Senior Associate, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)

Job Title:   Senior Associate, M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions)

Reports To: VP of Corporate Development

Location: Columbus, Ohio (Open to partial remote for the right candidate)

Position Summary

The role will be a critical member of the Corporate Development team, working closely with and reporting directly to the VP of Corporate Development to execute the company's acquisition strategy. A key responsibility of this role will be to own all aspects of financial modeling and analysis for potential acquisitions.

In addition to driving the valuation modeling, the candidate will act as a key project manager during the due diligence phase, coordinating multiple workstreams to ensure smooth transaction execution. Additionally, the candidate will have the opportunity to identify and evaluate potential new targets. This role is designed for a high-performing professional targeting a fast runway, and upon proven success, future opportunities to:

• Independently lead M&A transactions under the mentorship and guidance of the VP of Corporate Development
• Source proprietary M&A transactions via research and target outreach
• Present to the company C-Suite and Board of Directors
• Develop business cases for expansion into new end markets, product categories, or geographies

What You'll Do:

Financial Modeling & Valuation - Own the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of complex financial models for M&A valuations (including 3-statement models, DCF, trading comparables, and precedent transaction analyses). Your models will be the cornerstone of our deal evaluation process.

Due Diligence Project Management - In some instances, act as the central project manager for the due diligence process. Coordinate with internal cross-functional teams (Finance, HR, Tax, Legal, Operations) and external advisors to keep diligence checklists updated, manage the virtual data room (VDR), and ensure all milestones are met on time.

Market Research & Pipeline - Conduct industry and company-specific research to identify potential acquisition targets and maintain the corporate development pipeline tracker.

Career Progression Track - Actively shadow the VP of Corporate Development during deal structuring, letter of intent (LOI) drafting, and negotiations. This role is structured to groom the candidate to independently lead smaller M&A deals in the future.

 What You'll Need:

• Experience: 2-5 years of experience in a highly analytical role such as investment banking, private equity, corporate development, or transaction advisory services. A CPA is a plus.
• Financial Modeling Expertise: Demonstrated, hands-on mastery of building complex three-statement financial models and performing various valuation analyses.
• Project Management Skills: Proven ability to organize, track, and manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders under tight deadlines.
• Analytical Skills: Strong quantitative capabilities with an exceptional attention to detail.
• Self-Motivation: A proactive, high-energy individual who can work independently and is eager to take on more deal-lead responsibilities over time.
• Communication: Ability to distill complex financial analysis and due diligence findings into clear, concise insights for the VP of Corporate Development and executive leadership.
• The ideal candidate will be ready to roll up their sleeves for deals and relationships alike; low ego and be collaborative in nature.