M&A Associate

First Student, Inc.

$70K — $95K *
Finance & Insurance
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.
  • 2-5 years of experience in investment banking, transaction advisory, valuation services, public accounting, corporate development, or management consulting.
  • Experience in mergers and acquisitions or corporate finance transactions preferred.
  • MBA, CPA, CFA, or progress toward a professional designation is a plus.
  • Strong financial modeling and valuation skills.

Responsibilities

  • Build and maintain detailed financial models for acquisitions and investments.
  • Conduct research and strategic evaluation of potential acquisition targets.
  • Coordinate due diligence activities with various functional teams.
  • Manage transaction documentation and oversee virtual data rooms.
  • Prepare executive reports and investment presentations.
  • Track transaction milestones and manage project timelines.
  • Support integration planning and assist in ensuring successful transaction handoffs.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work on diverse and simultaneous acquisition projects.
  • Broad exposure to strategic growth initiatives within a dynamic corporate environment.
  • Collaboration with senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
  • Room for professional growth and development in a fast-paced environment.
  • Potential for travel to support acquisition-related activities and meetings.
Full Job Description

The M&A Associate is a key member of theFirst Student M&Ateam responsible for supporting the evaluation, execution, and integration of mergers, acquisitions, strategic investments, and other growth initiatives. The role provides analytical and project management support throughout the transaction lifecycle, including target screening, financial modeling, valuation analysis, due diligence coordination, data room management, transaction execution, and post-signing integration planning.

Working closely withFirst Studentleadership and cross-functional stakeholders, the Associate will help assess acquisition opportunities, develop investment recommendations, manage transaction processes, and support strategic growth initiatives. This role is designed for a highly analytical professional seeking broad exposure to mergers and acquisitions within a dynamic corporate environment.

Scope & Responsibilities Summary

The M&A Associate will support multiple acquisition opportunities simultaneously and serve as a central coordinator for transaction-related analyses, diligence activities, and reporting. The role requires strong financial acumen, attention to detail, and the ability to managelarge amountsof information acrossnumerousactive projects.

Primary areas of responsibility include:

  • Financial modeling, valuation analysis, and investment return assessment.

  • Acquisitiontarget research, screening, and strategic evaluation.

  • Duediligence coordination and management across internal workstreams.

  • Data room administration and transaction document management.

  • Executive reporting, presentation development, and investment memoranda preparation.

  • Pipeline management, market intelligence, and transaction tracking.

  • Integration planning support and transaction readiness activities.

Specific Job Responsibilities

Financial Analysis & Valuation

  • Build andmaintaindetailed financial models supporting acquisition and investment evaluations.

  • Perform valuation analyses using various methodologies including discounted cash flow, precedent transactions, and comparable company analyses.

  • Analyze historical and projected financial performance of acquisition targets.

  • Evaluate transaction returns, investment risks, and strategic benefits.

  • Develop sensitivity analyses and scenario modeling to support investment decisions.

Due Diligence & Transaction Execution

  • Coordinate diligence activities among Finance, Operations, Human Resources, Fleet, Safety, Risk Management, IT, Legal, and other functional teams.

  • Manage diligence request lists, information flow, and transaction timelines.

  • Review financial statements, contracts, operating metrics, customer data, fleet information, and other diligence materials.

  • Organize,maintain, and administer virtual data rooms.

  • Track diligence findings, risks, and action items through transaction closing.

Research & Market Analysis

  • Conduct industry, competitor, and market research toidentifypotential acquisition opportunities and strategic trends.

  • Assistwithacquisitiontarget identification and prioritization efforts.

  • Maintain databases of acquisition targets, market intelligence, and transaction activity.

  • Support strategic planning initiatives through research and analysis.

Reporting & Executive Communications

  • Prepare investment committee materials, executive summaries, and transaction presentations.

  • Develop reports trackingacquisitionpipeline activity and transaction status.

  • Assistin preparing recommendations for senior leadershipregardingacquisition opportunities.

  • Supportdevelopmentof annual strategic planning materials and growth analyses.

Process & Project Management

  • Manage transaction documentation andmaintainorganized deal files.

  • Coordinate project plans and timelines across multiple active transactions.

  • Monitor transaction milestones and ensuretimelycompletion of key deliverables.

  • Support continuous improvement initiatives related to acquisition and diligence processes.

  • Assistwith integration planning activities tofacilitatesuccessful transaction handoffs.

Key Selection Criteria

Education & Experience

  • Bachelors degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, ora relatedfield.

  • 2 65 years of experience in investment banking, transaction advisory, valuation services, public accounting, corporate development, private equity, or management consulting.

  • Experience supporting mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, or corporate finance transactions preferred.

  • MBA, CPA, CFA, or progress toward a professional designation is considered a plus.

Technical Competencies

  • Strong financial modeling and valuation skills.

  • Ability to analyze financial statements, operating metrics, and business performance indicators.

  • Advanced Microsoft Excelproficiencyincluding financial modeling, pivot tables, lookup functions, scenario analysis, and data manipulation.

  • Strong PowerPoint and presentation development capabilities.

  • Experience managing large datasets and organizing complex information.

  • Familiarity with CRM systems, virtual data rooms, and transaction management software preferred.

Business Competencies

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

  • Ability to synthesizelarge amountsof information into concise conclusions and recommendations.

  • Strong project management and organizational skills.

  • Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously.

  • Demonstrated attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Personal & Professional Attributes

The successful candidate willdemonstrate:

Intellectual Curiosity

  • Naturally inquisitive with a desire to understand businesses, industries, and market dynamics.

  • Proactively seeks information and continuously developsexpertise.

Analytical Rigor

  • Approaches problems logically and methodically.

  • Uses data and financial analysis to support conclusions and recommendations.

Accountability

  • Takesownership of assigned responsibilities and consistently delivers high-quality work.

  • Demonstrates reliability and follow-through in a fast-paced environment.

Collaboration

  • Works effectively across functions and builds strong working relationships.

  • Communicates professionally and respectfully with stakeholders at all levels.

Professionalism

  • Maintains confidentiality and handles sensitive information appropriately.

  • Demonstrates maturity, sound judgment, and strong business ethics.

Continuous Improvement Mindset

  • Identifiesopportunities to improve processes and increase efficiency.

  • Adaptsquickly to changing priorities and evolving business needs.

Travel Requirements

  • Willingness to travel up to 15 620% of the time to support acquisition diligence, site visits, integration planning activities, and team meetings.

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