Head of Corporate DevelopmentWhy this role is important to Field Nation:The Head of Corporate Development will own Field Nation's M&A function end to end: building and prioritizing a pipeline of acquisition and partnership opportunities, leading financial evaluation and deal execution, and driving post-close integration. The role sits at the intersection of company strategy, financial discipline, and operational execution - turning market thesis into a rigorous, well-underwritten pipeline, and turning closed deals into integrated, performing parts of the business. This is a hands-on, individual-contributor role at the outset, with the mandate to build out a small function as deal volume warrants.
What you'll get to do:Market Thesis & Target Origination- Partner with company leadership to translate strategic priorities into concrete acquisition criteria - target segment, geography, capability gaps, and deal size.
- Build and continuously refresh a target database, tracking strategic fit, estimated size, ownership structure, and readiness signals for each prospect.
- Develop and maintain relationships with investment bankers, M&A advisors, and industry contacts to generate proprietary deal flow ahead of a formal process.
- Conduct ongoing market and competitive research to identify opportunities - technology tuck-ins, provider-network expansion, complementary platforms, or geographic expansion.
- Apply a consistent screening framework to both proactively sourced targets and inbound approaches, so opportunities are compared on the same basis.
Financial Analysis & Valuation- Build and maintain financial models for prospective transactions, including DCF, comparable company, precedent transaction, and returns/accretion analysis.
- Develop preliminary valuation ranges and deal economics early, before significant diligence resources are committed to a target.
- Stress-test key assumptions - synergy realization, retention, integration cost, working capital impact - and flag where a deal's economics depend on optimistic assumptions.
- Translate financial analysis into a clear, defensible investment case that can withstand board- and sponsor-level scrutiny.
Due Diligence & Deal Execution- Own the end-to-end due diligence process - financial, operational, legal, and commercial - coordinating outside advisors (accountants, counsel, consultants) alongside internal stakeholders.
- Identify and quantify key risks and potential deal-breakers early in a process rather than late.
- Lead negotiation of transaction terms - price, structure, representations and warranties, earn-outs, indemnification - in close partnership with Legal and Finance.
- Manage the full transaction timeline and workstream dependencies, keeping a deal moving without sacrificing diligence rigor.
Executive & Board Communication- Prepare clear, decision-ready materials for the executive team, investment committee, and board: market landscape, deal rationale, financial case, key risks, and recommendation.
- Present and defend the analysis directly to senior leadership and the board, including handling detailed questions and pushback on assumptions.
- Keep stakeholders informed at each stage of a live deal, surfacing changes in risk, economics, or timeline as they emerge rather than at the end of a process.
Post-Close Integration & Performance Tracking- Build integration plans with clear milestones, owners, and success metrics before a deal closes, not after.
- Partner with functional leaders across Finance, Product, Engineering, People, and GTM to execute the integration plan and resolve issues as they surface.
- Track acquired-business performance against the original underwritten case on a defined cadence, and proactively flag material variances.
- Document lessons learned from each transaction to sharpen future target criteria, deal structures, and diligence focus areas.
You might be a good fit if you have:Required- 7-12+ years of experience in investment banking, private equity, or corporate development, with direct, full-cycle deal experience - sourcing through integration, not diligence alone.
- Advanced financial modeling skills: DCF, comparable transactions, precedent transactions, returns/LBO-style analysis.
- Track record structuring and closing transactions, including direct ownership of diligence workstreams and deal terms.
- Demonstrated ability to operate as a trusted partner to C-suite executives and, ideally, a PE sponsor or board.
- Excellent written and verbal communication; able to distill complex financial analysis into clear board- and executive-ready materials.
- Bachelor's degree required.
Preferred- Prior experience in a PE-backed or founder-led company, particularly one that has executed multiple bolt-on or platform acquisitions.
- Experience in marketplace, SaaS, or services businesses.
- MBA or equivalent advanced degree.
- Experience building or scaling a corporate development function from an individual-contributor seat.
Why we think you'll love it here:- Unlimited paid time off
- Annual vacation bonus - yes, we'll pay you a bonus to take paid time off!
- Individualized growth + development plans
- Strong values around work/life balance
- Community involvement opportunities
- Competitive benefits: medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave + 401K
- Exposure to cutting-edge technologies to solve meaningful problems
Come as you are:At Field Nation, we believe work is about more than checking the right boxes. If you don't meet 100% of the requirements for this role, but still feel you'd be a good fit, we want to hear from you! We review all applications and may even have another open position where you are the perfect fit.
A Note on AI:AI isn't an add-on at Field Nation - it's embedded in how we operate. We use AI-powered solutions to work smarter, move faster, and stay ahead - and we expect our team to do the same. If you're someone who leans in, stays curious, and looks for a better way, you'll fit right in.
While we utilize AI in our recruiting process to help surface candidates, every resume and application is reviewed by an actual human. You won't get lost in an algorithm here.
