Senior Director, Corporate Development

Wiley • Hoboken, NJ

6d • $189,700 - $278,567

About The Position

Wiley is seeking a Senior Director in its Corporate Development team to drive the company's growth and shape its enterprise portfolio through transformative transactions. This role is crucial during Wiley's strategic pivot, focusing on opportunities in research & discovery, AI, content, and data services. The Senior Director will manage the full M&A lifecycle, from origination to close, in a fast-paced environment. This is a high-visibility position with C-suite exposure, ideal for a self-directed dealmaker who thrives with autonomy and can effectively engage stakeholders to complete transactions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 8–10+ years of progressive experience in investment banking (M&A or coverage), private equity, venture capital, or corporate development at a company undergoing significant transformation.
• Candidates with both investment banking and corporate development experience strongly preferred.
• Deep expertise across the full M&A transaction lifecycle — origination, valuation, diligence, negotiation, and close.
• Proven track record of leading multiple complex, time-sensitive transactions with real financial and strategic accountability.
• Exceptional financial modeling skills with the ability to independently build and stress-test deal models.
• Executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to influence and present to C-suite and Board-level stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy and self-direction in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

Nice To Haves

• MBA from a top-tier business school or graduate degrees in related discipline strongly preferred.
• Experience in publishing, education technology, information services is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain a disciplined M&A pipeline aligned with Wiley's strategic priorities in data services, AI-enabled publishing, and adjacent content and technology verticals.
• Leverage market intelligence capabilities to deliver competitive intelligence and strategic foresight that informs the acquisition agenda.
• Translate market dynamics into strategic recommendations that inform M&A prioritization.
• Proactively identify and cultivate acquisition targets and partnership opportunities through market intelligence, industry relationships, and competitive analysis.
• Expand and deepen relationships with external partners in investment banking, venture capital, financial sponsors, and other thought leaders.
• Own the deal thesis from initial screen through executive and Board-level presentation.
• Support investor relations and corporate marketing in articulating Wiley's M&A narrative and strategic differentiation.
• Lead rigorous financial modeling and valuation work, including DCF, comparable company analysis, precedent transactions, and accretion/dilution modeling.
• Assess risk-adjusted returns and strategic fit, framing trade-offs for senior decision-makers.
• Partner closely with Finance to ensure disciplined assumptions and integration of strategic plans into financial frameworks.
• Translate financial objectives to inform deal structuring and key transaction terms.
• Own deal structuring and negotiation support, partnering with Legal to optimize transaction terms.
• Lead all phases of due diligence — commercial, financial, legal, operational — coordinating cross-functional workstreams and external advisors.
• Successfully manage multiple simultaneous deals in a fast-paced transformation environment.
• Collaborate with functional leaders and external vendors to develop integration plans that capture synergies and protect deal value.
• Establish KPIs and performance frameworks to track post-close value creation against the original deal thesis and modeling assumptions.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package.
• Meeting-free Friday afternoons allowing more time for heads down work and professional development.
• Robust body of employee programming to foster community, learn, and grow.
• Commitment to fair, transparent pay.
• Competitive compensation.

What This Job Offers

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