Staff Software Engineer - Corporate Development

United States Digital Space LLC; New York (NY); On-site; USD 192,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Competitive compensation

Healthcare

401(k) match

Paid time off

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC is seeking an engineer to lead evaluation of startup acquisition opportunities in AI, cloud, and security. You will drive product evaluations, manage technical architecture discussions, and provide roadmap recommendations for M&A and investments.

You will partner with C-level leadership and work within the Product org. The role requires deep cloud tech knowledge and the ability to stress-test candidate products through PoCs, guiding decisions with clear,

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD in STEM or equivalent experience.
• Experience in product development or engineering.
• Excellent communicator.
• Versatile in cloud technologies across infra, APM, security, analytics, and AI/ML.

Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate acquisition opportunities with senior business leaders and VC partners.
• Lead technical due diligence from product and architecture perspectives.
• Stand up proof-of-concept and sandbox environments to stress-test candidate products.
• Assess technical architecture, flag risks and questions, and map post-acquisition integration paths.
• Translate findings into strategic recommendations for leadership and cross-functional teams.

Skills

Product development

Solution architecture

Engineering

Cloud technologies

Communication

Strategic thinking

Education

BS/MS/PhD in STEM

Job description

We are looking for a talented engineer to lead evaluation of startup acquisition opportunities in the AI, cloud and security space. You will drive product evaluations, prepare and manage technical architecture discussions with target groups in Product and Engineering and provide roadmap suggestions for M&A and investments for the company. You will be a key partner to the company’s C-level leadership and highly visible at the most senior levels of the company. The role is reporting into the Senior Director of Product Strategy and falls within the Product organization.

We are looking for an innovative and strategic thinker who is passionate about the latest tech being developed by startups in the cloud, AI and security space. The ideal candidate enjoys researching and evaluating new technologies, works effectively with cross-functional teams, and communicates opinions concisely to our leadership team. Broad understanding of relevant Cloud Technologies and deep understanding of the full coverage of Datadogs current offerings is necessary. The Corporate Development team is small and values authentic, strong-willed individuals who think creatively and proactively.

This role leads technical due diligence from a product and architecture perspective across our acquisition pipeline. You'll scope and stand up proof-of-concept and sandbox environments to stress-test candidate products, then give an honest, unvarnished view of their quality and depth - the kind of assessment that holds up regardless of deal momentum. You'll assess technical architecture, flag the risks and open questions that matter most early, and turn that into a clear post-acquisition integration path. Working closely with engineering, you'll keep the evaluation focused on what's actually decision-relevant, then translate the findings into strategic recommendations for leadership and help carry the integration through by partnering with the right people on the other side.

What You’ll Do:

• Identify compelling opportunities that support the company’s strategic priorities through primary engagement with senior business leaders, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists
• Partner with product teams to comprehensively assess expansion opportunities and build internal and external consensus
• Serve as a subject matter expert on valuation and integration
• Lead all pre-transaction tech-diligence efforts
• Bring transactions over the finish line
• Create or find suitable test-loads if needed, and set up trial environments that can help to test claims and identify values of the startups we evaluate.
• Interact with strategic leadership on a regular basis to provide results and opinions on active deals and opportunities.
• Represent Product and Engineering in initial Product calls, help identify potential targets and find product fit.
• Act as main contact point for startups and cross-functional groups within the company, including Product, Engineering, Security in all questions related to integration, value (what we get from the acquisition and what we should build) and architecture of active M&A deals

Who You Are:

• Experienced in product development, solution architecture or engineering.
• You have a BS/MS/PhD in a STEM field or equivalent experience.
• An excellent communicator
• Versatile in a wide range of cloud technologies relevant to the full suite of the company products - including infrastructure, APM, security, analytics and AI/ML
• Able to focus on high priority testing goals based on value and risk assessment.
• Able to prioritize multiple stakeholders and projects with limited resources
• A self-starter who excels in technically demanding, fast-paced, and fluid environments
• Able to demonstrate creative and analytical thinking
• Able to collect feedback from multiple parties, summarize this feedback and merge it with facts and comparisons across similar applications.
• Able to build and maintain a network of relationships to facilitate deal flow

Why You Should Apply:

• Continuous career development with plenty of exposure to our founders
• Opportunity to learn and access the latest tech and influence how we plan to use it
• Learn how the best companies are built - learn what to do and what not to do
• Product training to develop an in-depth understanding of our product and space
• Best in breed onboarding
• Internal mentor and buddy program cross-departmentally
• Friendly and inclusive workplace culture

the company offers a competitive salary and equity package, and may include variable compensation. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, the company offers a wide range of best in class, comprehensive and inclusive employee benefits for this role including healthcare, dental, parental planning, and mental health benefits, a 401(k) plan and match, paid time off, fitness reimbursements, and a discounted employee stock purchase plan.

The reasonably estimated yearly salary for this role at the company is:

$192,000 — $240,000 USD