VP of M&A

Buckingham Search; Illinois; On-site; USD 250,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Buckingham Search is seeking a Vice President of M&A to lead the acquisition lifecycle from target qualification through closing in a fast-growing national towing, recovery and roadside platform. The role offers high autonomy and visibility with the CFO and senior leadership to influence capital allocation and enterprise value.

The VP will underwrite opportunities, structure transactions, and coordinate due diligence for investments typically ranging from $5M to $50M in enterprise value, with a

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or CFA is a plus.
• 4+ years of M&A underwriting experience in investment banking, private equity, corporate development, or a similar environment.
• Lower-middle-market transaction experience preferred.
• Proven experience underwriting and closing M&A transactions.
• Strong financial modeling, Excel, and financial statement analysis skills.
• Strong judgment, analytical ability, and attention to detail.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills.
• Ability to build relationships and operate independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to travel as needed for diligence and relationship development.

Responsibilities

• Own the M&A process from pipeline qualification through closing.
• Underwrite acquisitions, including historical performance, TTM Adjusted EBITDA, normalization adjustments, and financial assumptions.
• Evaluate and stress-test investment opportunities and identify key risks.
• Structure and negotiate LOIs and transaction terms.
• Lead due diligence and coordinate legal, accounting, financial, and lending advisors.
• Maintain a high-quality acquisition pipeline across target markets.
• Prepare investment committee materials, transaction summaries, and recommendations.
• Build relationships with business owners, sellers, operators, advisors, and industry contacts.
• Monitor industry trends, valuation benchmarks, and competitive activity.
• Support transactions generally ranging from $5M–$50M in enterprise value.

Skills

Financial modeling

Financial statement analysis

Judgment & analysis

Relationship-building

Operate independently

Willingness to travel

Education

Bachelor's degree

CFA (plus)

Tools

Excel

Job description

A rapidly growing national towing, recovery, vehicle transport, and roadside assistance platform is seeking a VP of M&A to support its next phase of growth.

The company is consolidating a highly fragmented industry and currently operates approximately 150 trucks with 300–400 employees across multiple locations. The organization is focused on scaling through strategic acquisitions, improving operational performance, growing EBITDA, and positioning for a future private equity transaction.

About the Role

The VP of M&A will own the acquisition process from target qualification through closing. This is a high-autonomy role focused on underwriting, transaction structuring, negotiation, due diligence, and execution.

The VP will work closely with the CFO and senior leadership, with the opportunity to directly influence capital allocation and long-term enterprise value creation.

Responsibilities

• Own the M&A process from pipeline qualification through closing.
• Underwrite acquisitions, including historical performance, TTM Adjusted EBITDA, normalization adjustments, and financial assumptions.
• Evaluate and stress-test investment opportunities and identify key risks.
• Structure and negotiate LOIs and transaction terms.
• Lead due diligence and coordinate legal, accounting, financial, and lending advisors.
• Maintain a high-quality acquisition pipeline across target markets.
• Prepare investment committee materials, transaction summaries, and recommendations.
• Build relationships with business owners, sellers, operators, advisors, and industry contacts.
• Monitor industry trends, valuation benchmarks, and competitive activity.
• Support transactions generally ranging from $5M–$50M in enterprise value.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or CFA is a plus.
• 4+ years of M&A underwriting experience in investment banking, private equity, corporate development, or a similar environment.
• Lower-middle-market transaction experience preferred.
• Proven experience underwriting and closing M&A transactions.
• Strong financial modeling, Excel, and financial statement analysis skills.
• Strong judgment, analytical ability, and attention to detail.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills.
• Ability to build relationships and operate independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to travel as needed for diligence and relationship development.

Required Skills

• Financial modeling skills.
• Financial statement analysis skills.
• Judgment and analytical ability.
• Relationship-building skills.
• Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Performance-based incentives
• Meaningful long-term equity/incentive units tied to platform performance