Investment Lead

About the role

You will own the end to end evaluation and execution of acquisition targets within the vertical market software sector for Beacon's buy and hold portfolio. You will be responsible for sourcing and qualifying companies, leading complex due diligence, and driving negotiations from initial outreach to final close. You will translate operational insights into clear investment memorandums and integration roadmaps that guide value creation. You will build and scale AI native tools that support M&A agents and streamline deal workflows across the business. You will manage relationships with founders, advisors, and bankers to ensure a trusted and efficient process. You will collaborate closely with investment directors and the executive team to align on strategy and target profiles. You will synthesize large volumes of financial and operational data to identify risks, opportunities, and durable competitive advantages.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Source and screen potential acquisition targets across diverse industries to expand our pipeline of high quality opportunities.
• Conduct in depth operational, financial, and market diligence to validate assumptions and uncover value creation levers.
• Build sophisticated financial models and scenario analyses that inform valuation, offer structures, and negotiation strategy.
• Lead conversations with founders and owners to understand business history, operating model, and strategic objectives.
• Prepare concise investment memorandums that communicate thesis, risks, and integration strategy to the Investment Committee.
• Manage the full M&A process including documentation, legal coordination, and regulatory review.
• Partner with technology and product teams to assess software stacks, data infrastructure, and integration feasibility.
• Drive post acquisition integration planning to support retention, growth, and platform enablement.
• Develop and maintain relationships with advisors, bankers, and other intermediaries in the software M&A ecosystem.
• Implement and refine MAI agent workflows to automate data gathering, analysis, and reporting tasks.
• Synthesize competitive intelligence and market trends to inform ongoing target identification and prioritization.
• Represent Beacon in negotiations and stakeholder meetings with professionalism and clarity.
• Coordinate cross functional reviews of technology, legal, tax, and commercial due diligence findings.
• Track key metrics and milestones throughout the deal lifecycle to ensure disciplined execution.
• Contribute to the development of playbooks and frameworks for recurring deal patterns and sector focus areas.

Requirements

• Hold a degree in Business or Finance from a competitive institution with a strong academic record.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of technology and a genuine passion for the software industry.
• Bring a minimum of one year of M&A experience within private equity, investment banking, consulting, corporate development, or strategic finance.
• Show familiarity with buy and build strategies and prior exposure to software and technology markets.
• Exhibit expertise in constructing detailed financial models and delivering thoughtfully structured analysis.
• Possess the ability to synthesize complex systems and translate them into clear narratives and frameworks.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels, maintaining clarity and empathy in high stakes discussions.
• Translate high level strategic objectives into actionable work plans and measurable milestones.
• Apply high attention to detail while managing multiple priorities against tight deadlines.
• Remain extremely organized across workflows, documentation, and communication artifacts.
• Conduct all interactions with a high standard of integrity, trust, and discretion.
• Use advanced written and verbal communication skills to present complex ideas persuasively.
• Demonstrate a sustained interest in learning about businesses across diverse industries and models.
• Embrace a growth mindset, actively seeking personal and process improvement in every engagement.
• Build and maintain genuine, long term relationships through strong interpersonal skills and reliability.

Nice to have

• Experience with vertical market software, VMS platforms, and technology driven M&A.
• Knowledge of AI native tooling and workflows for M&A and value creation.
• Background in portfolio operations and ongoing value add initiatives.

Practical notes

• Full time based in San Francisco, CA.
• Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for this role.
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position at this time.
• The role requires rapid onboarding and immediate availability due to ongoing acquisition cycles.
• Travel is not required for this position.