Senior Director, Commercial Strategy

Couchbase, the operational data platform for AI, empowers businesses to succeed by bringing data to life in new ways. Major market-leading companies rely on Couchbase for mission critical operational, analytical, mobile and AI workloads. Built to replace legacy infrastructure and fragmented data services, Couchbase empowers enterprises with a unified platform architected for performance, flexibility and global scale.

With Couchbase, organizations bring their data to life, launching game-changing customer experiences, exploring the limitless potential of AI, and seamlessly extending applications from the cloud to the edge and beyond. Couchbases AI-ready technology and enterprise partnership model eliminate complexity and reduce total cost of ownership, enabling teams to stay agile, innovative and secure.

Couchbase believes data should never slow you down, but act as the foundation for your next breakthrough. Discover why Couchbase is trusted to help the worlds biggest players scale, move fast and stay resilient, no matter whats next on their roadmap. Visit couchbase.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Want to be part of our story? Apply today! 

Reporting to the Vice President of Revenue Operations, you will lead, define, and oversee the execution of all aspects of the Global Commercial Strategy organization. This includes setting global policy and governance for deal review, ensuring accuracy, business, operational, and SLA compliance, and driving optimal global deal structure and pricing response. You are a recognized thought leader and subject matter expert in enterprise infrastructure software deals, including both subscription and consumption models. You will be a key strategic business partner to the entire Global Field Organization and Executive Leadership team.

In this role, you will be the final escalation point for complex, high-value global deal exceptions and strategic structuring issues. This role will define the financial governance for global deals and the linkage to the overall financial targets and KPIs of Couchbase. Strong negotiation experience and executive presence will be critical to manage global field teams, internal stakeholders, and the largest customer negotiations. Cross-functional leadership will be important as this role is at the intersection of numerous global functions. Your ability to communicate across all levels, from sales reps up to our Board of Directors, will be an essential skill required for this role. You must be an initiative-taking self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced global environment.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement global deal strategy, governance, and practices to ensure consistency and maximize revenue and margin.
• Deep understanding of cloud-based software & services delivery (i.e., Software-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service SaaS) including pricing, consumption models, and the impact of usage patterns on total cost of ownership (TCO).
• Lead the articulation of the financial outcome of deals and how this aligns with the companys strategic goals at an executive level.
• Lead the development of global pricing models, commercial offerings, and deal structuring methodologies, providing executive-level guidance to all regional teams.
• Direct Global deal reviews with Sales/Sales Leadership to drive high-value, Account-Level strategy on pricing/deal structuring.
• Lead and mentor a global team of ICs and Managers, fostering a high-performance culture and ensuring succession planning.
• Act as the primary executive liaison working with Sales, Field Operations, Finance, and Legal throughout the global contract process, providing strategic assistance to ensure proper processing, including contract red line review and negotiations.
• Effectively resolve and champion complex questions arising between internal processes and global customer needs.
• Define the strategy for improving and enhancing cross-functional processes to ensure a smoother, easier, and frictionless global selling experience.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of leading and managing global teams and organizations.
• Extensive experience defining commercial strategy and governance for complex global deal structuring, including large Enterprise License Agreements, specifically in subscription and consumption models.
• 12+ years of progressive experience working in Enterprise software / SaaS industry with a significant portion in a Deal Desk or Finance leadership role.
• Extensive experience with Salesforce and CPQ is a must.
• Experience leading the review of customer contracts and setting standards for contract language drafting.
• Masters Degree or MBA preferred, with deep financial acumen.

The anticipated starting base pay range for this role is listed below. Base salary is not the only component of our competitive total rewards package - you may also be eligible for bonus, commissions, equity, and other benefits as described below. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location.

Base Pay Range

$205,000-$241,000 USD

At Couchbase, we believe innovation thrives when diverse perspectives are at the table. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgroundsincluding women, people of color, LGTBQIA+ professionals, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. If you see a role that excites you, but dont meet every qualification, we still encourage you to apply.

Studies show underrepresented talent is less likely to apply unless they meet all the criteria. We encourage you to apply if youre excited about the role and can bring strong contributions to our team.

If you require reasonable accommodations during the recruitment process, please let your recruiter knowwere happy to support you.

We value diverse educational and career backgrounds. If your experience aligns with the roles goalseven if it doesnt follow a traditional pathwed love to hear from you.

 Why Couchbase?

Modern customer experiences need a flexible cloud database platform that can power applications spanning from cloud to edge and everything in between. Couchbases mission is to simplify how developers and architects develop, deploy and consume modern applications wherever they are. We have reimagined the database with our fast, flexible and affordable cloud database platform Capella, allowing organizations to quickly build applications that deliver premium experiences to their customers all with best-in-class price performance. More than 30% of the Fortune 100 trust Couchbase to power their modern applications and build innovative new ones. See our recent awards to learn why Couchbase is a great place to work.We are honored to be a part of the Best Places to Work Award for the Bay Area and the UK. Couchbase offers a total rewards approach to benefits  that recognizes the value you create here, so that you in turn may best serve yourself and your family. Some benefits include:

• Generous Time Off Program - Flexibility to care for you and your family
• Wellness Benefits - A variety of world class medical plans to choose from, along with dental, vision, life insurance, and employee assistance programs*
• Financial Planning - Retirement program* and Business Travel Insurance
• Career Growth - Be valued, Create value approach
• Fun Perks - An ergonomic and comfortable in-office / WFH setup. Food & Snacks for in-office employees.
• And much more!
• Note: some programs are not applicable to all countries. Please discuss with a Couchbase recruiter to learn more.

Learn more about Couchbase:

News and Press Releases

Couchbase Capella

Couchbase Blog

Investors

Disclaimer:

Couchbase is committed to being an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Join an impact initiative group and experience the amazing feeling of Couchbase can-do culture.

By using this website and submitting your information, you acknowledge our Candidate Privacy Notice and understand your personal information may be processed in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Notice following guidelines in your country of application.