Senior Associate, Corporate Development & M&A (Platform & Strategic Investments)

About the Role

The Senior Associate, Corporate Development & M&A (Platform & Strategic Investments) is an individual contributor responsible for identifying, evaluating, developing and executing acquisition, investment, label & publishing, and other strategic opportunities across the global music and entertainment ecosystem. The role combines proactive deal sourcing and opportunity development with rigorous investment analysis, diligence, underwriting and execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and source acquisition, investment, label, publisher, joint venture, and other strategic opportunities across music, entertainment, digital media, technology, and adjacent sectors
• Help build and maintain a proprietary deal pipeline through market mapping, thematic research, targeted outreach, industry relationships, referrals, and intermediaries
• Build and cultivate relationships with founders, executives, label and publisher owners, investors, bankers, advisors, and other industry participants across markets and geographies, in partnership with the SVP, Corporate Development
• Support the SVP, Corporate Development in conducting preliminary financial, commercial, and strategic diligence of prospective opportunities
• Evaluate business models, historical financial performance, revenue quality, profitability, growth drivers, competitive positioning, market dynamics, concentration risks, and other key investment considerations
• Analyze financial and operating information, pressure-test assumptions and forecasts, and identify material risks or areas requiring deeper diligence
• Develop and contribute to investment theses and preliminary valuation, return, and scenario analyses to assess the financial and strategic attractiveness of opportunities
• Provide analysis and recommendations to the SVP, Corporate Development regarding opportunities under consideration for advancement into the formal M&A process
• Prepare concise investment cases/memos, diligence findings, financial analyses, and recommendations for review by the SVP and senior leadership
• Collaborate with the M&A team as opportunities progress into detailed diligence, valuation, structuring, negotiation, and transaction execution
• Coordinate with Finance & Strategy following initial opportunity vetting to support evaluation of broader financial implications, including capital requirements, financing considerations, and enterprise financial impact
• Monitor and research industry trends, emerging business models, market activity, and potential targets to identify new areas for investment and growth
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Accounting, or a related discipline preferred; relevant professional experience in investment analysis, diligence, underwriting, corporate development, or a related field may be considered in lieu of a degree in these disciplines
• 2 - 4 years of relevant experience in private equity, growth equity, investment banking, corporate development, or a comparable investment or transaction environment
• Experience within entertainment, media, technology, or another relevant sector, including experience with an investment firm, investment bank, corporate development team, or institutional advisory environment, is a plus but not required
• Experience conducting financial, commercial, and/or strategic diligence in connection with acquisitions, investments, or other strategic opportunities
• Strong financial modeling, valuation, financial statement analysis, and investment underwriting capabilities
• Ability to evaluate business performance, pressure-test assumptions, identify key risks and opportunities, and develop well-supported analyses and recommendations
• Experience supporting deal sourcing and opportunity development through market research, market mapping, targeted outreach, relationship development, or industry networks
• Strong commercial instincts and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build productive relationships with founders, executives, investors, advisors, and other external stakeholders
• Experience contributing to investment theses, transaction analysis, investment cases, or other decision-making materials for senior leadership or investment committees
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex financial and commercial analysis into clear, concise insights and recommendations
• Highly analytical, intellectually curious, proactive, and comfortable working independently while collaborating closely with senior team members and cross-functional partners
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint required, with proficiency in Google Workspace
• Familiarity with CRM and deal pipeline management platforms such as Salesforce, DealCloud, Affinity, or similar systems used for sourcing, relationship management, and deal tracking
• Familiarity with financial and market intelligence platforms such as Capital IQ, PitchBook, Bloomberg, FactSet, or comparable financial research and transaction databases; experience with data analytics and AI-enabled research and productivity tools is a plus

Pay

$125,000 - $185,000 per year plus variable compensation. The final compensation within this range will be determined based on the candidate's experience, skills, and overall fit for the role.