Vice President of Deal Origination​/Business Development

My client is seeking an accomplished Vice President of Deal Origination / Business Development to support the continued growth of a middle market M&A advisory practice. You will engage qualified inbound business owners, lead high-value advisory conversations, assess strategic fit and transaction readiness, and convert strong opportunities into signed sell-side M&A engagements.

This is a senior-level, relationship-driven role at the intersection of business development, deal origination, and strategic advisory. You will represent the firm with founders and privately held business owners, build confidence in the M&A process, create momentum through the decision cycle, and ensure each newly engaged client transitions into execution with clear expectations and strong internal alignment.

• Lead high-value consultations with pre-qualified founders and owners of middle market businesses considering a sale, recapitalization, or other liquidity event.
• Uncover company background, owner objectives, transaction timing, valuation expectations, decision criteria, and potential barriers to engagement.
• Evaluate transaction readiness and strategic fit while identifying the owner’s advisory needs and desired outcome.
• Position the firm’s sell-side M&A process, capabilities, market approach, deliverables, and value proposition in clear, credible language.
• Develop trusted relationships across the decision cycle and create momentum through thoughtful follow-up, decisive next steps, and consistent communication.
• Navigate sophisticated questions and concerns related to valuation, timing, fees, confidentiality, market positioning, and the advisory process.
• Advance qualified opportunities from initial consultation through proposal discussions and executed engagement letters.
• Maintain accurate CRM records, pipeline visibility, forecasts, conversion activity, and relevant client context for senior banker handoff.

• Senior-level sales or business development experience in a trust-based B2B environment, with demonstrated success closing complex, high-value services or advisory engagements.
• Executive presence and the ability to communicate credibly with founders, privately held business owners, and senior executives in high-stakes situations.
• Strong discovery, presentation, negotiation, objection-handling, relationship-building, and pipeline-management skills.
• Strong business acumen, commercial judgment, and the ability to simplify complex financial and advisory concepts without overselling them.
• Experience in M&A, investment banking, private equity, financial services, business brokerage, consulting, accounting, or related professional services is preferred.
• Comfort with performance targets, accountability, and a 100% commission-only compensation model.
• Available to work remotely from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central Time.
• Must be based in the United States.

You will work with qualified inbound opportunities, engage directly with business owners at pivotal moments, collaborate closely with experienced M&A professionals, and have uncapped earning potential tied directly to the advisory engagements you help originate and secure.