Corporate Development Specialist

Corporate Development Specialist – Strategy & M&A

Position Type: Full-Time / Direct Hire

Target Salary Range: $130,000 – $150,000

Location: McLean, VA (Northern Virginia / Washington D.C. Area)

Clearance Requirement: U.S. Citizenship Required

Role Overview

Step into a high-visibility Corporate Development role with an elite, Fortune 500 management consulting, technology, and defense powerhouse headquartered in McLean, VA.

Serving as a core leader within the Corporate Development group, you will drive high-impact M&A transactions, strategic growth initiatives, and business diligence across the entire deal lifecycle. Partnering directly with C-Suite, Market Leaders, and Functional Executives, you will leverage deep market insights and financial modeling to structure, evaluate, and execute strategic acquisitions across Aerospace, Defense, Government Services, and Advanced Technology sectors.

Primary Responsibilities

• M&A Pipeline & Sourcing Strategy: Partner with Market Leaders to identify, evaluate, and prioritize strategic M&A targets that expand core capability areas and technological market share.
• Business Case Development: Articulate the strategic rationale for prospective acquisitions, helping senior executives build rigorous investment business cases.
• Advanced Financial Modeling: Build complex financial models, including valuation assessments, financial waterfall models, multi-scenario forecasts, ROI frameworks, and operating P&Ls to support C-Suite decision-making.
• Integration & Diligence Execution: Translate key business drivers and deal rationale into end-to-end integration planning, collaborating cross-functionally across finance, legal, HR, and technology teams.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Guide and mentor junior corporate development analysts throughout deal sourcing, financial analysis, and due diligence workflows.

Key Requirements

• Clearance/Legal Status: Must be a U.S. Citizen (required due to the nature of client engagements and facility requirements).
• Experience: 3+ years of progressive experience in Corporate Development, Investment Banking, or Top-Tier Strategy Consulting.
• Industry Focus: Demonstrated experience evaluating deals or strategy in the Aerospace, Defense, Government Services, or Tech markets.
• Advanced Analytical Toolkit: Expert mastery of Microsoft Excel (large dataset analysis, pivot tables, complex financial waterfalls) and PowerPoint executive presentations.
• Executive Presence: Proven track record of structuring ambiguous, complex problems into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related quantitative field.

Preferred / "Nice-to-Have" Qualifications

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) or Master's in Finance.
• Experience modeling federal budgets and government contracting revenue flows.
• Hands-on experience developing Monte Carlo simulations and complex operating P&L frameworks.