Senior Manager, Corporate Development
Natick, MA 
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Posted 12 days ago
Job Description
Job Description

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Cognex is a world leader in machine vision, a fast-growing branch of artificial intelligence. The one million vision systems they have sold guide robots and automation technology in the world's most advanced manufacturing facilities.

In keeping with their motto "Work Hard, Play Hard, Move Fast", Cognex has grown at 10% CAGR over the last decade and do not show any signs of stopping.

The company has the largest team of industrial machine vision experts anywhere in the world and has set the standard for innovation in the machine vision industry with over 350 patents.

Cognex serves an international customer base from offices located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and through a global network of integration and distribution partners. The company is headquartered close to Boston in Natick, MA.

POSITION FUNCTION:

The Senior Manager, Corporate Development reports to the CEO of Cognex. A core component of the role is to work closely with the CEO, CFO, and Business Unit Leaders to develop the strategy to address growth opportunities. As such, you will have broad exposure across the company and significant ability to affect growth at Cognex.

Our CEO's vision for this role is to serve as a platform for a high-caliber individual who will move into a general management role in one of our business units. To be successful in the eventual general management role you will need to have a technical background. For that reason, we are only considering candidates who come from a technical background (CS, ME, EE, etc).

This role is responsible for leading corporate strategy and development activities. The primary function is to analyze core and adjacent markets and acquisition opportunities, make recommendations to corporate executives and the Board of Directors, and drive the acquisition process.

Primary Roles and Responsibilities Include:

Market Analysis: Lead detailed market analysis of our current served and adjacent markets. Work with Cognex senior management to gain a detailed understanding of the size, growth rate, profitability, and competitive dynamics in these markets. Identify attractive segments and markets for Cognex to enter and/or invest.

Mergers and Acquisitions: Determine the most attractive and actionable business opportunities and acquisition targets. Develop relationships and cultivate the senior management of potential acquisition targets. Prepare and attend management presentations at companies for sale. Perform financial analysis and valuation. Lead the acquisition due diligence, including program management of cross-functional team. Negotiate contracts. Assist in managing the post-acquisition process.

Strategic Projects: Run strategic projects for the CEO, other members of the C-suite, and Board of Directors. Prepare Board of Directors presentations. Develop a process for monthly updates with the CEO and CFO. Manage the Corporate Development department budget. Recruit new members of the Corporate Development Team.

INTERFACES WITH:

In addition to reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, this position entails regular interactions with a wide range of senior leaders across the Cognex organization. Given the work and the variety of stakeholders, the Senior Manager must be able to work independently and collaborate productively with a broad range of individuals.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

  • Strategy Consulting Experience: Two to four years of post-MBA experience in a top-tier management consulting firm.
  • Relevant Industry Experience: Preference will be given to candidates with experience working as an engineer, software developer, or other technical roles prior to business school or candidates who have spent at least 50% of their time working in the technology or industrial products industries.
  • Relevant Functional Experience: Preference will be given to candidates with at least 50% of their projects focused on growth and/or go to market strategy. Structured and Logical Thinking: Strong judgement, problem solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to quickly develop recommendations are critical to this role. The successful candidate must demonstrate a bias towards action. Analytical Rigor: Ability to run complicated quantitative analysis in a defect-free manner. Mastery of Microsoft Excel is critical to this role.
  • Powerful Communication: Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal, including confidence and the presence to engage effectively with senior executives.

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

The candidate selected for this position will be a creative, out-of-the-box thinker who is intellectually curious with a demonstrated interest in learning. This person will also need to

be a self-motivated, high-energy individual who can easily function in a high demand, performance-driven environment. He/she must be accustomed to working on multiple tasks in parallel. This professional must demonstrate strong leadership skills, best demonstrated by the individual's ability to gain credibility with team members and senior management.

The successful candidate will:

  • Be modest in nature, recognizing the accomplishments of the team before the individual
  • Be highly motivated and possess vision and enthusiasm
  • Be comfortable acting as an individual contributor and as a team manager (Player/Coach)
  • Understand how to deliver on short time frames and be committed to meeting deadlines "no matter what"
  • Communicate in an open and honest way that quickly builds trust and respect
  • Possess an entrepreneurial spirit
  • Be comfortable on his/her feet making presentations
Additional Job Description

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cognex is an equal opportunity employer. Cognex evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.

 

Job Summary
Start Date
As soon as possible
Employment Term and Type
Regular, Full Time
Required Education
Master's Degree
Required Experience
2 to 4 years
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