Head of Corporate Development

Phipps Cameron Recruitment; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 350,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

Phipps Cameron, in partnership with a leading private equity-backed wealth management firm, is seeking a Head of Corporate Development to own the M&A agenda and build a proactive origination engine across the U.S. This senior leader will develop long-term relationships with RIA owners and advisor teams, guiding transactions from origination to execution.

The role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution, requiring autonomy and close collaboration with a senior executive team and a

Qualifications

• Strong M&A capability with origination and relationship-building experience.
• Experience in wealth management, RIAs, insurance brokerage or related financial services.
• Established network to develop senior relationships with founders and business owners.
• Strong financial, valuation and transaction skills.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute the firm's corporate development and M&A strategy.
• Build a proactive pipeline of acquisition opportunities across the U.S.
• Develop trusted relationships with RIA founders, business owners, advisors and intermediaries.
• Lead opportunities from origination through valuation, diligence, negotiation, structuring and execution.
• Prepare investment cases and recommendations for senior leadership and Board.
• Support recruitment of advisor teams as part of growth strategy.
• Provide market intelligence on valuations and consolidation.
• Partner with finance, operations, legal and integration teams.

Skills

M&A experience

Relationship-building

Financial analysis

Transaction leadership

Wealth management knowledge

Tools

Financial modeling

Job description

Head of Corporate Development

Confidential | Wealth Management | United States

Phipps Cameron is partnering with a leading, private equity-backed wealth management firm to appoint a Head of Corporate Development.

The business is a scaled, established RIA with approximately $38bn+ in AUM, a national footprint, and a strong track record of organic growth. Having built significant scale organically, the firm is now looking to accelerate M&A as a complementary growth channel and is seeking a senior corporate development leader to build and lead this strategy.

This is a highly visible role working directly with the President, CEO, COO, private equity sponsor and Board. The successful candidate will take ownership of the M&A agenda, with a particular focus on building a proactive origination engine and developing long-term relationships with RIA owners, founders and advisor teams.

This is not a high-volume acquisition strategy. The focus is on identifying a select number of high-quality transactions with strong strategic, financial and cultural alignment that can make a meaningful contribution to the continued growth of the platform.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and execute the firm's corporate development and M&A strategy.
• Build a proactive and increasingly proprietary pipeline of acquisition opportunities across the U.S. wealth management market.
• Develop trusted relationships with RIA founders, business owners, advisors and relevant intermediaries.
• Lead opportunities from initial origination through valuation, diligence, negotiation, structuring and execution.
• Assess potential transactions across strategic fit, financial attractiveness, cultural alignment and execution risk.
• Prepare investment cases and recommendations for senior leadership, the private equity sponsor and Board.
• Support the recruitment of high-quality advisor teams as part of the firm's broader growth strategy.
• Provide ongoing market intelligence around valuations, competitive dynamics and consolidation across the RIA landscape.
• Partner closely with internal finance, operations, legal and integration teams throughout the transaction lifecycle.

Candidate Profile

We are interested in individuals who combine strong M&A capability with genuine origination and relationship-building experience.

Relevant backgrounds could include corporate development within wealth management or financial services, private equity, investment banking, RIA business development, or adjacent sectors with similarly fragmented and relationship-driven M&A markets, including insurance brokerage.

Candidates should demonstrate:

• A strong track record of originating and/or executing M&A transactions.
• Experience within wealth management, RIAs, insurance brokerage or adjacent financial services.
• An established network and the credibility to develop senior relationships with founders and business owners.
• Strong financial, valuation and transaction skills.
• Commercial judgment and the ability to identify opportunities beyond formally marketed processes.
• The ability to operate autonomously while partnering effectively with a senior executive team and sophisticated private equity sponsor.
• An entrepreneurial, relationship-led approach with a focus on transaction quality rather than volume.

Location

The business is headquartered on the West Coast, with Los Angeles preferred, although candidates can be based anywhere in the United States for the right individual.

This represents an opportunity to take ownership of M&A within an established, high-growth wealth management platform, with significant capital, senior-level sponsorship and substantial opportunity to build out its inorganic growth strategy.