Senior Manager, Commercial Diligence (Software & IT Services, Private Equity)

Arthur D. Little Services S.A.S.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Manager with extensive experience in commercial due diligence for private equity clients. This role offers the opportunity to lead strategic engagements focusing on software and IT services, manage project teams, and synthesize critical market insights into actionable recommendations. The ideal candidate will possess a strong analytical toolkit and executive-ready communication skills. Join a dynamic team committed to fostering a high-performance culture and driving growth in a rapidly evolving market.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in strategy consulting or commercial diligence, with 3+ years leading engagements.
• Demonstrated track record in software, SaaS, or IT-services markets.
• Strong analytical skills: market-sizing, financial modeling, and customer segmentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end commercial diligence engagements for private-equity investors.
• Structure and manage project teams, setting workplans and quality standards.
• Synthesize market insights into investor-grade deliverables and presentations.

Skills

Strategy Consulting

Commercial Diligence

Software/IT Services

Analytical Skills

Executive Communication

Leadership

Problem-Solving

Education

Bachelor's Degree

MBA or Equivalent

Tools

Tableau

Power BI

Excel

Job description

Overview

Founded in 1886 as the world’s first consulting firm, Arthur D. Little (ADL) has continually transformed business thinking and practice by applying its expertise in the areas of strategy, technology, and innovation to transform business. ADL today is a global team over 1,500 consultants in 40 offices and in more than 30 countries. A global and private partnership, ADL has managed to maintain a consistent growth over the last decade. In 2024, ADL achieved double digit growth and reached its highest ever revenue. In the US, ADL has offices in Boston, New York, San Francisco and is anticipating the opening of a Detroit and Atlanta office this year. ADL US has quadrupled its revenues and staff since 2019. ADL has made the decision to dramatically increase its investments and plans for growth in the US market. ADL is planning for a doubling of our US business within the coming 2 years through a combination of expansion in existing practices and addition of teams in additional industry practices.

As ADL continues to grow, ADL is looking for a senior manager with extensive experience leading commercial due diligence engagements for private equity clients related to software and/or IT services.

Arthur D. Little US is proud to be Certified by Great Place To Work. The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Arthur D. Little US. 98% of employees said it’s a Great Place To Work – 41 points higher than the average U.S. company.

Strong preference towards candidates interested in being located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Responsibilities

We are seeking experienced professionals to strengthen our commercial diligence expertise. This role is ideal for professionals with a strong foundation in strategy consulting and experience in software/IT services.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end commercial diligence engagements (buy-side and sell-side) for private-equity investors focused on software and IT-services assets, typically delivered in 3–4 weeks.

• Structure and manage project teams (2-6 consultants/analysts), setting workplans, quality standards, and timelines while coaching team members in problem-solving and storylining.

• Serve as primary client interface, translating investor hypotheses into analytical workstreams, providing weekly read-outs, and aligning stakeholders on interim findings and final recommendations.

• Synthesize market, competitive, and customer insights into clear, investor-grade deliverables—including red-flag summaries, full commercial diligence reports, and board-level presentations.

• Develop proprietary knowledge assets (thought papers, industry primers, benchmarks) to deepen the firm’s software & IT-services expertise and support business development.

• Contribute to practice growth, helping shape service-line offerings, pitch materials, and proposal responses; actively mentor rising talent and foster an inclusive, high-performance culture.

Required Experience & Skills

• 7 + years in strategy consulting or commercial diligence, with at least 3 years leading engagements.

• Demonstrated track record in software, SaaS, or IT-services markets—pricing models, GTM strategies, unit economics, and key value drivers.

• Deep familiarity with private-equity deal cycles, diligence questions, and investment committee standards.

• Strong analytical toolkit: market-sizing, cohort and retention analysis, customer segmentation, primary research design, and financial modeling (Excel).

• Executive-ready communication skills—able to distill complex analyses into concise narratives and defend recommendations under scrutiny.

• Proven people-leadership abilities: team coaching, workload balancing, and feedback delivery in fast-paced settings.

• MBA or equivalent graduate degree strongly preferred; undergraduate degree in business, economics, computer science, or engineering required.

Preferred Attributes

• Network of senior contacts in the software & IT-services ecosystem (operators, advisors, or investors).

• Experience authoring thought-leadership pieces or conference presentations.

• Familiarity with modern data & BI tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) and emerging AI/ML trends in enterprise software.

Qualifications

Desired candidate profile:

Educational Background:

• Bachelor’s degree required

• Advanced degree (MBA, MS, or PhD) in a related field is a plus.

Key Skills and Attributes:

• Strong problem-solving abilities, with experience in hypothesis-driven analysis and data interpretation.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Proven leadership experience, including managing teams and fostering collaboration.

• Entrepreneurial mindset and adaptability to diverse and dynamic environments.

Additional Requirements:

• Have U.S.A. work authorization, at least OPT STEM

Arthur D. Little is an equal opportunity employer:

ADL is committed to ensuring no employee, contractor, vendor, or job applicant is discriminated against because of their race, color, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, gender, marital or civil partner status, veteran status, sexual orientation, age, gender reassignment, or disability.

If you have a disability that prevents or limits your ability to access or complete the application, or if you require any accommodations for the application or interview process, you may make a request by reaching out to [e-mail].