Unity is the world’s leading game engine, powering experiences that reach 3 billion people every month — and the business behind it is changing fast. We’re evolving from a SaaS model to an AI token-based, advertising-supported model. Some of it we will build, some we will partner for, and some we will buy. This role evaluates those options — and executes when the answer is buy.
As Director, Corporate Development, you run that work end to end. Reporting to the SVP, Strategic Partnerships & Corporate Development, you’ll work with business leaders to shape what Unity should acquire, source and qualify targets, lead diligence and negotiation through close — and then own the integration that follows. Integration planning is a determinative part of this role, not a post-close afterthought: it begins during diligence and runs with the teams who will live with the result.
What you'll be doing
Build and own Unity’s M&A pipeline: work with product, engineering and business unit leaders to define acquisition theses, map the landscape against them, and maintain a live, prioritized target list.
Develop relationships with targets and with bankers ahead of a process, so Unity is in the conversation before a sell-side process starts.
Lead transactions end to end — valuation and deal modeling, cross-functional diligence, structure and negotiation, executive and Board approval materials, and close.
Own integration planning, beginning well in advance of close. The plan is built during diligence, not after signing: operating model, day-one readiness, synergy targets, key-talent retention, and the milestones each function commits to.
Run integration execution and report on it — track value capture against the deal model, and escalate early when it slips.
Lead build-buy-partner analyses in close partnership with the Strategic Partnerships team to determine how Unity enters new categories, and translate market and technology shifts — generative AI, ad tech consolidation, platform policy — into concrete acquisition and partnership implications.
Partner across Finance, Legal, People, Product and Engineering to pressure-test assumptions and land deals with the people who have to operate them afterward.
Contribute the market and competitive analysis that feeds Unity’s multi-year plan, as an input to deal theses rather than as a standalone planning function.
What we're looking for
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business, or a related field.
8+ years across investment banking, private equity, or in-house corporate development at a technology company, including meaningful time in-house.
Led 3–5 acquisitions end to end, from sourcing through close, including at least one you were accountable for integrating.
Demonstrated ownership of post-close integration: standing up the plan, driving functional work streams, and reporting value capture against the original deal model.
Expert valuation and deal modeling — able to build the case, defend the assumptions under pressure, and recognize when to walk away.
Credibility with operators: you can earn the trust of a GM who has to absorb an acquired team, not just of the deal team.
Exceptional written and verbal communication — a core requirement of this role, not a finishing touch. You can write the memo, build the narrative, and hold a room of senior stakeholders while defending a recommendation under pressure.
Sound judgment in ambiguity, paired with the operational follow-through to get from a framework to a signed, integrated deal.
Willingness to use AI tools and automation to compress diligence, analysis and reporting cycles.
You might also have
Experience in gaming, interactive 3D, or a developer platform business.
Ad tech, advertising monetization, or programmatic experience.
Experience with partnerships, joint ventures, or minority investments alongside outright acquisitions.
Experience through a business model transition, such as perpetual to subscription or subscription to consumption-based…