Corporate Development Lead

Every day, Guardian helps our 29 million customers realize their dreams through a range of insurance and financial products and services. Our Purpose, to inspire well-being, guides our dedication to the colleagues, consumers, and communities we serve. We know that people count, and we go above and beyond to prepare them for the life they want to live, focusing on their overall well-being — mind, body, and wallet. As one of the largest mutual insurance companies, we put our customers first. Behind every bright future is a Guardian. Learn more about Guardian at guardianlife.com. Guardian has set out an ambitious growth strategy over the next 5 years, referred to as our Journey To ’30. This strategy focuses on continuing the growth of businesses by diversifying our product portfolio, increasing our distribution footprint, growing our customer base, and leveraging technology, data and AI as a strategic enabler. This growth strategy requires ongoing transformation across the enterprise, including both the business lines and corporate functions. Guardian is seeking a highly analytical, execution-oriented individual to serve as Corporate Development Lead. In this high-impact role, you will lead Guardian’s inorganic growth initiatives through mergers & acquisitions and strategic investments, shaping the future of our enterprise. As Corporate Development Lead, you will operate within Guardian’s Corporate Development team, responsible for shaping enterprise strategy, driving inorganic growth, and leading M&A, venture investments, and strategic partnerships. You will play a critical role in high-visibility initiatives across the following areas: M&A and Strategic Investments Source and evaluate acquisitions/divestitures, investments and JV opportunities aligned with Guardian’s strategic priorities Lead end-to-end transaction processes, including financial modeling, valuation, due diligence, and deal structuring Develop investment cases and secure approvals through Guardian’s governance process Negotiate term sheets and definitive agreements in collaboration with legal and finance teams Market Intelligence Analyze industry trends and competitive dynamics to inform inorganic growth strategy Build and maintain relationships with investment bankers, advisors, and industry executives to generate deal flow Prepare executive-level presentations and recommendations for senior leadership and the Board Integration Support Partner with business leaders and integration teams to ensure successful post-close execution and synergy realization Team Leadership – Mentor junior team members and help develop the team as a talent pipeline for Guardian You have: Bachelor’s degree (Finance, Economics, Business or related field); MBA or CFA preferred 9+ years of experience in investment banking, private equity, and/or corporate development Sector expertise within Financial Services or Insurance required Meaningful M&A transaction experience Very strong quantitative and analytical skills (including proven ability to build models from scratch and modify models crafted by others) High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint Ability to work well independently under pressure and to tight deadlines, and have the aptitude to synthesize large amounts of information and to develop innovative solutions Strong communication skills effectively (both oral and written), especially with senior and board level leadership Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, organizational savvy and judgment; ability to navigate at all levels of the organization and achieve goals with matrix teams and resources Salary Range: $152,290.00 - $250,195.00 The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation. Our Promise At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals. Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards. Inspire Well-Being As part of Guardian’s Purpose – to inspire well-being – we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits. Equal Employment Opportunity Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law. Accommodations Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io. Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site. Visa Sponsorship Guardian is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment visas. In order to be a successful applicant. you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship. Notice Regarding Guardian’s Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment As part of Guardian’s job application process, Guardian may use artificial intelligence tools (“AI Tools") to automate the sorting and filtering of information provided by applicants as part of its preliminary screening. This preliminary screening may be used to help identify applicant materials and resumes relative to their indication that the applicant meets the requirements for the specific job for which they are applying, as specified in the listing posted on Guardian’s jobs website (Careers at Guardian at At Guardian, we do not use AI Tools to substantially assist or replace human judgment or discretionary decision making in our hiring process. All hiring decisions will be made by Guardian colleagues. Please be aware that if you apply for a specific position with Guardian, you will have the choice of opting out of Guardian’s use of AI Tools during the job application process. If you would like to request an alternative process that does not utilize AI Tools or would like to request a reasonable accommodation, within ten business days of your position application, you must email your request to View email address on click.appcast.io, making sure to provide your name and job requisition identification number. Guardian will retain your applicant materials and resume and all information therefrom in accordance with Guardian’s document retention policy, a copy of which you may request via View email address on click.appcast.io. Additionally, at applicable times, Guardian will make public the most recent bias audit results for such AI tools, which may be found here. Current Guardian Colleagues: Please apply through the internal Jobs Hub in Workday. Every day, Guardian helps our 29 million customers realize their dreams through a range of insurance and financial products and services. Our Purpose, to inspire well-being, guides our dedication to the colleagues, consumers, and communities we serve. We know that people count, and we go above and beyond to prepare them for the life they want to live, focusing on their overall well-being — mind, body, and wallet. As one of the largest mutual insurance companies, we put our customers first. Behind every bright future is a GuardianTM. Learn more about Guardian at guardianlife.com. Visa Sponsorship: Guardian Life is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment visas. In order to be a successful applicant, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship.