Principal, Intelligence

Principal, Competitive Intelligence (Observability)

Elastic, the Search AI Company, enables everyone to find the answers they need in real time, using all their data, at scale — unleashing the potential of businesses and people. The Elastic Search AI Platform is used by more than 50% of the Fortune 500, bringing together precision search and AI intelligence to accelerate the results that matter. By taking advantage of all structured and unstructured data — while securing and protecting private information more effectively — Elastic’s cloud‑based solutions for search, security, and observability help organizations deliver on the promise of AI.

Elastic is seeking a Principal Competitive Intelligence Manager to join its Product Marketing organization, focusing on the Observability solution. This role is pivotal in analyzing the competitive landscape and providing actionable insights to enhance go‑to‑market strategies. The successful candidate will collaborate with various teams to position Elastic’s offerings effectively against competitors, ensuring the organization remains competitive in a dynamic market.

The ideal candidate brings a strong mix of technical, business, and communication ability, particularly in the Observability market. You have a deep understanding of Observability solutions, including the users and buyers of those products. You thrive in ambiguity, think critically, and can dive deep to deliver valuable insights. You excel at communicating across levels, from technical experts to senior executives, and are skilled at turning data into impactful messaging for different audiences.

• Build and implement an effective competitive intelligence program for Elastic’s observability solution—including in‑depth analysis of competitors’ products, services, pricing, packaging, marketing strategies, and financial performance.
• Create clear, compelling, fact‑based internal and external enablement materials—battle cards, bulletins, training, comparisons for blogs/websites—that tell the story behind Elastic Observability product and technology differentiation, creating sales and solution engineering confidence.
• Track, analyze, and communicate competitive developments, providing timely responses to market changes and competitor actions.
• Collaborate on the Win/Loss program, participating in W/L interviews and analyzing data to advise sales strategies and product decisions.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the observability market, including market trends, competitive dynamics, and SWOT evaluations.
• Effectively collaborate with product marketing, product management, and sales to craft competitive positioning strategies for new products and features.
• Participate in industry events to monitor trends and advise on competitive shifts.

• Understanding of the Observability market, key players, technologies, and trends.
• Strong technical and analytical skills to assess competitive solutions, features, and strategies and propose effective responses.
• Excellent communication skills—verbal, written, and visual—to share competitive insights and strategies effectively.
• Proven success in roles such as sales engineering, technical marketing, or competitive analysis, preferably within the observability industry.
• Ability to build relationships and work optimally with teams across the company, including sales, marketing, engineering, and leadership.
• Experience translating technical features into compelling business value for diverse audiences.
• A technical degree in engineering, computer science, or equivalent experience is helpful but not required.

Compensation for this role is in the form of base salary. This role does not have a variable compensation component. The typical starting salary range for new hires in this role is $155,700—$204,700 USD. In select locations (including Seattle, WA; Los Angeles, CA; the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, and the New York City Metro Area), an alternate range may apply: $173,100—$243,100 USD.

• Competitive pay based on the work you do here and not your previous salary.
• Health coverage for you and your family in many locations.
• Ability to…