonstrated experience building and managing strategic relationships with technology companies, partners, founders, venture capitalists, investors, and senior executives.
• Experience evaluating and executing M&A transactions, including target identification, diligence, valuation, and transaction execution.
• Strong understanding of enterprise technology markets; experience in cybersecurity, networking, cloud, infrastructure, or AI is strongly preferred.
• Strong strategic, financial, and commercial acumen.
• Excellent analytical, negotiation, communication, and executive presentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively across Product, Engineering, Sales, Finance, Legal, HR, and executive leadership.
• Comfortable operating as a senior individual contributor who can independently lead complex initiatives and relationships.
• Strong bias for action and ability to move seamlessly between strategy, relationship building, analysis, and execution.

Fortinet offers employees a variety of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 401(k), 11 paid holidays, vacation time, and sick time as well as a comprehensive leave program. Wage ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, and job level. Earnings for this position are expected to be $265,000 - $400,000 Exact salary offers will be determined by factors such as the candidate's subject knowledge, skill level, qualifications, experience, and geographic location. All roles are eligible to participate in the Fortinet equity program, Bonus eligibility is reviewed at time of hire and annually at the Company's discretion