Corporate Development Associate (M&A)
6 days ago
Minneapolis
Job Description Wold Architects & Engineers, A dynamic architectural and engineering firm in downtown Minneapolis seeks a highly motivated, analytically rigorous, and execution-oriented Corporate Development Associate – M&A to help lead the company’s inorganic growth strategy. This high-visibility role supports, and increasingly leads, all phases of the mergers and acquisitions lifecycle and works closely with executive leadership, our private equity partner, and cross-functional teams. This position is ideal for an experienced M&A professional with 3-4 years of relevant experience and a strong transaction background who is ready to take on greater deal ownership, manage complex analyses, and play a meaningful role in shaping enterprise-level growth strategy within a lean, high-performing corporate development team. Responsibilities Include: Deal Sourcing & Pipeline Management • Contribute to the day-to-day management of the M&A pipeline, including assisting with sourcing new acquisition targets, tracking deal progression, maintaining CRM/deal management systems, and preparing pipeline review materials for senior leadership., • Develop comprehensive acquisition target profiles and screening memoranda, including financial overviews, strategic rationale, competitive positioning, and cultural fit assessments., • Support and contribute to outreach efforts to prospective acquisition targets, owners, founders, and intermediaries, including drafting introductory communications and coordinating exploratory conversations., • Build and maintain relationships with investment banks, industry advisors, and M&A intermediaries to expand the proprietary deal funnel., • Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and industry developments to identify emerging acquisition opportunities and inform pipeline prioritization. Financial Analysis & Valuation • Lead the development and maintenance of financial models and valuation analyses., • Build and own detailed deal models covering earnouts (cliff, linear, tiered), rollover equity, net working capital adjustments, and closing statement mechanics., • Prepare sensitivity, scenario, and return analyses to evaluate risk profiles and investment outcomes across various deal structures., • Analyze Quality of Earnings (QoE) reports and translate findings into actionable deal-level financial implications, including normalized EBITDA adjustments, working capital peg construction, and identification of debt-like items., • Support funds flow analysis, escrow structures, and tax-related considerations (asset vs. stock transactions, Section 338(h)(10), F‑reorganizations) in coordination with legal and accounting advisors. Due Diligence & Deal Execution • Support financial, legal, tax, HR, IT, insurance, and operational diligence workstreams from pre‑LOI through closing., • Manage diligence checklists, information requests, timelines, and third-party advisor coordination., • Organize and oversee virtual data rooms, including document flow, access controls, and version management., • Support LOI drafting, purchase agreement review and negotiation, indemnification analysis, representation & warranty insurance (RWI) processes, and closing mechanics., • Prepare management presentation materials, site visit agendas, and executive stakeholder briefing documents., • Track open diligence items, risk flags, and deal-critical issues, providing regular updates to senior leadership and investment committees. Market Research & Strategic Analysis • Conduct in-depth industry, market, and competitive landscape research across target verticals and geographies., • Benchmark valuation multiples, revenue profiles, margin structures, and operational KPIs across comparable companies and recent transactions., • Prepare investment committee memoranda, board presentations, PE sponsor updates, and executive-level briefing materials., • Maintain competitive intelligence on acquirer strategies, platform‑and‑add‑on models, and consolidation trends within target sectors. Post‑Acquisition Integration Support • Contribute to integration planning efforts, including Day 1 readiness and 30/60/90‑day integration roadmaps and functional workstream coordination across HR, Finance, IT, Legal, and Operations., • Support post‑close tracking of earnouts, synergy realization, KPIs, and lender covenant compliance and KPIs., • Help build and refine internal M&A playbooks, process templates, and best practices to create a scalable, repeatable corporate development function. Opportunities for Growth: • Significant deal ownership and direct exposure to executive leadership and our private equity partner, • Hands-on experience across the full M&A lifecycle, • Opportunity to shape and scale a growing acquisition platform, • Advancement potential within corporate development and the corporate side of the business, • Professional growth through complex transactions, mentorship, and industry exposure through professional development conversations every 6 months discussing growth opportunities Skills / Education: Required • Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related field, • 3–4 years of experience in investment banking, private equity, corporate development, M&A advisory, or transaction services, • Demonstrated interest in corporate development, • Exceptional analytical, financial modeling, and problem-solving skills, • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to produce executive-level deliverables (investment memos, board materials, IC presentations), • Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple active deals in a fast-paced environment, • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word and familiarity with data room platforms Preferred • Experience with middle-market M&A transactions ($2M–$100M revenue targets), • Exposure to PE-backed platforms and buy-and-build strategies, • Strong understanding of deal structures including earnouts, rollover equity, NWC mechanisms, indemnification, escrow, RWI and tax structuring (S-corp), asset/stock elections, F-reorg), • Familiarity with QoE reports, GAAP vs. cash-basis differences, WIP/POC accounting and normalized EBITDA analysis, • Experience with CRM or deal management tools (Dealroom, Salesforce, Affinity), • MBA, CFA, or CPA a plus Benefits Offered: • Competitive base salary with performance-based bonus opportunities, • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, • 401(k) with 6% company match, • PTO frontloaded for immediate use, • Hybrid or flexible work scheduling (role-dependent), • Paid parental leave and paid volunteer time, • FSA and HSA options, • Short-term and long-term disability insurance, • Life insurance and dependent care assistance, • Professional development and certification reimbursement, • Frequent employee events and collaborative firm culture Wold offers a competitive wage and comprehensive benefits package. Wold is an Affirmative Action / Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.