Corporate Development Manager

Collectivus•Nashville, TN

4d•Remote

About The Position

Collectivus is seeking a Corporate Development Manager (M&A) to help drive our acquisition strategy and expand our global portfolio. This role sits at the intersection of business development, relationship building, strategy, and M&A execution. You will help identify businesses that could be a strong fit for Collectivus, develop relationships with founders and owners—often long before they are considering a transaction—and help move opportunities from initial conversation through evaluation, diligence, closing, and integration planning. This is not just a numbers role. We are looking for someone who is curious about businesses and exceptional with people. Someone who can sit across the table from a founder, understand what they have built and why it matters to them, establish credibility, and determine whether there is a compelling opportunity for both sides. You’ll work closely with the CFO, executive leadership, and partners across Finance, Legal, Operations, People, and our portfolio companies.

Requirements

A track record of sourcing or originating acquisition opportunities through relationships and direct outreach.
Experience working directly with founders, entrepreneurs, and privately held or family-owned businesses.
Experience with both platform acquisitions and smaller strategic/add-on acquisitions.
Experience maintaining relationships with potential acquisition targets over extended periods.
Familiarity with post-acquisition integration and value creation.
The right person will be equally comfortable developing a relationship with a founder, evaluating how a business fits our portfolio, and helping move a complex deal across the finish line.

Nice To Haves

Experience in consumer products, gaming, collectibles, hobby, distribution, e-commerce, or international businesses.
An existing network within relevant industries or adjacent markets.
A genuine interest in collecting, trading card games, gaming, or the communities our brands serve.

Responsibilities

Help develop and execute Collectivus’ acquisition and business development strategy.
Proactively identify and pursue businesses that align with our portfolio, capabilities, and long-term growth priorities.
Build and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective acquisition opportunities.
Develop long-term relationships with founders, business owners, industry leaders, intermediaries, and other potential partners.
Create opportunities through direct outreach, industry relationships, events, referrals, and market networks—not simply through marketed transactions.
Build trust with founders by understanding their businesses, goals, challenges, and what matters to them personally when considering a potential transaction.
Maintain relationships with attractive businesses over time, recognizing that the right opportunity may take months or years to develop.
Develop a strong understanding of prospective businesses, including their products, customers, competitive positioning, growth opportunities, leadership, and strategic fit.
Assess how potential acquisitions could strengthen the Collectivus portfolio or expand our capabilities, categories, channels, or geographic reach.
Partner with Finance to evaluate financial performance, valuation, deal economics, and potential transaction structures.
Develop compelling business cases and recommendations for executive leadership.
Help shape potential deal structures that balance the objectives of Collectivus with those of founders and sellers.
Support letters of intent, term sheets, and other transaction materials in partnership with Finance and Legal.
Serve as a key point of contact for founders and sellers throughout the transaction process, maintaining trust and communication as opportunities progress.
Coordinate cross-functional diligence across Finance, Legal, Operations, People, Technology, and other functional areas.
Help identify strategic opportunities, material risks, dependencies, and issues requiring leadership decisions.
Manage transaction workstreams, timelines, advisors, and key deliverables to maintain momentum.
Partner with Legal, Finance, and external advisors through negotiation and closing.
Provide leadership with concise, decision-ready updates throughout the process.
Partner with business and functional leaders to establish integration priorities before closing.
Ensure the knowledge and context developed during the relationship and transaction process carry forward into integration.
Help acquired founders and leadership teams transition successfully into the Collectivus portfolio.
Balance integration needs with preserving the capabilities, culture, relationships, and entrepreneurial strengths that made the acquired business successful.
Maintain strong relationships with founders and key leaders following close and help identify additional opportunities for growth across the portfolio.