Cambridge Investment Research

VP, Strategic Acquisitions

Cambridge Investment Research$130K — $170K *
Finance & Insurance
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
  • 10+ years in practice management, business development, investment sales, or consulting.
  • Extensive experience leading cross-functional projects and transactions.
  • Deep knowledge of the M&A lifecycle: due diligence, execution, post-transaction integration.
  • Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

  • Coordinate all active M&A initiatives to ensure strategic alignment and accountability.
  • Drive timelines and milestones from due diligence to transaction closure.
  • Identify and mitigate risks and dependencies throughout transactions.
  • Lead activities across internal teams: Compliance, Finance, HR, IT, and Marketing.
  • Define roles and responsibilities among contributors to enhance accountability.
  • Maintain M&A playbooks and governance frameworks for consistent execution.
  • Implement tracking mechanisms for monitoring transaction progress and value realization.

Benefits

  • Paid time off and paid holidays, including floating holidays.
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • Short- and long-term disability insurance and company-paid life insurance.
  • Wellness incentives and volunteer time off.
  • Support for work-life balance through a hybrid work model.
Full Job Description
Job Summary
This position is responsible for leading the end-to-end coordination and completion of M&A transactions, serving as the central "quarterback" across all internal functional teams. This role ensures seamless alignment between strategy, diligence, deal execution, and integration planning by orchestrating cross-functional efforts and driving accountability throughout the transaction and onboarding lifecycle.

This leader partners closely with executive and senior leadership, business development, finance, legal, HR, IT, and business unit stakeholders as necessary to ensure deals are completed efficiently, risks are proactively managed, and value creation objectives are achieved.

Key Deliverables and Responsibilities
  • Provide enterprise level coordination for all active M&A initiatives, that includes strategic alignment, facilitative execution, and cross functional accountability.
  • Own end to end execution, setting and driving timelines, milestones, and decision gates from diligence through pre and posting closing of transactions.
  • Identify and mitigate risks, bottlenecks, and dependencies throughout the transaction lifecycle
  • Lead and coordinate activities across internal workstreams including but not limited to Transition, Compliance, Finance, Legal, HR, IT, and Marketing
  • Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and accountability across all contributors
  • Establish and maintain M&A playbooks, tools, and governance frameworks
  • Implement tracking mechanisms to monitor transaction progress and value realization
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, providing concise, actionable updates on transaction status, key risks, trade-offs, and decisions required.
  • Serve as the primary transaction liaison between Cambridge and sellers, coordinating information requests and exchanges, connecting cross-functional teams, and supporting advisor onboarding and enablement


What We Are Looking For

The ideal candidate is a strategic and results-driven professional with a bachelor's degree, MBA or other advanced degree preferred, complemented by 10+ years of experience in practice management, business development, investment sales, consulting, or a related field. This individual brings a proven track record of successfully leading complex, cross-functional projects and transactions, with deep knowledge of the full M&A lifecycle, including due diligence, execution, and post-transaction integration. They possess the ability to influence and align stakeholders across multiple broker-dealer and RIA functions while navigating competing priorities with confidence and professionalism. The ideal candidate demonstrates exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, paired with outstanding communication and executive presentation abilities that enable them to effectively engage leadership teams, build strong relationships, and drive strategic initiatives forward.

Salary Range: $130,000 - $170,000 plus incentive compensation. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate based on the ideal candidate's qualifications, the company's operational needs, and other factors permitted by law. Actual compensation may vary depending on experience, skills, education, performance, internal equity, and geographic location.

Why Cambridge? Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support your health, well-being, and work-life balance. We offer paid time off, paid holidays and floating holidays, medical, dental, and vision coverage, short- and long-term disability, and company-paid life insurance. Associates also enjoy volunteer time off, wellness incentives, and additional benefits that support you both personally and professionally.

You can find more details about our comprehensive benefits package here.

Work Environments: This role offers a hybrid schedule, requiring three days weekly in the office. Applicants should be located near one of our hubs (Fairfield, IA or Phoenix, AZ) and must be willing to work this schedule.

Recruiting Agencies: This position is being managed directly by Cambridge's Talent Acquisition team. We will reach out to our preferred agency partners in the rare instance we require additional talent options. Fees will not be paid for unsolicited submissions. Your respect for this process is appreciated.

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About Cambridge Investment Research

Cambridge Investment Research is a privately owned financial services firm that provides a wide range of services to independent financial advisors and their clients. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa. Cambridge Investment Research offers a variety of products and services, including investment advisory services, brokerage services, and insurance products. The company is committed to providing independent financial advisors with the tools and resources they need to help their clients achieve their financial goals. Cambridge Investment Research has been recognized as one of the top independent broker-dealers in the United States.
Learn more about Cambridge Investment Research
Size
1,000 employees
Industry

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