Corporate Development Associate

BrainWorks; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

BrainWorks is seeking a Corporate Development Associate who will play a critical role in supporting the company’s buy-and-build strategy. This high-impact position involves conducting market research, deal sourcing, and assisting in the execution of mergers and acquisitions.

The ideal candidate has 2-4 years of experience in investment banking or corporate development, strong financial modeling skills, and is comfortable managing strategic initiatives. The role offers opportunities to own analyses that underpin major initiatives affecting the company's growth trajectory.

Qualifications

• Experience in M&A transactions, business case development, or strategic analysis projects.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret financial documents.
• Strong mathematical skills for business scenarios.

Responsibilities

• Support the company's buy-and-build strategy through market research and deal sourcing.
• Lead market assessments to validate investment theses.
• Manage diligence workstreams for active M&A projects.

Skills

Financial modeling

Analytical skills

Market research

Communication

Proficiency in Microsoft Office

Education

2-4 years in investment banking, private equity, management consulting, or corporate development

Tools

Microsoft Excel

ChatGPT

Job description

This Corporate Development Associate role is a critical position supporting the company’s buy-and-build strategy through market research, deal sourcing, M&A execution, and supporting new product development initiatives across our member companies. You will work directly with the corporate development team and company leadership to identify, evaluate, and execute acquisitions while also driving organic growth through new products and capability development.

This is a high-impact role for someone who wants to be at the intersection of manufacturing, technology, and value creation. You will have meaningful ownership over deal processes, strategic initiatives, and cross-functional projects that directly shape the company’s growth trajectory.

Our team sits at the forefront of how the company thinks about capital allocation, whether that’s acquisitions, new products, facility expansions, or strategic partnerships. It’s our job to bring financial rigor and analytical clarity to these decisions and to continuously mature our decision-making processes.

The work is varied and high stakes. You’ll own analyses that underpin major initiatives, from quick-turn problem solving on urgent questions to building sophisticated financial models for multi-year strategic decisions. You’ll partner with leadership and teams across the business to unpack ambiguous problems, develop thorough understanding, and provide solutions through a financial and strategic lens. We’re frequently pulled into high-priority challenges that don’t fall neatly into anyone else’s job description.

The ideal candidate is intellectually curious and brings a technical foundation that helps them understand how products are designed and manufactured. They are driven by a desire to dive deep into manufacturing methods, technological innovations, and business models. They thrive in evaluating businesses, markets, and long-term value creation opportunities. They appreciate long‑term thinking, compounding returns, and making thoughtful, analytically grounded decisions. They are equally comfortable building financial models and walking a factory floor.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (other responsibilities may be assigned):

• Lead market and technical assessments to identify and validate specific investment theses that drive the company’s capital allocation strategy
• Source and evaluate acquisition opportunities, including drafting investment memos, building financial models, and presenting recommendations to senior leadership and the investment committee
• Manage diligence workstreams for active M&A projects, coordinating technical, financial, commercial, and operational due diligence with internal teams and external advisors
• Proactively identify and cultivate acquisition targets outside of marketed processes through systematic market mapping, industry relationship building, and direct outreach to business owners and intermediaries
• Build and maintain deal pipeline, tracking opportunities from initial screening through LOI, diligence, and close
• Manage productization initiatives to identify, develop, and commercialize new products and capabilities across the company’s member companies
• Conduct technical and market assessments to evaluate new product opportunities, including addressable market size, competitive positioning, technical feasibility, and financial returns
• Collaborate with member company leadership and engineering teams to define product roadmaps, business cases, and go‑to‑market strategies
• Support cross‑portfolio initiatives that leverage shared capabilities, technology platforms, or customer relationships to drive organic growth
• Identify partnership and technology licensing opportunities that accelerate capability development or market access

Qualification Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience: You have 2‑4 years of experience in investment banking, private equity, management consulting, corporate development, or a similar analytical role where you built strong financial modeling and business evaluation skills. You’ve been involved in M&A transactions, business case development, or strategic analysis projects where you took ownership of meaningful workstreams. You’re ready to take the next step in your career where you have more ownership and broader scope beyond pure execution.

Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general financial documents, professional journals, technical procedures, or government regulations. Ability to write reports and business correspondence. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from managers, supervisors, and employees. Fluent in English.

Mathematical Skills: The position requires the ability to perform calculations involving discounts, interest, commissions, percentages, and ratios. The candidate should be comfortable applying mathematical concepts such as fractions, percentages, and basic algebra to practical business scenarios.

Reasoning Ability: Applicants must demonstrate the ability to solve practical problems and handle a variety of variables in situations where limited standardization exists. The role requires interpreting and following instructions delivered in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule format. A strong capacity for critical thinking and applying common sense in both routine and unfamiliar situations is expected.

Other Skills and Abilities: Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications—particularly Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint—is required. The candidate should be proficient in using generative AI tools, including ChatGPT, to automate tasks, analyze data, and generate content. The candidate should also be comfortable working with spreadsheets, including data entry, formatting, and basic analysis. Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, are necessary for success in this role.

Physical Demands: Ability to travel 10‑20% as needed for site visits, industry conferences, and member company engagement.

Work Environment: This position is based in a professional office setting located approximately 30 minutes outside of Boston. The work environment is typically quiet, with minimal exposure to physical hazards or loud noise. Employees are expected to be on‑site up to five days per week, depending on business needs and team schedules.