Associate, Corporate Development

Job Overview

Harris’ Frontline portfolio is looking for a Corporate Development Associate responsible for proactively researching, engaging and developing potential acquisition targets for a high‑velocity M&A organization. In this newly created role, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to join a prolific acquirer and learn from the highly successful acquisition culture of Constellation Software.

Preference for Toronto, but open to remote candidates (within North America).

Reports to: Director, Corporate Development

• Conduct detailed research on competitors, potential add‑on offerings, new geographies, and adjacent markets.
• Segment assigned markets and continuously refresh target lists using public and proprietary sources.
• Research industry dynamics to identify acquisition/investment news, competitive tenders, leadership changes, etc.

• Design and execute multi‑channel outreach campaigns (cold calling, email, Linked In, trade shows) to open conversations with founders and executives.
• Attend conferences and regional events to network and build our acquisition pipeline.

• Build trust with CEOs, entrepreneurs, advisors and intermediaries; act as the long‑term account manager for acquisition prospects in the public safety market.
• Maintain regular communication to keep prospects engaged and ensure prospects progress through the deal sourcing pipeline.

• Evaluate opportunities against strategic and financial criteria, including company life‑cycle stage, product fit and ownership dynamics.
• Manage a disciplined pipeline in Salesforce or similar CRM; log outreach activities, track deal stages, forecast pipeline health and prepare reports for senior management.

• Organize management meetings, site visits and prospecting trips; coordinate due‑diligence requests and information flow.
• Work closely with the M&A team throughout the process to ensure a smooth hand‑off once opportunities progress.

• Experience: direct experience in M&A origination, business development, enterprise software sales or high‑ticket B2B sales. Experience in M&A/VC/PE, investment banking or management consulting is an asset.
• Commercial “hunter” mentality: demonstrable success in cold outreach, lead generation and relationship management. Comfortable navigating conversations and building rapport at the C‑suite level.
• Communication and interpersonal skills: articulate communicator with excellent writing and presentation skills, capable of clearly conveying our investment philosophy and value proposition.
• Financial literacy and analytical ability: ability to interpret financial statements and discuss basic valuation drivers is an asset.
• Organizational discipline: strong planning and prioritization; meticulous CRM hygiene; ability to manage multiple parallel opportunities.
• Self‑starter with integrity: proactive, resourceful and able to work independently; high EQ.
• Tools: comfortable using CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce), Linked In, email sequencing tools, Excel/PowerPoint and research platforms.
• Travel and language: willingness to travel domestically/internationally (~10–20%) for founder meetings and industry events.

• Steady cadence of first‑touch conversations and new qualified targets added to the pipeline.
• Conversion rates from outreach → meetings → qualified opportunities → letters of intent.
• Quality of relationships; evidenced by high engagement and positive feedback.
• Timely and accurate CRM reporting and adherence to pipeline KPIs.

• Competitive base salary plus performance‑based bonus.
• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits.
• Robust training and development, including mentorship from experienced M&A professionals and exposure to the full deal lifecycle.
• Opportunity to grow within an acquisitive, growth oriented, decentralized organization.

Salary: $70,000 - $90,000/year.