Head of Corporate Development

Play On Sports is seeking an experienced Head of Corporate Development to lead the company's inorganic growth strategy and execute high-impact strategic transactions. Reporting to the CFO, this is a senior individual contributor role that owns Play On's corporate development function and partners closely with the CEO, President of Strategic Growth, and executive leadership team to identify, evaluate, negotiate, and execute acquisitions that accelerate the company's long-term growth strategy.

The Head of Corporate Development will serve as the company's M&A leader, helping shape acquisition strategy while leading every stage of the transaction lifecycle—from developing investment theses and evaluating strategic and financial fit to negotiating transaction terms, managing cross-functional diligence, partnering with legal counsel and external advisors, and driving transactions through successful closing. This role will also provide thoughtful guidance on capital allocation, valuation, deal structure, affordability, and the financial and strategic tradeoffs associated with potential acquisitions.

The ideal candidate is an exceptional M&A practitioner with deep expertise in corporate finance, valuation, transaction execution, and strategic analysis. They possess outstanding business judgment, the ability to synthesize complex opportunities into clear recommendations for executive leadership, and the credibility to engage effectively with founders, advisors, investors, shareholders, and members of the Board. This is a highly visible role with significant executive exposure, requiring a collaborative leader who can influence decisions across the organization while independently driving complex, cross-functional initiatives.

• Partner with the CEO, CFO, and President of Growth Strategy to develop and execute Play On's inorganic growth strategy.

• Build and maintain a pipeline of acquisition opportunities aligned with the company's strategic priorities.

• Develop investment theses and strategic rationales for acquisitions, partnerships, and other strategic opportunities.

• Evaluate market trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging technologies to identify opportunities that strengthen Play On's market position.

• Advise executive leadership on capital allocation decisions and the role of M&A in creating long-term shareholder value.

• Lead end-to-end execution of acquisitions from initial evaluation through signing and closing.

• Develop valuation analyses, financial models, synergy assessments, and investment recommendations.

• Structure and negotiate letters of intent, term sheets, purchase agreements, and other transaction documents.

• Lead cross-functional due diligence across finance, legal, product, technology, commercial, HR, tax, accounting, and operations.

• Manage outside legal counsel, financial advisors, accounting firms, and other transaction partners.

• Drive transaction timelines, coordinate internal stakeholders, and ensure successful execution through closing.

• Evaluate target company business models, financial performance, growth drivers, unit economics, and key risks.

• Build sophisticated financial analyses, including valuation, scenario modeling, accretion/dilution, and return analyses.

• Assess strategic and financial synergies, integration considerations, and long-term value creation opportunities.

• Prepare investment recommendations and executive materials for the CEO, Board of Directors, and shareholders.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, CFO, and executive leadership team on acquisition strategy and strategic investments.

• Build trusted relationships with founders and executive teams of acquisition targets.

• Support communications with the Board, investors, lenders, and shareholders regarding strategic transactions.

• Partner closely with Finance, Legal, Product, Strategy, and Business leaders throughout the transaction lifecycle.

• 8-10+ years of experience in corporate development, mergers and acquisitions, investment…