Director, Analyst Relations

It's fun to work in a company where people truly believe in what they're doing!
At BlackLine, we're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business of enterprise applications.
Since being founded in 2001, BlackLine has become a leading provider of cloud software that automates and controls the entire financial close process. Our vision is to modernize the finance and accounting function to enable greater operational effectiveness and agility, and we are committed to delivering innovative solutions and services to empower accounting and finance leaders around the world to achieve Modern Finance.
Being a best-in-class SaaS Company, we understand that bringing in new ideas and innovative technology is mission critical. At BlackLine we are always working with new, cutting edge technology that encourages our teams to learn something new and expand their creativity and technical skillset that will accelerate their careers.
Work, Play and Grow at BlackLine!

• We are seeking a dynamic Director to lead BlackLine's Analyst Relations program . As the central point of contact for BlackLine Analyst Relations, this role encompasses influencing analysts, leading the effort for BlackLine to achieve the most positive ratings and reviews in analyst studies, and also being an in-house expert on analyst perspectives as a resource for BlackLine teams including Marketing, Product, GTM Operations and executive management. Key to this role is development of strong relationships with key analysts at firms such as Gartner, Forrester, and IDC who are influential in customer buying decisions.
• The successful candidate will manage the entire end-to-end process to ensure a steady flow of timely research reports about the company and our products, including Gartner MQs, Forrester Waves, and IDC Marketscape reports that can be leveraged by Sales; coordinate with BlackLine Demand Generation teams to promote positive analyst reports.
• This role requires an ability to articulate BlackLine's unique view and keen understanding of pressures facing our customers, how that point of view has driven our product strategy and differentiation in our product line to date, and how that vision and ability to execute will secure BlackLine's leadership into the future in the markets we serve.
• This role also requires active project management and hands-on content creation and editing - with ad hoc teams of subject matter experts from multiple departments working on tight deadlines - to assure high-quality content submissions to analysts.

• Develop and manage strong relationships and interactions with top-tier industry analysts covering Finance and Accounting, AI, SaaS software and related topics.
• Develop and manage strong and trusted relationships with key BlackLine subject matter experts across all current and future solutions. Project manage and participate in crafting content for BlackLine's responses to analyst studies, including written and video submissions.
• Act as both project manager and editor-in-chief for BlackLine response to research RFIs in which multiple inputs are required by a wide range of BlackLine stakeholders; manage the full research report process including executive briefings and working with customer success to identify qualified, positive customer references and ensure all deadlines are met.
• Create and execute an Analyst Relations plan including a steady cadence of analyst inquiries and briefings, and research reports to showcase the company's business and product strategy and innovations, as well as market leadership position.
• Consume distill and communicate relevant analyst firm research including delivery of actionable recommendations to key stakeholders inside BlackLine.
• Regularly assess the effectiveness of BlackLine analyst relationships; develop strategies for on-boarding analysts new to the company and for increasing the strength of existing analyst relationships.
• Manage budget, contracts, tools, etc. for the function
• Negotiate, secure, and manage contracts and related services ensuring they support both strategic and tactical, near term and future requirements. Ensure that contracted services are fully utilized.

• Five to seven years of Analyst Relations or equivalent experience, preferably with industry-leading business services provider.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills. Disciplined, tenacious, and highly responsive, with a focus on timely, relevant, and appropriate communication.
• Education - bachelor's degree required (or equivalent work experience).
• Excellent negotiation, facilitation, and diplomatic skills, naturally intuitive and sensitive in dealing with individual personalities.Excellent interpersonal skills, including a proven ability to develop and maintain relationships with external influencers as well as C-level executives.
• Self-starter with a high degree of confidence, aptitude, and self-motivation.
• Strong skills at managing multiple projects concurrently with minimal supervision.
• Understanding of how to build and maintain relationships with key influencers, leading industry analysts, and analyst firms
• Prior, significant experience working with and presenting to senior executives
• Experience negotiating contracts with analyst firms
• Excellent project and time management skills
• Proven clear and effective communication with technical and business leaders at all levels within large enterprises and across product, product marketing, and sales organizations
• Ability to travel to BlackLine events and industry tradeshows and conferences (up to 20%)

• Progressive experience operating at a director level at a public company.
• Prior experience working with industry analysts at a high-growth B2B SaaS enterprise software and services company.
• Experience securing a first time position or significantly improving a company's position in a key analyst vendor report

• A technology-based company with a sense of adventure and a vision for the future. Every door at BlackLine is open. Just bring your brains, your problem-solving skills, and be part of a winning team at the world's most trusted name in Finance Automation!
• A culture that is kind, open, and accepting. It's a place where people can embrace what makes them unique, and the mix of cultural backgrounds and varying interests cultivates diverse thought and perspectives.
• A culture where BlackLiner's continued growth and learning is empowered. BlackLine offers a wide variety of professional development seminars and inclusive affinity groups to celebrate and support our diversity.

BlackLine is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity or expression, race, age, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, ancestry, color, marital status, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, medical condition, genetic information, or any other protected class or category recognized by applicable equal employment opportunity or other similar laws.
BlackLine recognizes that the ways we work and the workplace itself has shifted. We innovate in a workplace that optimizes a combination of virtual and in-person interactions to maximize collaboration and nurture our culture. Candidates who live within a reasonable commute to one of our offices will work in the office at least 2 days a week.

USD $151,000.00 - USD $201,000.00

Placement within this range depends upon several factors, including the applicant's prior relevant job experience, skill set, and geographic location. In addition to base pay, BlackLine also offers short-term and long-term incentive programs, based on eligibility, along with a robust offering of benefit and wellness plans.