M & A Transaction Associate - Major Transactions
Benchmark International
37 reviews
-
Tampa, FL 33607
$150,000 a year
Benchmark International
37 reviews
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Benchmark International, one of the world’s leading merger and acquisitions specialists, is now looking for an experienced and driven M&A Transaction Associate to assist this team’s Managing Director and Director in handling our larger sell-side engagements. The position is located in Tampa, Florida, Benchmark International’s global headquarters.
This is a largely client-facing position requiring strong skills in one or more of the following skills and a lower level of competence in, but eagerness to learn about, the remainder: accounting or finance expertise; writing ability; advanced Excel skills; empathy; and understanding of mergers and acquisitions. The Associate will be across the table from the world’s leading buyers and their advisors including business development teams from publicly-traded companies, private equity management companies, and Big 4 accounting firms. The Associate will be working with and on behalf of business owners who have entrusted Benchmark International with the fate of their most important financial asset. Whereas the Associate’s prior experience with transactions of this size may have centered on board-managed companies and spreadsheets, Benchmark International’s deals and client base call for a much greater emphasis on relationship management, emotional intelligence, perseverance, and helping to translate the clients’ owner-operated mentality and data into what the buyers are accustomed to seeing and hearing.
The Associate will be surrounded by a team of other specialists but a variety of M&A skills is required for success in this position none the less. Time permitting, the Associate may be asked to assist with training members of other teams or to use his or her M&A expertise to assist in the overall development of the company and its brand. This is a unique opportunity to execute high-profile deals in a very collegial atmosphere that has none of the feeling or politics of a traditional investment bank and to do so from sunny and warm Tampa Bay.
Job Responsibilities
Success in this role will include a well-balanced approach to contributions in two distinct areas.
I. Assist in executing on a small portfolio of businesses for sale
• Work directly with business owners looking to exit their business or take on a strategic partner.
• Remain responsive to the MD’s, Director’s, and all client requirements including adequately prompt call-backs, perfectly-crafted correspondence, and compliance with the Terms of Engagement.
• Maintain at thorough understanding of each client in the portfolio.
As a high profile member in our organization, you must be an energetic and passionate individual with a positive and highly-motivated can-do attitude. You must have the strong desire and ambition to succeed in this rewarding industry. It is also vital for your role as an M&A Associate that you possess all or some of the following: excellent analytical, mathematical, interpersonal, written and verbal communication, and negotiating skills, as well as presentation abilities.
The Associate is a client-facing role that must be able to convey bad news and deal with clients’ unique sensitivities, while keeping each client moving through the company sales process at a steady pace.
Relevant experience will include two to five years working as an M&A professional (e.g., broker, investment banker, accountant, attorney), preferably at a national or international investment bank.
The successful applicant should have most of the following skills and be eager to acquire the remainder:
• Understand the sequence of events in the company sale process.
• Have a firm understanding of financial statements, EBITDA calculations, and the process of identifying and defending add backs.
• Have a passing knowledge of the legal parameters involved in M&A transactions.
• Be familiar with a variety of transaction structures and their relevant merits and drawbacks to the seller.
• Possess the ability to learn the financial and market dynamics of new industries in relatively short periods.
• Communicate well verbally and in writing.
• Handle setbacks, having difficult conversations with business owners, negotiating against veteran professional acquirers, taking responsibility for process breakdowns even when not responsible, and fostering cooperation with client’s attorneys and accountants.
• Consistently present themselves in a professional manner in keeping with Benchmark International’s image (as shown, for example, on the company’s web site).
• Work outside normal business hours at times, whether early or late, as required by client schedules and expectations.
• Be available to travel for occasional overnight trips on short notice (rarely, if ever, longer than three days)
• Be able to obtain a Florida real estate sales associate license within 60 days of employment.
• Have no unfavorable history with FINRA, the SEC, or any state regulatory agency.
• Draft portions of the clients’ marketing materials including teasers and information memoranda.
• Maintain and update files of each client in the portfolio.
• Assist as needed on engagements including, by way of example: analyzing clients’ financial records and translating those records into presentation format spreadsheets and graphs; capturing the value proposition of a business in narrative format; writing concise marketing-oriented summaries about various aspects of businesses; identifying, contacting and working with potential acquires for our clients’ businesses; assisting clients in slicing and dicing their data in response to buyers’ requests; managing data
rooms and servicing as the primary point of contact for buyer due diligence; and negotiating and finalizing net working capital and other closing adjustments.
II. Contribute to corporate growth
• Provide frontline input to process improvement efforts.
• Participate in brand recognition events in the region and throughout the financial community.
• Contribute to office-wide and company-wide training efforts.
Salary
Benchmark International offers a competitive compensation package, which includes on target earnings of $150,000 and paid training.
Benefits
All Benchmark International positions offer paid time off, standard holidays, and community service days. Employees are eligible for highly competitive company-subsidized medical, dental, vision, and AD&D insurance; 401k with company matching; flexible spending accounts; and flexible dependent care assistance accounts. Quarterly team outings and standing desks are employee favorites at present.
Social Responsibility
Benchmark International is an active, contributing member of the communities in which we work. The company participates in significant charitable giving opportunities throughout the year. Many of the recipient charities have been identified by our individual employees as a result of their personal passions for supporting particular needs. In addition, each employee is encouraged to use two paid work days per year to provide their labor and skills to the community.