Role search
Get a Corporate development consultant who can own full-cycle buy-side processes.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters: You need help evaluating a transaction, not automatically another permanent deal executive.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
- Corporate development consultant
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
Your organization requires a leader who can step into a live deal environment without a lengthy orientation period. This role hinges on the ability to translate strategic growth plans into a functioning pipeline of viable acquisition targets. The hire must manage the tension between aggressive deal timelines and the need for rigorous, accurate financial assessments.
Success here involves more than technical deal knowledge. The individual must handle internal politics while maintaining credibility with external stakeholders and banking partners. They will make immediate calls on which projects to accelerate and which to kill based on technical diligence findings.
What should the brief settle before we search?
You need help evaluating a transaction, not automatically another permanent deal executive. Give the consultant a defined analysis or workstream with access to the underlying assumptions. Ask how they would distinguish an attractive model from a business that can support the integration plan. A consultant can challenge the case and coordinate diligence; your team still needs an accountable decision maker. Name that person in the brief. The final output should explain unresolved risks and what would change the recommendation, not just restate the model.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We verify their specific track record in running full-cycle buy-side processes, ensuring they have personally steered transactions from initial market mapping through to signed letters of intent. We confirm they have moved beyond theoretical deal-making into actual execution phases where they have managed the movement of capital and final contract negotiations.
- We confirm they have successfully managed cross-functional diligence teams, including legal, tax, and operational experts, and have experience synthesizing those findings into a clear recommendation. They must demonstrate how they have previously resolved conflicts between competing technical advisors, such as when legal counsel identifies a liability that contradicts a financial growth assumption.
- We validate their comfort level with existing software and valuation modeling tools, testing their ability to refine or rebuild complex spreadsheets without needing administrative support. We check that they can manipulate dynamic DCF models and capitalization tables in Excel while maintaining strict version control and audit trails throughout the entire due diligence process.
- We audit their history of deal integration, focusing on how they anticipated cultural and operational hurdles before closing, rather than just handling the immediate financial aspects of a transaction. We look for evidence that they have managed the transition of systems, personnel, and reporting lines, ensuring that the acquired entity achieves the intended synergies promised in the original business case.
Sourcing
Where we find them
We focus on practitioners currently operating within high-velocity environments like private equity portfolio companies or the corporate development arms of major conglomerates. These individuals are accustomed to the intensity of constant transaction flow. They possess the high-level expertise needed to handle complex divestitures and acquisitions.
Many of these experts prefer interim assignments because they enjoy the variety of deal types and the rapid impact they can make in a new business. They seek roles where their specialized toolkit is utilized immediately.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Hiring individuals from purely advisory backgrounds who lack experience executing the integration work after the deal closes. You need someone who has lived through the operational consequences of their own valuation models and can handle the messy reality of post-close system consolidation.
- Over-reliance on generalized financial analysts who cannot influence stakeholders. This role demands the authority to steer a room of executives and board members toward a firm decision rather than producing endless memos. A candidate who cannot defend a thesis under pressure will stall your progress during critical negotiation windows.
- Failing to confirm technical fluency in specific valuation tools. Some candidates manage the process while outsourcing the actual modeling, which creates gaps in your understanding of the underlying investment risk. You need a leader who remains close to the data and understands the mechanics behind the risk-adjusted returns they present to you.
The search
How the Corporate development consultant search runs
- First, we screen for deal volume and industry alignment within your sector. We verify if the candidate has managed acquisitions or divestitures that mirror your growth objectives and budget constraints. This ensures they recognize the specific operational and financial risks inherent in your target companies before they even perform formal diligence.
- Second, we probe their experience with the full cycle from sourcing to integration. We look for proof that they have managed the transition from a signed letter of intent to the hard reality of post-merger execution. We demand specific anecdotes about how they handled deal break-ups or renegotiated terms when diligence revealed unexpected technical or legal debt.
- Third, we assess their communication style with board-level participants and finance partners. We evaluate their history of defending their investment thesis against critical questions and their ability to pivot when diligence reveals a fatal flaw. We verify their ability to translate complex financial outcomes into actionable strategic language for those who are not focused on the daily transaction details.
Questions
What is the difference between a consultant and a permanent head of corporate development?
A consultant focuses on project-based execution for specific transactions or a temporary surge in deal flow. A permanent leader manages the long-term internal strategy and team development.
How do you verify if a candidate has managed end-to-end buy-side processes?
We confirm their specific work on deal sourcing, initial assessment, diligence management, and successful signing of the letter of intent. We ask for concrete outcomes regarding the deals they steered.
What should we discuss before requesting Corporate development consultant candidates?
Give the consultant a defined analysis or workstream with access to the underlying assumptions. Ask how they would distinguish an attractive model from a business that can support the integration plan.
Do these candidates need access to my proprietary financial modeling software?
Yes. We ensure candidates are ready to work with your current software and platforms without training. They must be able to contribute to your financial models immediately.
How are these roles structured for payment?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We discuss terms after we identify the right candidate for your specific project requirements.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
Corporate development consultant by industry and related roles
All industries
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The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.