Corporate Development Analyst

HFW Companies•St. Louis, MO

12d

About The Position

Join the dynamic team at HFW Companies as a Corporate Development Analyst and play a key role in supporting the continued growth of our national network of firms. Reporting to the Director of Corporate Development, this position supports the full lifecycle of HFW’s partnership and acquisition efforts, with a primary focus on generating new platform-level and tuck-in partnership opportunities. The Corporate Development Analyst will assist across all phases of the M&A process—from lead generation and market mapping to deal execution and closing—while providing the greatest value in front-end origination efforts. This includes identifying and mapping top metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), researching and prioritizing potential targets, engaging with business owners and senior executives, and driving introductory conversations within the civil engineering and architectural industries. This role requires strong analytical skills, persistence in outreach, and the ability to communicate professionally with founders and leadership teams. The Perks! Flexible Time Off, 401k with match, deal closing bonuses, and a wide array of comprehensive medical coverage plans. Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute directly to the growth strategy of a rapidly expanding professional services platform and gain hands-on M&A experience. Company Overview Join HFW, a dynamic professional services company founded in 2020 by industry veterans Michael Hein, Matthew Westphal, and Daniel Forguson. Unlike traditional mergers and acquisitions, HFW takes a unique investment approach that prioritizes the growth and success of its strategic partners and legacy brands without the traditional M&A disruptions and while keeping a focus on its people and their firms' unique cultures. At HFW, we believe in investing differently. We are committed to building a national network of collaborative partners who support each other and drive innovation for our clients on a larger scale. Say goodbye to the disruptive practices of industry giants and join us in shaping a new future for professional services. Apply now to be a part of our innovative team at HFW! Follow us on LinkedIn -> The HFW Companies Learn about us and our firms -> HFW Companies

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, or a related field
1–4 years of experience in corporate development, sales, business development, or a related field with secondary experience in finance useful
Strong interest in mergers, acquisitions, and partnership-driven growth strategies.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage professionally with founders and executives.
Ability to manage multiple workstreams and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Strong problem-solving
High level of organization, attention to detail, and follow-through.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
Language Ability: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to author reports, business correspondence, and procedure Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the public.
Math Ability: Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis.
Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with abstract and concrete variables.
Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of word processing software; spreadsheet software; etc.

Nice To Haves

Power BI experience a plus

Responsibilities

Support the Director of Corporate Development and Chief Growth Officer in executing HFW’s M&A and partnership strategy across platform and tuck-in opportunities.
Conduct market mapping and research across targeted MSAs to identify high-quality civil engineering, architecture, and related professional services firms.
Build and maintain a robust pipeline of potential acquisition and partnership targets, including ownership profiles, service offerings, size, geography, and end markets.
Lead and support outbound outreach efforts to business owners and senior executives, with a focus on generating responses and securing introductory calls.
Prepare company profiles, target summaries, and preliminary investment materials for internal review.
Support deal execution activities such as, transaction tracking, and coordination of diligence workflows.
Maintain CRM systems, deal trackers, and reporting tools to ensure accurate tracking of outreach, pipeline activity, and transaction status.
Continuously refine sourcing strategies, outreach messaging, and market coverage to improve response rates and deal flow quality.
Develop and refine outreach messaging, call scripts, and engagement strategies tailored to founder-led and executive-led professional services firms to improve response rates and introductory meeting conversion.
Track, analyze, and report on sourcing and pipeline metrics—including outreach volume, response rates, active discussions, and deal progression—to support data-driven decision making and continuous improvement of the M&A origination process.
Support internal investment committee and leadership discussions by preparing presentation materials, market insights, and comparative analyses on potential partnership opportunities and industry trends.
Build and maintain Excel-based pipeline trackers; prepare PowerPoint materials for internal reviews and executive discussions; and, where applicable, support Power BI dashboards and reporting to visualize market coverage, sourcing activity, and deal pipeline performance (Power BI experience a plus).
Build relationships with third party advisors and investment banks, as well as evaluate new potential buyside representatives and CRM platforms that will streamline the M&A organizational structure.