Executive Director, M&A

DRiV•Skokie, IL

2d•$250,000 - $280,000•Onsite

About The Position

DRiV is seeking an accomplished M&A executive to lead the evaluation and execution of acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, integrations, and separations across the enterprise. The Executive Director, M&A will guide transactions throughout the full lifecycle, with particular emphasis on rigorously vetting opportunities, leading cross-functional due diligence, assessing strategic fit and risk, and executing complex divestitures and carve-outs. This highly visible role will serve as a senior M&A partner to executive leadership and collaborate closely with Corporate Development, Strategy, Finance, Accounting, Tax, Treasury, Legal, Operations, Commercial, HR, and IT, as well as external advisors and counterparties. The successful candidate will bring deep transaction experience, strong business judgment, executive presence, and the ability to turn complex strategic, operational, and financial findings into clear recommendations and executable transaction plans.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting, economics, strategy, or a related field; MBA or other relevant advanced credential preferred.
12–15+ years of progressive experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate development, strategy, transaction advisory, investment banking, or a related field, including leadership of complex global transactions.
Demonstrated success vetting transaction opportunities, leading multidisciplinary due diligence, assessing strategic fit and risk, and presenting clear go/no-go recommendations to senior leadership.
Significant experience executing divestitures, carve-outs, and separations, including perimeter definition, buyer diligence, transition service agreements, stranded-cost planning, and Day 1 readiness.
Strong understanding of valuation, transaction structuring, negotiation, governance, integration, separation, and the operational and financial drivers of deal value.
Proven ability to surface critical issues, challenge assumptions, navigate ambiguity, and translate complex cross-functional findings into concise executive recommendations.
Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams and influencing senior stakeholders in a matrixed, fast-paced environment.
Exceptional business judgment, communication, negotiation, executive presentation, and program leadership skills, with the discretion to manage highly confidential information.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a global, complex, or manufacturing organization is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the full M&A lifecycle for acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, integrations, and separations, from initial opportunity assessment and strategic review through negotiation, close, and post-close execution.
Proactively identify, screen, and prioritize potential acquisition targets in partnership with business and strategy leaders, using strategic fit, market position, growth potential, value-creation opportunity, and risk to build and maintain a robust target pipeline.
Establish a disciplined opportunity-vetting process that assesses strategic fit, market attractiveness, competitive position, operational feasibility, financial impact, execution complexity, and risk before advancing potential transactions.
Lead cross-functional due diligence across commercial, operational, financial, legal, tax, HR, IT, environmental, compliance, and other critical areas; synthesize findings, identify deal breakers, and recommend appropriate risk mitigation.
Direct divestiture strategy and execution, including asset perimeter definition, carve-out planning, buyer readiness, management presentations, data-room coordination, separation requirements, transition service agreements, stranded-cost mitigation, and Day 1 readiness.
Partner with business and functional leaders to build transaction theses, evaluate strategic alternatives, define value-creation opportunities, and ensure each transaction supports enterprise priorities.
Coordinate internal stakeholders and external advisors through transaction structuring, valuation, negotiation, governance approvals, signing, closing, and regulatory requirements.
Develop clear recommendations and approval materials for senior executives and governance forums, highlighting strategic rationale, diligence findings, value drivers, risks, sensitivities, and execution considerations.
Lead integration and separation planning with accountable workstreams, milestones, decision rights, risk tracking, communications, and executive reporting across concurrent global transactions.
Monitor transaction outcomes, synergy or dis-synergy commitments, separation costs, stranded costs, and other value-creation objectives; escalate performance gaps and drive corrective action.
Build scalable M&A playbooks, diligence frameworks, divestiture tools, governance standards, and repeatable processes while strengthening transaction capability across the organization.