Deal Associate

Benchmark International • Nashville, TN

21h • $55,000 - $70,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Benchmark International is seeking an experienced and driven Deal Associate (DA) to support the Transaction Director (TD) in closing mergers and acquisitions transactions and servicing the team’s portfolio of businesses for sale. The DA will eventually become the primary relationship manager for a select group of clients, handling their sale process from market entry to transaction closing. This is a sales-oriented role requiring strong negotiating skills, empathy, client, portfolio, and personnel management expertise, and a solid understanding of mergers and acquisitions. The role involves significant direct communication with potential acquirers and seller-clients daily. The team structure includes analysts supervised by DAs, a deal-preparation team for pre-market phases, and support from the Managing Partner and Central Support Team, including the Executive Chairman, CEO, Quality Control Director, IT Director, and Marketing Director. Benchmark International’s model removes client origination, general firm marketing, and operational distractions from the teams, allowing for a focused approach. Team obligations begin with a signed engagement letter and detailed file from the Deal Origination Department and continue through all aspects of the transaction (excluding legal and accounting) to closing and success fee collection.

Requirements

• Energetic and passionate individual with a positive and highly motivated can-do attitude.
• Strong desire and ambition to succeed in this rewarding industry.
• Excellent analytical, mathematical, interpersonal, written and verbal communication, and negotiating skills.
• Presentation abilities.
• Ability to convey bad news and deal with clients’ unique sensitivities, while keeping each client moving through the company sales process at a steady pace.
• Two to five years working as an M&A professional (e.g., broker, investment banker, accountant, attorney) or a similar period of experience in roles centered on sales and/or direct client management.
• A Bachelor’s Degree.
• Understand the sequence of events in the company sale process.
• A firm understanding of financial statements, EBITDA calculations, and the process of identifying and defending add backs.
• A passing knowledge of the legal parameters involved in M&A transactions.
• Possess the ability to learn the financial and market dynamics of new industries in relatively short periods.
• Communicate well verbally and in writing.
• Handle setbacks, having difficult conversations with business owners, negotiating against veteran professional acquirers, taking responsibility for process breakdowns even when not responsible, and fostering cooperation with client’s attorneys and accountants.
• Consistently present themselves in a professional manner in keeping with Benchmark International’s image.
• Work outside normal business hours at times, whether early or late, as required by client schedules and expectations.
• Be available to travel for occasional overnight trips on short notice (rarely, if ever, longer than two days).
• Be able to obtain a real estate sales associate license within a designated time frame.
• Have no unfavorable history with FINRA, the SEC, or any state regulatory agency.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of businesses for sale.
• Work directly with business owners looking to exit their business or take on a strategic partner, at times serving as Benchmark International’s primary relationship manager with these clients.
• Ensure your team remains responsive to all client requirements including adequately prompt callbacks, perfectly-crafted correspondence, and compliance with our engagement letters.
• Maintain a detailed understanding of each assigned client.
• Take primary responsibility for the movement of assigned clients through the marketing phase up to the receipt of letters of intent from potential acquirers.
• Handle all client matters delegated by the TD.
• After some time and demonstration of capabilities, directly handle the negotiations of assigned clients through to closing.
• After some time and demonstration of capabilities, handle discussions with assigned client concerning Benchmark International’s success fee and ensure timely collection of the same.
• Supervise analysts in their acquirer outreach efforts, NDA negotiations, and follow up efforts.
• Work with Transaction Director to interview and hire replace analysts when necessary.
• Ensure your team operates in a respectful, professional, and nurturing environment.
• Distribute workload appropriately among your analysts.
• Allocate tasks to provide your analysts with new challenges, to maintain their engagement level, and to achieve high retention rates.
• Provide frontline input to process improvement efforts.
• Remain available on a short-term basis for discipline-specific projects, occasional major transaction engagements, and conference attendance.
• Participate in brand recognition events in the region and throughout the financial community.
• Contribute to office-wide and company-wide training efforts.

Benefits

• Paid time off
• Standard holidays
• Birthday holidays
• Community service days
• Highly competitive company-subsidized medical, dental, vision, and AD&D insurance
• 401k with company matching
• Flexible spending and health savings accounts (FSA & HSA)
• Flexible dependent care assistance accounts

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level