Head of Corporate Development

Plaid•San Francisco, CA

1d•$199,200 - $355,200

About The Position

Plaid's Corporate Development function drives inorganic growth, evaluating and executing M&A and investment opportunities that extend Plaid's product, technology, and market position. As Head of Corporate Development you will report directly to the CFO and serve as Plaid's primary architect for build-vs-buy decisions. Beyond executing deals, you will be a key voice in shaping Plaid's strategic direction, using market and competitive insights to inform where the company invests, builds, or acquires next. You'll partner closely with the Executive team, Product, Engineering, Legal, and Corporate Finance to source, evaluate, and close deals that accelerate Plaid's strategy.

Requirements

12+ years of experience across Investment Banking, Private Equity, Corporate Development or Management Consulting (with a focus on PE due diligence work).
Deep, hands-on experience evaluating and executing deals end-to-end, including sourcing, valuation, financial modeling, diligence, negotiation, and closing.
A track record of managing multiple complex deals simultaneously, from inception through post-close integration.
Strong analytical rigor paired with sound business judgment, knowing when to dig deeper and when to move forward with a decision.
Comfort building frameworks and processes, turning ambiguity into repeatable motions.
Executive presence and excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with the ability to engage senior stakeholders and Board-level audiences.
Prior experience in Technology is a must-have.

Nice To Haves

Experience partnering with Product and Engineering leaders is a plus
Fintech or financial services experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Build and own a proactive pipeline of acquisition and investment opportunities aligned to Plaid's strategic priorities.
Maintain an up-to-date view of the competitive and startup landscape to identify targets before they're formally for sale.
Build and nurture a network of founders, executives, and investors across fintech and adjacent markets to source proprietary deal flow.
Develop well-researched and insightful points of view on adjacent categories and key competitors, and use that intelligence to help inform Plaid's strategic direction and investment priorities.
Lead end-to-end deal execution: valuation, financial modeling, diligence coordination, negotiation, and structuring, partnering with key cross-functional throughout.
Partner with Finance, Legal, People and business leaders to successfully integrate closed acquisitions.
Set a clear integration plan with milestones and performance metrics, track integration milestones and backtest outcomes against the original investment thesis.
Engage Product, Engineering, and GTM to qualify opportunities and sharpen Plaid's areas of strategic interest.
Prepare board- and executive-ready materials on market landscape, deal pipeline, deal evaluation and due diligence findings, integration plan and post-close performance.