Corporate Development Analyst

Grayson Search Partners, LLC; Illinois; On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Grayson Search Partners, LLC is seeking an M&A / Transaction Advisory Manager to move to the principal side. Based in Chicago with travel, you will own financial diligence across a pipeline, defend EBITDA adjustments, and help the deal team reach informed investment decisions.

You will work with senior leadership and the sponsor, applying deep quality of earnings experience to complex, normalization-heavy targets as part of a broader M&A career path.

Qualifications

• 4–7 years in FDD / TAS / Transaction Services with hands-on diligence experience.
• Strong track record in Quality of Earnings projects and adjustments.
• Experience independently running diligence engagements or major workstreams.
• Deep understanding of normalized EBITDA, adjustments, and working capital.
• Comfortable digging into messy financials to identify what matters.
• Strong accounting foundation; CPA and/or audit background is a plus.
• Experience with private equity clients and lower-middle-market businesses is ideal.

Responsibilities

• Own the financial diligence process from start to finish for active acquisitions.
• Work directly with senior leadership and PE sponsors on diligence findings.
• Analyze EBITDA adjustments, working capital, and normalization to inform decisions.
• Contribute across the deal lifecycle including valuation, diligence, and execution.

Skills

FDD TAS Transaction Services

Quality of Earnings

Diligence engagements

EBITDA normalization & working capital

Financial analysis

Education

CPA or prior audit experience

Job description

M&A / Transaction Advisory Manager — Principal-Side Opportunity

Chicago

We are working with a private equity-backed, acquisition-driven company that is building a national platform in a highly fragmented industry.

This is a unique opportunity for someone coming out of Financial Due Diligence / Transaction Advisory who wants to move to the principal side and become a broader M&A professional.

The immediate mandate is clear: own financial diligence.

You’ll work directly with senior leadership and the private equity sponsor on an active acquisition pipeline, owning the financial diligence process from start to finish. You’ll dig into businesses that often have less-than-perfect financials, determine what they actually earn, identify and defend EBITDA adjustments, analyze normalized working capital, pressure-test assumptions, and help the deal team make better investment decisions.

But this isn’t a career destination in QoE.

You’ll sit inside the deal team and gain exposure to the full acquisition lifecycle—valuation, diligence, transaction execution, seller interaction, investment decisions, and ultimately sourcing and broader corporate development.

The profile we’re looking for:

• Approximately 4–7 years of experience, with meaningful time in FDD / TAS / Transaction Services
• Strong hands-on Quality of Earnings experience
• Experience independently running diligence engagements or major workstreams
• Deep understanding of normalized EBITDA, EBITDA adjustments, and working capital
• Comfortable getting into messy financials and figuring out what really matters
• Strong accounting foundation; CPA and/or prior audit experience is a plus
• Experience working with private equity clients and lower-middle-market businesses is especially attractive

This is best suited for someone who is technically strong but wants to get closer to the investment decision—and who is ready to own more than an advisory work product. The role can be based in Chicago and will involve meaningful travel as the company continues acquiring businesses across the country.

If you’re currently in Transaction Advisory / FDD and have been thinking about moving to the principal side, I’d be happy to share more confidentially.