Job Description

The Vice President, Business Development is responsible for driving growth through acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and investments. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, this executive leader identifies, evaluates, negotiates, executes, and integrates transactions that support the organization’s growth strategy and shareholder value objectives.

This role is critical to achieving the company’s growth objectives by building a robust acquisition pipeline, executing transactions that enhance enterprise value, and ensuring successful integration and synergy realization. The ideal candidate is a highly strategic, results-oriented leader with a proven track record of sourcing and closing acquisitions and delivering measurable EBITDA growth.

Corporate Development & Deal Origination

• Develop and execute the company’s M&A strategy in alignment with corporate growth objectives.
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of acquisition opportunities through direct outreach, industry relationships, investment bankers, brokers, advisors, and business owners.
• Identify strategic acquisition targets that expand geographic reach, service offerings, customer base, capabilities, and profitability.
• Evaluate industry trends, competitive dynamics, and market opportunities to support acquisition strategy and long-term growth.
• Create and prioritize acquisition opportunities based on strategic fit, financial return, and integration feasibility.

Transaction Leadership

• Lead all phases of the acquisition process from initial evaluation through closing, including screening, valuation, due diligence, negotiation, structuring, and execution.
• Develop valuation models, investment theses, synergy analyses, and business cases to support transaction recommendations.
• Conduct financial, operational, commercial, legal, tax, HR, IT, and cultural assessments of target companies.
• Structure and negotiate Letters of Intent, purchase agreements, earnouts, and related transaction documents.
• Coordinate internal and external advisors, including investment bankers, attorneys, accounting advisors, lenders, and consultants.
• Prepare and present investment recommendations and transaction updates to executive leadership, investors, lenders, and the Board of Directors.

Financial Analysis & Value Creation

• Build comprehensive financial models to evaluate acquisition opportunities, projected returns, and financing alternatives.
• Perform valuation analyses using discounted cash flow, comparable company, precedent transaction, and other relevant methodologies.
• Analyze EBITDA improvement opportunities, cost synergies, revenue synergies, and operational efficiencies.
• Assess transaction risks, integration costs, and return on invested capital.
• Monitor post-close performance against investment assumptions and approved financial objectives.
• Establish metrics and reporting to measure value creation and return on invested capital.

Post-Acquisition Integration

• Partner with HR, Finance, Operations, IT, Sales, and other functional leaders to ensure seamless integration.
• Establish and monitor synergy capture plans, governance structures, and value realization initiatives.
• Drive accountability for integration milestones, financial performance, and operational improvements.
• Identify and mitigate risks that may impact transaction success or delay value realization.

Executive Leadership

• Serve as the principal advisor to the Chief Financial Officer on acquisition strategy, transaction execution, and capital allocation.
• Collaborate closely with the Chief Executive Officer and executive leadership team on growth initiatives and strategic priorities.
• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing corporate development and integration function.
• Foster a culture of accountability, strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Manage relationships with external advisors, including investment bankers, attorneys, consultants, and accounting firms.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related discipline required.
• MBA strongly preferred.
• CPA, CFA, or other advanced financial credentials preferred.

Experience

• 10–12+ years of progressive experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate development, investment banking, private equity, transaction advisory, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success sourcing, negotiating, and closing complex acquisition transactions.
• Experience leading multiple middle-market and/or large-scale transactions simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven track record of delivering EBITDA growth and enterprise value creation through acquisitions.
• Strong experience with post-merger integration and synergy realization.
• Experience presenting to executive leadership, investors, lenders, and Boards of Directors.
• Experience in multi-location, growth-oriented organizations preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strategic thinker with strong commercial and financial acumen.
• Advanced financial modeling, valuation, and transaction structuring expertise.
• Deep understanding of due diligence, negotiation, and post-merger integration.
• Exceptional leadership, relationship-building, and influencing skills.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, project management, and organizational abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple transactions simultaneously with sound judgment, integrity, and accountability.

Key Performance Indicators

• Annual acquisition pipeline value and qualified opportunities generated.
• Number, quality, and value of completed acquisitions.
• Transaction closing success rate and deal conversion rate.
• EBITDA growth attributable to acquisitions.
• Synergy capture achievement versus plan.
• Return on invested capital and other transaction ROI metrics.
• Integration completion timelines and overall effectiveness.
• Strategic alignment, enterprise value creation, and stakeholder satisfaction.

Reporting Relationship

Reports To: Chief Financial Officer

Direct Reports: Corporate Development, M&A, Integration, and/or Financial Analysis team members as assigned.

Travel

25%–50% travel, including target company visits, diligence activities, integration meetings, lender presentations, and industry conferences.