Director, HP Tech Ventures

Job Overview

The Director of HP Tech Ventures is a seasoned investment expert responsible for identifying, analyzing, executing, and managing strategic investments in rapidly growing startups that align with HP’s key strategic domains. This position blends venture capital insight, corporate strategic planning, and business development, aiming to maximize both financial returns and strategic benefits from HP’s investment portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end investment activities from sourcing startups at Seed to Series B stages focused on areas like AI, edge computing, and future work trends.
• Conduct thorough diligence, financial assessments, negotiate terms, and close deals effectively.
• Create and communicate investment theses and proposals to investment committees.
• Maintain and grow a strong pipeline of promising investment opportunities.
• Leverage HP’s strategic advantages to secure competitive deals.
• Coordinate cross-disciplinary diligence involving business, finance, technology, and legal experts.
• Manage a portfolio of minority stakes including board observer roles and ongoing governance.
• Assess and recommend additional investments and facilitate value creation through partnerships and potential M&A.
• Deliver portfolio performance presentations and investment recommendations within HP.
• Establish and nurture relationships with founders, venture capitalists, accelerators, universities, and the startup community.
• Represent HP Tech Ventures at industry conferences, demo days, and thought leadership forums.
• Monitor emerging technology trends, market shifts, and competitive landscapes to inform corporate strategy and business units.
• Assist with build-partner-acquire analyses.
• Facilitate appropriate routing of startup leads for partnerships or acquisitions.
• Collaborate across HP’s diverse business and functional areas, fostering internal partnerships and knowledge sharing.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred.
• 8 to 12 years of relevant venture capital or corporate venture experience, preferably with a technology focus.
• Proven history of leading venture investments from initiation through completion.
• Experience managing multiple minority investment portfolios.
• Familiarity with startup ecosystems and enterprise environments.
• Expertise in venture deal structures including preferred equity, SAFEs, convertible notes, pro-rata and information rights, and side letters.
• Established network with venture capitalists, accelerators, and startup ecosystems.
• Domain knowledge in AI, enterprise software, or deep technology sectors.

Skills and Competencies

• Excellent investment judgment supported by rigorous analytical skills, including valuation and market assessment.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing capabilities across organizational hierarchies.
• Aptitude for spotting industry trends early and leveraging external innovation for business advantages.
• Effective communication and narrative skills targeted at senior leadership.
• High autonomy, leadership ownership, and proactive decision-making drive.
• Financial expertise merged with strategic business insight to aid executive decisions.
• Ability to analyze competitive landscapes, technology trends, and startup innovations relevant to HP’s strategy.
• Portfolio management capability overseeing multiple investments with varying risk and strategic importance.
• Dual-skilled relationship building, balancing founder partnerships and corporate interests.
• Technical fluency sufficient to perform initial technical evaluations of AI, hardware, and software ventures.
• Proficiency in leveraging AI tools to enhance research, analysis, and deal assessments.

Leadership and Success Metrics

• Commercial focus on implementation and measurable results.
• Comfort navigating ambiguity with an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Relationship-oriented with a strong presence in external ecosystems.
• Cross-functional expertise spanning strategy, finance, and technology.
• Performance measured by quality and success conversion of investment deals, portfolio returns, business impact from partnerships and M&A, strength of external networks, and internal alignment.

Compensation and Terms

This description outlines the role broadly and is not exhaustive of all duties or responsibilities, which may evolve over time. The U.S.-based salary range for this role is $216,000 to $275,000 annually, with additional potential bonuses and equity awards. Compensation varies with location, expertise, and experience.