Director Corporate Development (Fort Lauderdale)

Shaw Search Partners is proud to lead the retained search for a high-growth, private equity-backed company in the hospitality and marketing technology space who is seeking a commercially minded, relationship-oriented Director of Corporate Development to help drive its acquisition strategy.

Working closely with executive leadership and the company’s private equity partner, this individual will identify attractive acquisition opportunities, map the market, develop relationships with founders and industry leaders, and build a strong global pipeline of potential targets.

The ideal candidate will combine strategic and financial acumen with strong executive presence, high EQ and a natural ability to build relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with executive leadership and the private equity sponsor to translate M&A strategy into actionable target criteria.
• Map priority market segments and build a global pipeline of acquisition and strategic investment opportunities.
• Proactively source targets through research, industry relationships, conferences, investors, advisers and direct outreach.
• Build relationships with founders, executives, investors and other key industry participants.
• Conduct initial strategic, commercial and financial assessments of prospective targets.
• Evaluate opportunities based on product, technology, business model, growth, customer base, competitive positioning and strategic fit.
• Prepare target profiles and recommendations for executive leadership and the private equity team.
• Perform preliminary valuation and financial analysis.
• Support the transition of qualified opportunities into the formal diligence and transaction process.

Ideal Background

• Approximately 5–8 years of relevant experience in corporate development, private equity, investment banking, strategic business development, strategy consulting or a related field.
• Experience working in or closely with a private equity-backed environment is highly desirable.
• Experience with hospitality technology, travel technology, SaaS, software, data, digital marketing or martech is strongly preferred.
• Strong market research, sourcing and commercial judgment.
• Experience developing relationships with founders, management teams, investors and advisers.
• Solid financial and analytical capabilities, including familiarity with valuation and recurring-revenue / SaaS business models.
• Exceptional communication skills, high EQ and strong executive presence.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple opportunities simultaneously.
• Willingness to travel for industry conferences and meetings.
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or other advanced degree is a plus.

*Relocation support is offered.