Investment Director

Investment Director — Lower-Middle-Market Acquisitions New York City (onsite) · Full-time Why this role exists This is a rare seat at the intersection of lower-middle-market investing, building a generational holding company, and true ownership. You'll partner directly with the Founder-CEO on a small, hyper-experienced, “commando-style” investing team that runs on AI, tech, and data — with no junior layer. You own your deals end-to-end and need to convince exactly one person: our CEO. No investment committee, no red tape, no bureaucracy. If you're a deal-maker who misses actually doing the deals — sourcing them, modeling them, structuring them, closing them — rather than managing committees and pushing paper up an approval chain, this is built for you. What makes this different Invest alongside a proven operator. Our Founder-CEO's personal track record sits in the top 0.5% of returners globally — independently audited by a Big 4 firm and publicly verifiable. A model that's becoming the smart way to invest. We're building a permanent-capital, Berkshire Hathaway–style holding company. No fund life, no carry-realization timing games. Real momentum. Founded ~7 months ago, we already have ~1,000 deals in our pipeline and see 40–50 new opportunities every week. Ownership that actually pays. Meaningful equity in the platform itself — not a diluted slice of fund carry that may never materialize. What you'll do Source excellent acquisition targets, including off-market — often by picking up the phone and talking to owners directly. Build and manage strong broker relationships. Build the acquisition case and bring it to a decision. Participate in every investment decision. Lead deal structuring and execution end-to-end. Support portfolio subsidiaries as needed. Do what it takes to build a great company — and eventually help take your own business to IPO. You'll own the full deal-making process yourself, leveraging AI instead of junior analysts. What we're looking for You are (or recently were) a buy-side Director / Principal at an active lower-middle-market PE firm or holding company in the U.S. — a firm that buys small companies, not a mega-fund that does large-cap deals. Core requirements A real track record of directly leading LMM acquisitions in the U.S. (think roughly 7–10+ deals — we care most about depth and your hands-on role in each). Hands-on capability across off-market sourcing, broker management, seller engagement, deal evaluation, structuring, presentation, and diligence. Highly autonomous and hands-on — genuinely fast and comfortable building your own valuation models in Excel, reading your own documents, and running your own process. No junior leverage here. A genuinely entrepreneurial appetite — you want to build, own, and operate like a principal. Strong pluses (not dealbreakers) Formative pedigree from a highly selective firm — Tier-1 M&A (e.g., GS, JPM, MS), Transaction Services (Big 4), a prominent PE shop, or MBB. Small-business operating experience or operational leadership. Investor relations / capital-raise experience. CFA / CPA. Strong academics — Finance, STEM, or an MBA a plus (pedigree is welcome, but track record wins). Location New York City, onsite — with frequent travel for deal sourcing and execution. Open to relocating the right person. Compensation 2–5% fully-diluted equity (based on profile, cash level, and optional co-invest; vesting stock options with a non-material exercise price) — with the potential for 8-figure upside if we execute as planned. $204K–$240K starting base , based on profile and equity %. +$36K base step-up for each additional $5M EBITDA acquired, up to $600K total annual comp. No cash bonus — by design. Upside lives in ownership. Skin in the game: co-invest is welcome and can increase your equity, but it's optional, not a requirement. What you can expect To feel, work, and be treated like an owner. Zero bureaucracy, politics, or nonsense. An A+ caliber, genuinely fun team. Work hard, play hard — with real autonomy. This is a great fit if you… Want to get back on the front lines and do deals, not manage a team doing them. Are energized by ownership and building something lasting, not by the next title or a bigger org chart. Thrive fully autonomous — you'd rather build the model yourself than hand it off. Love the deal, love the travel, and want your work to compound into real equity. Additional Job Application Terms This job is part of LinkedIn’s Full-Service Hiring beta program. Eligibility is limited to candidates located in and performing services in the United States, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, South Carolina, and West Virginia. We’re committed to making our hiring process as smooth and timely as possible. If you’re a potential fit, our team will reach out within two weeks. If you do not hear back in that time, we encourage you to explore other opportunities in the future. Do you agree to the additional job application terms outlined here: