Corporate Development Operations Manager

Benefits We Offer:

• 100% Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage for Employees
• Educational Benefits for Career Growth
• Paid Time Off (Including Holidays)
• Employee Referral Bonus
• 401K Matching
• Flexible Spending Accounts:
  • Healthcare (FSA)
  • Parking Reimbursement Account (PRK)
  • Dependent Care Assistant Program (DCAP)
  • Transportation Reimbursement Account (TRN)

Overview

The Corporate Development Operations Manager position is critical to ensuring executional excellence, cross-functional alignment, and visibility across a growing pipeline of opportunities. You’ll lead the design and optimization of systems, workflows, and planning infrastructure that allow the Corporate Development team to operate with speed, clarity, and discipline, as well as play the central role in identifying, evaluating, and executing transactions that support Axle’s platform strategy and long-term growth objectives. The ideal candidate thrives in a high-velocity environment and brings a balance of operational rigor, strategic insight, and systems thinking. This position will report to our Tysons, VA office 5 days/week. 

Responsibilities:

• Manage day-to-day operations across M&A deals, joint ventures, partnerships, and incubation efforts.

• Evaluate strategic fit through structured assessments, financial modeling, and alignment with Axle’s platform strategy.

• Develop robust financial models, synergy analyses, P&Ls, and business cases to support internal approvals and executive decision-making.

• Lead term sheet negotiations, draft and manage execution of definitive agreements, and coordinate transaction timelines through close.

• Collaborate with integration leaders to inform Day 1 planning and identify early integration risks during diligence.

• Oversee opportunity pipeline tracking, due diligence coordination, and post-deal integration.

• Build dashboards and reporting tools that drive visibility, accountability, and faster decision-making.

• Monitor deal progress, track key milestones, and synthesize data for executive-level updates and strategy sessions.

• Own and maintain CRM and deal-tracking platforms to monitor pipeline stages, sourcing activity, and internal ownership, ensuring visibility and control across strategic initiatives.

• Implement scalable, low-code workflows and AI-enabled tools to automate tracking, streamline diligence, and improve reporting and opportunity prioritization.

• Develop and maintain internal playbooks, process documentation, and automated reporting packages to enable repeatable execution across M&A, partnerships, and incubations.

• Track post-deal outcomes and lead structured retrospectives to refine playbooks, improve process efficiency, and scale execution across future transactions.

• Monitor M&A transactions, policy changes, executive orders, and macroeconomic indicators to surface risks and opportunities.

• Identify strategic events and coordinate internal planning and external outreach to support Corporate Development engagement opportunities.

• Track ROI of external touchpoints and support team readiness for strategic engagements.

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of analysts or project managers; define roles, manage performance reviews, and support career development.

• Serve as the main operational link between Corporate Development and internal teams, driving alignment, communication, and collaboration across deal execution and integration efforts.

• Track incubation-stage companies for potential acquisition or long-term strategic fit.

• Create and share internal updates and executive-ready insights into Corporate Development activities, pipeline trends, and M&A market developments to support strategic planning. 

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in corporate development, strategic operations, investment banking, or management consulting 

• 2+ years in a team leadership or supervisory role, with demonstrated experience managing and developing talent is a plus

• Strong knowledge of the M&A lifecycle, including pre-deal prioritization and post-close tracking

• Experience implementing or managing CRM tools, workflow systems, and pipeline tracking practices (e.g. Microsoft Dynamics, Midaxo, Dealroom)

• Demonstrated experience building and optimizing cross-functional workflows, dashboards, or planning tools

• Ability to assess market signals and translate into actionable strategic insights

• Excellent project management, written and verbal communication skills, and comfortable coordinating executive-level planning and reporting

• Comfortable in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with multiple competing priorities

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or relevant master's preferred

• Must be able to work onsite at our Tysons, VA office 5 days/week 

If you’re ready to build the infrastructure that scales strategy into impact, apply now and help us grow smarter and faster.

The diversity of Axle’s employees is a tremendous asset. We are firmly committed to providing equal opportunity in all aspects of employment and will not tolerate any illegal discrimination or harassment-based age, race, gender, religion, national origin, disability, marital status, covered veteran status, sexual orientation, status with respect to public assistance, and other characteristics protected under state, federal, or local law and to deter those who aid, abet, or induce discrimination or coerce others to discriminate.

Accessibility: If you need an accommodation as part of the employment process, please contact [email protected]

Disclaimer: The above is meant to illustrate the general nature of work and level of effort being performed by individual’s assigned to this position or job. This is not restricted as a complete list of all skills, responsibilities, duties, and/or assignments required. Individuals may be required to perform duties outside of their position, job or responsibilities as needed.

This role has a market-competitive salary with an anticipated base compensation range listed below. Actual salaries will vary depending on a candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills, and location.