Vice President, Corporate Development

Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated, intellectually curious, and analytical professional to join our team as the Vice President, Corporate Development in the West Palm Beach, FL office. 

The Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions will own WGI's M&A Program end to end, from target identification through post-close integration.  This role will be based at our West Palm Beach headquarters and report to the President. This leader will manage the acquisition pipeline, build relationships with owners and intermediaries, refine acquisition strategy, and direct the cross-functional teams that carry each deal through diligence, closing, and integration.

At WGI, you will find talented, passionate associates providing exceptional service in collaborative, team-driven environments, all while having fun and enjoying the work they do. We work to stay ahead of the curve by investing in the latest tools and technology. As one of the nation’s top consulting firms, we consistently strive to promote efficiency, cultivate a culture our associates can proudly embrace, and empower our associates to advance their career growth at WGI, and beyond.

WGI is always looking for remarkable individuals to join our team and help us grow in our vision. If you think you are an innovative, self-motivated team player and want to shape your community, join our WGI team today!

WGI offers a complete Benefits package including: Medical, Dental, Vision, LTD & STD, Life Insurance, 401k with match, PTO, Holidays, HSA with company contribution, Pet insurance, and Employee Assistance Program.

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Responsibilities

Pipeline Management

• Build, maintain, and regularly update WGI's pipeline of acquisition opportunities, with clear status, priority, and next steps for each target.
• Serve as WGI's primary point of contact for business brokers, investment bankers, and other intermediaries.
• Establish and maintain relationships with owners and leaders that could lead to possible partnerships in the future.
• Engage directly with owners of prospective firms to build relationships, assess fit, and cultivate proprietary (off-market) opportunities.
• Report pipeline activity and deal status to the CEO, President, and executive leadership on a regular cadence, and prepare materials for the Board as needed.

Acquisition Strategy

• Develop a deep understanding of WGI's acquisition strategy, including target geographies, service lines, client markets, and size thresholds.
• Monitor market conditions, valuation trends, and competitor activity in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector.
• Recommend adjustments to acquisition criteria and strategy as market conditions and WGI's priorities evolve.
• Screen and evaluate opportunities against strategic, financial, and cultural criteria.

Transaction Execution

• Lead valuation analysis and financial modeling and develop deal structures and terms.
• Prepare investment memoranda and recommendations for executive and Board approval.
• Negotiate and lead preparation of letters of intent and support negotiation of definitive purchase agreements with outside counsel.
• Manage deal timelines, closing checklists, and coordination among internal teams, sellers, and outside advisors.

Due Diligence Leadership

• Lead and coordinate all diligence workstreams, including legal, financial, quality of earnings, tax, human resources and benefits, insurance, IT, operations, contracts, and project backlog.
• Direct internal subject-matter experts and outside advisors (legal counsel, accountants, tax advisors, and others), setting scope, timelines, and deliverables.
• Identify, document, and escalate key risks and issues, and translate findings into valuation adjustments, deal terms, or integration priorities.
• Review transaction documents for accuracy and consistency across the deal.

Integration

• Develop integration plans prior to closing, in partnership with operational leadership.
• Lead integration workstreams, including people and culture, finance and accounting, HR and benefits, IT and systems, branding, and client communications.
• Track integration milestones and post-close performance against the original investment case.
• Manage post-close matters, including working capital true-ups, earnouts, and escrow releases.
• Capture lessons learned and continuously improve WGI's M&A playbook.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop WGI's M&A team, and direct cross-functional deal teams drawn from across the company.
• Establish standard processes, templates, and tools for screening, diligence, and integration.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum of 10 years of M&A experience, with a track record of transactions led from origination through closing and integration.
• Demonstrated experience leading M&A teams and directing cross-functional diligence and integration workstreams.
• Experience in the Architecture and Engineering (AEC) industry, including familiarity with how professional services firms are valued, structured, and integrated.
• Strong financial acumen, including valuation methods (EV/EBITDA, EV/Revenue), financial modeling, and quality of earnings analysis.
• Working knowledge of transaction documents, including LOIs, purchase agreements, disclosure schedules, and escrow and earnout provisions.
• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business, engineering, or a related field

Preferred

• MBA, CPA, CFA, or a related advanced degree or credential.
• Corporate development experience at an AEC firm, or investment banking or private equity experience focused on the AEC sector.
• Established relationships with AEC-focused brokers, bankers, and advisors.
• Familiarity with government contracting, including FAR-based contracts, indirect rates, and A-E contract vehicles.
• Experience with employee-ownership, profits interest, or other equity-based retention structures.

Personal Attributes

• Doer –WGI needs someone who is a “doer” by nature. It requires a hands-on commitment to getting the work done as well as leading and managing.
• Detail-oriented: Catches inconsistencies in data, models, and transaction documents, and holds advisors and teams to a high standard of accuracy.
• Proactive: Anticipates issues before they become problems, drives deals forward without waiting for direction and seeks out new opportunities.
• Excellent communicator: Builds trust with founders and owners, presents clearly to executives and the Board, and keeps large deal teams aligned.
• Strong work ethic: Willing to work hard and put in the time required to meet demanding deal timelines and manage multiple transactions at once.
• Sound judgment and integrity: Exercises discretion with confidential information and gives candid assessments of opportunities and risks.
• Culture-minded: Understands that the people and culture of an acquired firm are central to a successful deal.
• Innovation & Technology: Leans into emerging tools and technologies to improve performance, efficiency and the quality of their work. Embraces AI to expand their capacity.

Work Environment

This is an on-site position at WGI's West Palm Beach headquarters. The role requires regular travel to meet prospective targets, advisors, and WGI offices, and may require extended hours during active transactions.

Equal Opportunity Employer

WGI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. We are unable to sponsor or take over the sponsorship of employment visas

Physical Demands:

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  Work is performed in an office setting.  Hand-eye coordination is necessary to operate a computer, keyboard and mouse.  Use of a telephone headset will allow for virtual communication with team members through Zoom and/or Microsoft Teams.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is often required to sit for prolonged periods, use hands/fingers to handle, feel or operate objects, tools or controls and reach with hands and arms, speak and hear.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

If you have what it takes to join our growing organization and want to be part of a dedicated team, please apply today. In return, WGI provides a competitive salary and an outstanding work environment. 

WGI does not accept any unsolicited resumes. Should any 3rd party agency or recruiter forward or submit any resume(s) to a WGI associate without a pre-existing contractual agreement, the submitted resume(s) will be deemed the property of WGI, and no placement fee will be provided.

All agencies and vendors are required to have a signed WGI vendor agreement from the WGI Chief HR Officer permitting them to work directly through our Talent Acquisition team. Obtaining this signed vendor agreement is the only way you will receive payment. Verbal or written commitments from any other member of our staff will not be binding.

All third-party recruiting/supplemental staffing agencies are expected to familiarize themselves and abide by this policy.