Principal, Analyst Relations Lead

Hi 👋I’m Kat https://www.linkedin.com/in/katfergerson/ and I lead Partnerships at Ashby. I joined Ashby in April 2024 to build the Partnerships function from zero. The through-line in my career has been to build in spaces where no precedent existed. Which is similar to how Harriet is building the broader Marketing function at Ashby: using first principles to think about what we really need to get to our desired results. Over the past ~2 years, our business has grown to be the default operating system for over 5,000 of the most ambitious companies in tech, finance, and healthcare. Our Partnerships team has also grown from just me, to a team of 5 located across the US and Europe. We currently look after a variety of programs that are central to our growth: VC Partnerships, Ashby Experts, Integrations, Community Activation, and more. As a team, we’re focused on delivering outsized value to our partners, customers, and broader TA community – and delivering moments of unreasonable hospitality along the way. As we continue to grow and solidify our position upmarket, I’m looking for someone to lead Analyst Relations globally. You’ll have fantastic partners in PMM, as well as buy in from our Executive Leadership Team to make sure we’re delivering and refining our product narrative to the right firms, at the right time. This isn’t a traditional AR role. The right person for this role will feel at ease becoming a product expert in addition to building strong relationships that convert to qualified pipeline, and have a sharp instinct for when to engage and when an opportunity isn’t for us. If this sounds appealing, we’d love to hear from you! What you’ll be responsible for in this role: 1. Develop Strategic AR Programs: execute high-impact AR programs tailored to increase brand awareness and buyer preference. 2. Cultivate Influencer Advocacy: partner with key analysts to ensure they understand Ashby's direction and product roadmap, securing leadership in research reports. 3. Internal Strategic Integration: collaborate with Subject Matter Experts to integrate analyst insights into our product strategy, narratives, and marketing materials. 4. Lead Analyst Engagements: manage the end-to-end process for briefings, inquiries, and major analyst firm events. 5. Represent Ashby and lead analyst strategy at events: you’ll lead our briefing strategy at key industry conferences, partnering closely with PMM to develop our narrative cadence. You’ll also lead and evolve our analyst strategy at our flagship conference, Ashby One. You Will Probably Love This Role If… - You enjoy analyzing trends in the HR Tech space. You may have written about them before, or been a journalist or PR lead in a previous role. - You love building relationships and attending events – whether industry or ones you create. - Influencing outcomes is a top talent. Even when you’re not “in charge” you understand how to change or shape perception with no ego. - You value critical thinking and putting pen to paper to form your thoughts. You understand the difference between using AI to be more effective vs using AI to farm out the work. - You’re obsessed with the details. You’ve built the brief, responded to the RFI, and made sure every line is correct before submitting. This Role Is Not a Fit If… - You prefer doing the briefings, but don’t love writing the briefing docs. This role will have a heavy writing component and end-to-end ownership of all facets of the AR program. - You lean heavily on existing playbooks and tactics rather than stepping back and thinking from first principles. A lot of how we market at Ashby is different: curiosity and adaptability are critical skills. - You don’t do well with autonomy. We provide clear ownership and trust you with it. You should be proactive and resourceful. - You aren’t discerning. Good judgement and perception are incredibly important in this role. - You don’t enjoy traveling. You’ll be putting together a program that doesn’t just revolve around industry conferences. Interview Process - At Ashby, we design our interview process to help you show your best self. Here’s what to expect: 1. 30-minute recruiter screen – intro call with Michelle http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellejhuang (Recruiter) to learn more about the role and share a bit about your experience and how you’d want to approach this role. 2. 45-minute interview with me (Kat https://www.linkedin.com/in/katfergerson/, Hiring Manager) – We’ll dive into past projects and discuss your approach to analyst relations and partnerships. 3. 30-minute interview with Harriet https://www.linkedin.com/in/hajohnston/ (VP, Marketing) to dig into operating principles and business acumen. 4. Assignment – You’ll complete a written take-home assignment. 5. Virtual Onsite (2 hours) – You’ll meet with team members across marketing, events, and leadership. Benefits - Competitive salary and equity. - 10-year stock option exercise window. No pressure to buy your options until it financially makes sense for you. - Unlimited PTO with a strong culture of actually taking time off. - 12 weeks of fully paid family leave (US). - Generous budget for equipment, software, and office setup. - $100/month learning budget, with conferences covered with manager approval. - Top-tier health insurance for US employees (100% premium covered). Ashby’s success hinges on hiring great people and creating an environment where we can be happy, feel challenged, and do our best work. We’re being deliberate about building that environment from the ground up. I hope that excites you enough to apply. Ashby provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, persp