Domain Researcher, Finance (M&A)

Confidential; United States; Remote; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Zekai is seeking a Domain Researcher in Finance (M&A) to operate at the intersection of corporate development, M&A, and AI-powered financial reasoning. This remote role blends hands-on M&A work with AI research to support the CDP program and strategic initiatives.

You will analyze financial models, perform due diligence, and contribute to transaction-related deliverables while collaborating with cross-functional teams across finance, AI research, and product to drive robust,

Qualifications

• Strong experience in Corporate Development, M&A, Investment Banking, Private Equity, or Transaction Advisory.
• Experience with financial modeling, company valuation, due diligence, transaction analysis, and strategic assessments.
• Strong understanding of corporate finance, M&A processes, deal structures, and financial decision-making.
• Experience preparing financial analyses, investment memoranda, due diligence reports, or transaction-related documentation.
• Ability to analyze complex business models, financial information, and operational processes; strong analytical, critical-thinking, and communication skills.
• Ability to translate real-world financial workflows into structured research questions and AI evaluation criteria.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Accounting, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Support corporate development and M&A activities, including financial analysis, valuation, due diligence, and transaction-related research.
• Conduct financial modeling, company assessments, and strategic analyses to support internal decision-making.
• Assist with transaction documentation, investment memoranda, financial reports, and other M&A-related deliverables.
• Analyze business models, financial performance, and operational workflows relevant to CDP initiatives.
• Support commercial and financial due diligence, including assessing transaction risks, opportunities, and strategic considerations.
• Design evaluation frameworks, benchmarks, and realistic test cases for AI agents operating in corporate finance and M&A workflows.
• Evaluate AI-generated financial analyses, transaction assessments, and strategic recommendations to improve model accuracy and performance.
• Collaborate with corporate development, AI research, engineering, and product teams on transaction-related initiatives and AI development.

Skills

Corporate Development

M&A

Investment Banking

Private Equity

Due Diligence

Financial Modeling

Strategic Analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Accounting

Tools

Excel

Python

SQL

Job description

Job Title: Domain Researcher, Finance (M&A)

Job Type: Full-time

Location: Remote

The Role

Join our team as a Domain Researcher, where you'll work at the intersection of corporate development, M&A, and AI-powered financial reasoning.

This hybrid role combines hands-on M&A and corporate development support with AI research and evaluation. You'll contribute to financial analysis, due diligence, transaction-related activities, and strategic initiatives supporting our Company Data Partnerships (CDP) program, which enables companies to contribute anonymized operational data for AI model training.

You'll leverage your financial expertise to support corporate development initiatives while helping develop and evaluate AI systems designed for complex financial workflows.

What You'll Be Doing

• Support corporate development and M&A activities, including financial analysis, valuation, due diligence, and transaction-related research.
• Conduct financial modeling, company assessments, and strategic analyses to support internal decision-making.
• Assist with transaction documentation, investment memoranda, financial reports, and other M&A-related deliverables.
• Analyze business models, financial performance, and operational workflows relevant to CDP initiatives.
• Support commercial and financial due diligence, including assessing transaction risks, opportunities, and strategic considerations.
• Design evaluation frameworks, benchmarks, and realistic test cases for AI agents operating in corporate finance and M&A workflows.
• Evaluate AI-generated financial analyses, transaction assessments, and strategic recommendations to improve model accuracy and performance.
• Collaborate with corporate development, AI research, engineering, and product teams on transaction-related initiatives and AI development.

What We're Looking For

• Strong experience in Corporate Development, M&A, Investment Banking, Private Equity, or Transaction Advisory, with hands-on exposure to deal execution or transaction support.
• Experience with financial modeling, company valuation, due diligence, transaction analysis, and strategic assessments.
• Strong understanding of corporate finance, M&A processes, deal structures, and financial decision-making.
• Experience preparing financial analyses, investment memoranda, due diligence reports, or transaction-related documentation.
• Ability to analyze complex business models, financial information, and operational processes.Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across financial and technical teams.
• Ability to translate real-world financial workflows into structured research questions and AI evaluation criteria.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Accounting, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience within an in-house Corporate Development or M&A team, particularly supporting buy-side transactions.
• Experience with technology-sector transactions, strategic investments, or enterprise partnerships.
• Familiarity with commercial due diligence, transaction structuring, and post-merger integration.
• Exposure to data-driven businesses, enterprise data partnerships, or AI-related commercial models.
• MBA, CFA, or relevant advanced financial qualifications.
• Familiarity with AI agents, large language models, or AI evaluation methodologies.
• Proficiency with Excel, Python, SQL, or other financial and analytical tools.

Compensation & Benefits Notice

The national pay range for this full-time position is base salary of $200,000 –$250,000. All employees are eligible for equity compensation, and employees may also receive performance-based bonuses, dependent on role and subject to company policies. our partner provides a comprehensive benefits package, including up to 100% reimbursement for health-insurance premiums, paid time off, a 401(K) plan with a company match, and additional benefits designed to support a high-performing, remote-first workforce.

our partner is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation during the application process, reach out to support@our partner.

Our hiring process utilizes artificial intelligence tools to assist in candidate screening and assessment. Our AI tools are designed to complement, not replace, human decision-making.

This is a 100% remote contract role, open to applicants worldwide in the countries the employer accepts.