Corporate Strategy Manager
Upwork is the world’s work marketplace, serving businesses of all sizes—from startups to Fortune 100 enterprises. Our trust-driven platform enables companies and independent talent to work together in new ways, creating meaningful economic opportunities worldwide.
As a Corporate Strategy Manager, you are a senior individual contributor who supports the development and execution of Upwork’s corporate, product, and go-to-market strategies, strengthening Upwork’s competitive position and driving sustainable growth. Reporting to the Director, Corporate Strategy, you will partner closely with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality insights and outputs. This role is ideal for someone who brings strong analytical rigor, structured problem-solving, and strategic thinking.Your Responsibilities
Corporate, Product & GTM Strategy
Support development of Upwork’s company-wide corporate, product, and go-to-market strategies through long-term (3–5 year) planning, annual strategy cycles, and targeted strategic deep dives.
Build structured analyses, frameworks, and business cases aligned with defined strategic priorities.
Partner with Product, Marketing, Sales, and Finance to translate strategic insights into clear recommendations and next steps.
Strategic Insight & Thought Partnership
Analyze market trends, competitive dynamics, customer behavior, and technology shifts to surface risks and opportunities.
Prepare concise, well-supported insights and materials to inform leadership discussions and decision-making.
Act as a thought partner to cross-functional stakeholders by applying data-driven analysis and structured recommendations
Research, Analysis & Modeling
Conduct quantitative and qualitative research to illuminate key trends impacting Upwork’s marketplace, product experience, customer segments, and GTM effectiveness.
Build financial and strategic models—including market sizing, scenario modeling, product opportunity evaluation, and GTM initiative impact modeling—to support strategic recommendations.
Evaluate customer and market segments to identify new growth opportunities and inform prioritization.
Synthesize complex data into clear narratives and actionable insights.
Execution & Enablement
Support creation of materials for Board meetings, Executive Leadership reviews, and strategy presentations.
Collaborate with FP&A, Analytics, and business units to ensure alignment between strategy and financial planning.
Manage defined workstreams, timelines, and deliverables to ensure high-quality execution.
What It Takes to Catch Our Eye
2–5 years of experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, product strategy, business operations, investment banking, or private equity. We will consider high-trajectory candidates with fewer years of experience but at top companies with a clear track record of excellence.
Strong financial modeling, analytical problem-solving, and data synthesis skills.
Ability to operate at all altitudes—discussing long-term strategy and vision with executives while also troubleshooting operational or product-level details with individual contributors.
Ownership mindset—comfortable taking ambiguous problems, shaping the path forward, and delivering polished, executive-ready outputs with minimal oversight.
Excellent communication and storytelling skills, including the ability to craft executive-ready presentations and influence key stakeholders.
Collaborative working style with the ability to partner cross-functionally across Product, Marketing, Sales, Finance, and Engineering, and influence without authority.
Highly organized, proactive, and comfortable navigating a fast-paced, evolving environment.
MBA or quantitative degree a plus but not required.
Experience in technology, marketplaces, SaaS, or human capital solutions—and familiarity with strategic work spanning product, or GTM domains—is advantageous.
Upwork is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics under federal, state, or local law.
Please note that a criminal background check may be required once a conditional job offer is made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with applicable law, including the California Fair Chance Act and local Fair Chance ordinances. The Company is committed to conducting an individualized assessment and giving all individuals a fair opportunity to provide relevant information or context before making any final employment decision.
To learn more about how Upwork processes and protects your personal information as part of the application process, please review our Global Job Applicant Privacy Notice
