Corporate Development Lead

We are hiring a Corporate Development Lead to identify the highest-impact opportunities for M&A across the business, and to execute on them. You will work with leadership and teams across Profound to spot where acquiring product, talent, or data could move us faster, weigh build versus buy, and then own the deal end to end: sourcing, diligence, negotiation, close, and integration. This is not an origination-only seat. You will be in the room for every deal, from a small acquihire that closes in weeks to a larger bet that reshapes the product and the company.

You will work directly with the leadership team, alongside Product, Engineering, Legal, Finance, and People, and partner with Operations on integration planning once a deal is signed.

What you'll do

• Identify where M&A could accelerate Profound’s business, from engineering to go-to-market, by working closely with leadership and functional teams, and turn them into clear acquisition themes and strategy

• Evaluate whether each gap is best solved by building or buying, and make the case for when an acquisition is the right answer

• Proactively source opportunities through founders, investors, bankers, and the broader AI ecosystem, running thesis-led outreach rather than waiting for inbound

• Lead deals from first conversation through diligence, valuation, structuring, negotiation, signing, and close

• Run the full range of deals, from fast-moving acquihires and tuck-ins to larger strategic acquisitions, matching process and rigor to the size of the bet

• Structure and negotiate terms including price, equity, retention, and deal protections, working with outside counsel and advisors

• Work with Operations to plan integration from signing through Day 1 and beyond, so acquired teams and technology are productive quickly

Who you are

• 8+ years in corporate development, technology investment banking, venture, private equity, with several M&A or strategic transactions you personally led from sourcing through close and integration

• Experience in corporate development a high-growth technology or AI company is strongly preferred

• Strategic thinker who can diagnose where a business has gaps and translate them into a concrete deal thesis

• Strong negotiator and deal structurer, comfortable with valuation, financial modeling, and the legal mechanics of a transaction

• An established network of founders, investors, and bankers in the AI and software ecosystem

• Executive-level communicator who can influence founders, the board, and leadership

• High ownership and low ego, comfortable with ambiguity and a bias toward action, equally willing to build the model and run the negotiation

• Integration experience is a plus, as is a background in marketing technology, analytics, or enterprise SaaS

Location

This is an on-site role based in our NYC or SF office, designed for builders who thrive on speed, iteration, and meaningful impact.

For this role, the expected base salary range is $225,000 to $280,000 (NYC and SF). Profound's total compensation package is designed to be competitive and includes base salary, equity, and a full range of benefits and perks. Final compensation will depend on factors such as your skills, experience, qualifications, and location, and will be determined during the interview process. Our recruiting team will share more details about the full compensation package and benefits as you move through hiring.