Corporate Development Associate

Wipfli Advisory LLC•Chicago, IL

2d•$73,000 - $98,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Corporate Development Associate supports Wipfli’s acquisition efforts by generating and developing a pipeline of prospective acquisition targets. The role conducts outbound outreach to business owners and managing partners, researches and prioritizes prospects, arranges introductory meetings, and maintains ongoing relationships with prospects and referral sources. It also supports Corporate Development leadership in evaluating opportunities and moving qualified prospects through the transaction process. The position maintains accurate CRM and pipeline records and reports on outreach and conversion activity.

Requirements

One or more years of experience in professional services.
Demonstrated success in outbound prospecting, including cold calling, email outreach, and setting meetings with business owners or senior executives.
Ability to plan, prioritize, and organize work effectively.
Ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously and meet deadlines.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including confidence engaging firm owners and senior executives by phone and email.
Strong relationship-building and networking skills.
Ability to collaborate across organizational levels, including with firm leadership and external prospects.
Strong research skills and business acumen, including the ability to assess the potential fit of acquisition targets.
Persistence, self-motivation, and resilience in handling rejection and sustaining high outreach activity.
Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and know when to escalate opportunities to leadership.
Comfort working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint; working knowledge of CRM and sales engagement platforms.

Responsibilities

Conduct daily outbound outreach to owners and managing partners of prospective acquisition targets through cold calls and personalized email campaigns.
Set qualified introductory meetings between prospective acquisition targets and Corporate Development leadership, managing scheduling, confirmations, and follow-up.
Build and manage multi-step outreach sequences using sales engagement tools, refining messaging based on responses and meeting conversion rates.
Research, profile, and prioritize acquisition targets based on service mix, industry focus, geography, size, and strategic fit.
Prepare briefing materials, capture notes, and coordinate next steps for introductory and exploratory discussions.
Develop and maintain relationships with prospects, referral sources, and industry contacts.
Assist Corporate Development leadership in evaluating acquisition opportunities and advancing qualified prospects through the transaction process.
Maintain accurate outreach, contact, and pipeline data in CRM platforms and prepare regular activity reports and pipeline metrics.