Role search
Get an Interim Head of Corporate Development who can own run full-cycle buy-side transactions.
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: The acquisition pipeline is active, but no one owns the decision to pursue or walk away.
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
- Interim Head of Corporate Development
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. You need someone who distinguishes between a good deal and a bad fit based on actual market reality.
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. This hire assumes responsibility for the entire lifecycle, ensuring that valuation models are not just static documents but active tools that inform your final investment decisions and board reports.
What should the brief settle before we search?
The acquisition pipeline is active, but no one owns the decision to pursue or walk away. A head of corporate development should define the investment case and manage diligence dependencies without treating a signed LOI as success. Ask how they would challenge an earnings assumption that makes a deal look attractive. Clarify valuation authority, approval thresholds and the relationship with integration leaders. A sourcing specialist may bring opportunities but lack experience carrying a transaction through documentation. Match the missing responsibility, not the volume of contacts.
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 successfully managed cross-functional diligence teams, including legal, tax, and operational experts, and have experience synthesizing those findings into a clear recommendation.
- 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 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.
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. We track these professionals because they have already survived the pressures of intense, sensitive deal environments.
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. These candidates prioritize the substance of the transaction over corporate ladder climbing. They are attracted to projects that offer clear, defined objectives and the autonomy to drive those goals.
We avoid public job boards, as the best candidates are rarely looking for traditional permanent employment. Our network consists of senior executives who are ready for their next mission. We approach them privately to gauge their specific interest in your deal portfolio. By focusing on these hidden pools, we identify talent that possesses the resilience required for your specific operational demands.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Organizations often hire for technical deal-making experience while ignoring the candidate's ability to manage internal reporting requirements, leading to a breakdown in communication with the executive team.
- Companies frequently overlook the importance of system familiarity, choosing a candidate who needs weeks to learn the existing modeling architecture instead of someone who can start adjusting live deals immediately.
- Some firms fail to define the reporting rights and authority of the interim hire early, resulting in stalled decision-making and friction between the new lead and established department heads.
The search
How the Interim Head of Corporate Development search runs
- We start by conducting a diagnostic of your specific deal pipeline and internal team structure. We clarify what you need to solve immediately and what skills are missing. This step ensures that our search criteria are aligned with your actual business reality rather than a generic role description. We agree on the scope before we begin any external outreach.
- Once we define the requirements, we initiate private outreach to our vetted network of practitioners. We conduct deep-dive interviews to confirm their recent experience with similar deal sizes and industries. We assess their ability to handle the specific operational tasks you identified. We filter out those who lack the necessary maturity to handle high-pressure environments, presenting only those capable of delivering immediate results.
- Finally, you review the short-listed candidates through a series of focused, direct interviews. You retain full control over the decision-making process throughout the entire engagement. We remain available to facilitate information flow and assist with any final adjustments. You only move forward if you are confident that the candidate is the right fit to lead your current acquisition objectives.
Questions
How long does it take to see a shortlist?
Sourcing depends on the scarcity of specialists with specific experience in your unique sector and the current volume of active buy-side activity which dictates the depth of our outreach and assessment efforts.
Do you manage counteroffers?
We mitigate risk by vetting availability and interest before we present anyone. We maintain open communication throughout the selection to prevent surprises.
What should we discuss before requesting Interim Head of Corporate Development candidates?
A head of corporate development should define the investment case and manage diligence dependencies without treating a signed LOI as success. Ask how they would challenge an earnings assumption that makes a deal look attractive.
Does this role require relocation?
Most interim leaders work remotely or travel to your location as needed. We prioritize candidates based on their ability to execute regardless of physical office presence.
How do you ensure candidate fit?
We verify the specific deal scenarios and systems the candidate has managed. You assess cultural fit during your final interviews before making any commitments.
What is your fee structure?
We charge no upfront fee to conduct a search. You pay only if you engage someone we present, as agreed in our written contract.
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.
Interim Head of Corporate Development by industry and related roles
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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.