Vice President Mergers Acquisition

Ames Watson; Columbia (MD); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Ames Watson, a Maryland-based private equity firm, seeks a Vice President to lead sourcing, diligence, and portfolio oversight in a long-duration ownership model.

The role reports to Partners and manages a small team, with involvement across the investment lifecycle and board-level interactions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field required; MBA strongly preferred.
• 6–10 years in private equity, investment banking, or related field with middle market M&A experience.
• Minimum 3 years leading M&A transactions from inception to close.
• Strong financial modeling, valuation, and analytics skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; Board materials experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead deal sourcing and origination for middle market opportunities.
• Manage end-to-end investment transactions including due diligence and terms.
• Direct due diligence workstreams with internal and external stakeholders.
• Build financial models, valuations, and investment memoranda for IC decisions.
• Structure terms with senior leads and counsel; mentor junior staff.
• Serve as board member/observer for select portfolio companies.
• Prepare investor materials and quarterly portfolio reviews.

Skills

Deal sourcing

Diligence leadership

Financial modeling

Valuation analysis

Team leadership

Board interaction

Investment communication

M&A deal execution

Relationship building

Portfolio oversight

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA preferred

Job description

Ames Watson is a privately held diversified private equity firm focused on acquiring and building middle market companies for the long term. Unlike traditional funds with fixed investment horizons, our permanent capital structure allows us to hold and grow portfolio companies indefinitely, prioritizing durable value creation over short-term exit timelines. We bring know-how, problem solving, deep resources and experience to grow companies and move them past "inflection points." Ames Watson is a permanent capital vehicle with committed capital and the resources to move quickly and the capabilities to help businesses reach long term success.

Position Summary

The Vice President will report directly into the Partners of Ames Watson and will play a central role across the investment lifecycle - from deal sourcing and diligence through portfolio company oversight - while managing and developing a team of two Senior Associates and one Associate. This is a high-visibility role for an experienced investment professional who thrives in a long-duration ownership model and wants direct responsibility for both deal execution and people leadership.

Location

The Deal Team reports into the office in Maryland three days a week. If you are not local to MD, DC, Northern VA, you will need to relocate for this position.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead sourcing and origination efforts for middle market acquisition opportunities, including building and maintaining relationships with intermediaries, brokers, and business owners.
• Completely manage investment transactions from start to finish including negotiating deals, writing and executing offers, managing due diligence, transaction management, lender outreach, negotiation and management of legal documents, and working with the operations team to develop post transition action plans.
• Direct due diligence workstreams, including financial, commercial, operational, and legal review, coordinating internal team members and external advisors.
• Build and review financial models, valuation analyses, and investment memoranda to support investment committee decisions.
• Structure and negotiate transaction terms in partnership with senior deal leads and legal counsel.
• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of three direct reports, overseeing work quality, professional development, and staffing across live deals and portfolio initiatives.
• Serve as a board member or board observer for select portfolio companies, monitoring performance against operating plans and value-creation initiatives.
• Prepare materials and communications for investors and firm leadership, including quarterly reporting and portfolio reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, MBA strongly preferred.
• 6-10 years of experience in private equity, investment banking, management consulting, or a related field, with direct middle market transaction experience.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience leading M&A deal transactions from inception to close.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and execute transactions from origination through closing.
• Prior experience managing or mentoring junior investment professionals.
• Proficient working with financial statements including balance sheet, cash flows, and P&L statements.
• Experience negotiating with sellers, investment bankers and lenders.
• Strong financial modeling, valuation, and analytical skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience preparing investment committee and board-level materials.
• Willingness to travel as needed to support portfolio company engagement.