Plaid's Corporate Development function drives inorganic growth, evaluating and executing M&A and investment opportunities that extend Plaid's product, technology, and market position. As Head of Corporate Development you will report directly to the CFO and serve as Plaid's primary architect for build-vs-buy decisions. Beyond executing deals, you will be a key voice in shaping Plaid's strategic direction, using market and competitive insights to inform where the company invests, builds, or acquires next. You'll partner closely with the Executive team, Product, Engineering, Legal, and Corporate Finance to source, evaluate, and close deals that accelerate Plaid's strategy.
Responsibilities- M&A & Investment Strategy. Build and own a proactive pipeline of acquisition and investment opportunities aligned to Plaid's strategic priorities. Maintain an up-to-date view of the competitive and startup landscape to identify targets before they're formally for sale.
- Outbound Relationship Building. Build and nurture a network of founders, executives, and investors across fintech and adjacent markets to source proprietary deal flow.
- Market & Competitive Intelligence. Develop well-researched and insightful points of view on adjacent categories and key competitors, and use that intelligence to help inform Plaid's strategic direction and investment priorities.
- Deal Execution & Diligence. Lead end-to-end deal execution: valuation, financial modeling, diligence coordination, negotiation, and structuring, partnering with key cross-functional throughout.
- Post-Deal Integration & Accountability. Partner with Finance, Legal, People and business leaders to successfully integrate closed acquisitions. Set a clear integration plan with milestones and performance metrics, track integration milestones and backtest outcomes against the original investment thesis.
- Cross-Functional Orchestration. Engage Product, Engineering, and GTM to qualify opportunities and sharpen Plaid's areas of strategic interest.
- Executive & Board Communication. Prepare board- and executive-ready materials on market landscape, deal pipeline, deal evaluation and due diligence findings, integration plan and post-close performance.
Qualifications- Experience. 12+ years of experience across Investment Banking, Private Equity, Corporate Development or Management Consulting (with a focus on PE due diligence work).
- Deal Execution. Deep, hands-on experience evaluating and executing deals end-to-end, including sourcing, valuation, financial modeling, diligence, negotiation, and closing.
- Track Record. A track record of managing multiple complex deals simultaneously, from inception through post-close integration.
- Judgment. Strong analytical rigor paired with sound business judgment, knowing when to dig deeper and when to move forward with a decision.
- Builder Mindset. Comfort building frameworks and processes, turning ambiguity into repeatable motions.
- Communication. Executive presence and excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with the ability to engage senior stakeholders and Board-level audiences.
- Industry experience. Prior experience in Technology is a must-have. Experience partnering with Product and Engineering leaders is a plus; fintech or financial services experience is a plus.
Our mission at Plaid is to unlock financial freedom for everyone. To support that mission, we seek to build a diverse team of driven individuals who care deeply about making the financial ecosystem more equitable. We recognize that strong qualifications can come from both prior work experiences and lived experiences. We encourage you to apply to a role even if your experience doesn't fully match the job description. We are always looking for team members that will bring something unique to Plaid!
Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered. Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Pay is based on factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience and skillset, and location. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.
