Deal Origination Analyst — Broker & Owner Sourcing

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Deal Origination Analyst — Broker & Owner Sourcing based in the United States.** This is an early-career opportunity focused on building a high-quality pipeline of businesses that may become acquisition targets. You will research companies and markets, identify promising opportunities, and build relationships with brokers, advisers, founders, and business owners. The role combines sourcing, relationship management, commercial research, outreach, and initial opportunity assessment in a fast-moving, AI-enabled environment. You will learn how businesses are evaluated, why owners choose to sell, and what characteristics make an acquisition attractive. Your work will directly support the acquisition strategy by identifying and qualifying opportunities before handing the strongest prospects to the deal team. While complex financial modelling, diligence, negotiation, and transaction execution remain with senior deal professionals, you will gain meaningful exposure to the full acquisition lifecycle. This role is well suited to a curious, resilient, highly organized individual who enjoys research, communication, relationship building, and taking ownership. ### Accountabilities - **Deal Sourcing:** Research markets, companies, marketplaces, brokers, advisers, and other channels to identify businesses that fit acquisition criteria. - **Broker Relationships:** Build and maintain professional relationships with brokers, intermediaries, advisers, and other deal sources; stay informed about businesses coming to market and follow up consistently. - **Owner Outreach:** Develop targeted lists of potential businesses and owners, verify decision-maker contact information, and conduct thoughtful outreach through phone, email, LinkedIn, referrals, and other relevant channels. - **Initial Conversations:** Speak directly with owners and intermediaries to understand their businesses, objectives, sale motivations, timelines, and expectations while maintaining a credible and professional approach. - **Business Research:** Quickly understand unfamiliar businesses, including their products or services, revenue model, customer base, competitive position, defensibility, and growth characteristics. - **Opportunity Qualification:** Gather and assess high-level information such as revenue, profitability, growth, recurring revenue, customer concentration, owner involvement, asking price, sale motivation, and transaction timing. - **Opportunity Briefs:** Prepare concise opportunity summaries and clear notes that allow the acquisition team to quickly understand the strongest prospects and determine appropriate next steps. - **Pipeline Management:** Maintain accurate acquisition CRM records covering contacts, sources, stages, notes, financial information, risks, follow-up dates, and next actions. - **Funnel Tracking:** Monitor outreach activity, responses, meetings, qualified opportunities, handoffs, and overall pipeline progression, providing concise weekly reporting. - **Process Improvement:** Use research, evidence, AI-powered tools, and performance data to improve sourcing strategies, outreach effectiveness, research quality, and recordkeeping. - **Cross-Functional Handoffs:** Ensure qualified opportunities are transferred to the acquisition team with complete, organized, and actionable information. - **Professional Follow-Up:** Maintain consistent communication throughout potentially long sales and relationship cycles, demonstrating persistence without sacrificing professionalism or judgment. - **Confidentiality:** Handle sensitive business and financial information with discretion, integrity, and appropriate care. ## Requirements - **Experience:** 0–3 years of professional experience. Relevant experience in sourcing, sales, research, brokerage, consulting, entrepreneurship, or related fields is useful but not required. - **Research & Curiosity:** Highly curious and able to quickly understand unfamiliar companies, industries, business models, and commercial situations. - **Communication:** Excellent spoken and written communication skills, with the ability to build credibility with experienced brokers, advisers, founders, and business owners without relying on unnecessary financial jargon. - **Outreach:** Comfortable making cold calls, sending outbound messages, following up persistently, and handling rejection professionally. - **Organization:** Highly organized, reliable, and detail-oriented, with strong habits around accurate documentation and follow-through. - **Commercial Literacy:** Basic understanding of business fundamentals, financial concepts, and commercial drivers, or a demonstrated ability and willingness to learn quickly. - **Analytical Judgment:** Ability to evaluate information, identify relevant signals, recognize risks, and determine whether an opportunity warrants further consideration. - **CRM & Research Tools:** Comfortable working with spreadsheets, CRM systems, research databases, and other digital sourcing tools. - **AI Tools:** Willingness and ability to use modern AI tools to improve research, sourcing, outreach, analysis, and productivity. - **Resilience:** Motivated, proactive, persistent, and comfortable working independently without constant supervision. - **Relationship Building:** Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to establish and maintain productive professional relationships over time. - **Integrity:** High level of integrity and sound judgment when handling confidential information and representing the organization externally. - **Remote Collaboration:** Able to work effectively in a fully remote environment and remain available during North American business hours. - **Location:** Candidates must be based in the United States or Canada. ## Benefits - **Compensation:** US$70,000–$85,000 base salary. - **Performance Bonus:** Annual performance bonus of up to US$15,000, depending on ability and experience. - **Remote Work:** 100% remote position for candidates based in the United States or Canada. - **Acquisition Exposure:** Direct exposure to real acquisition opportunities and the acquisition strategy process. - **Relationship Building:** Opportunity to work directly with founders, business owners, brokers, advisers, and other deal professionals. - **Early Responsibility:** Meaningful ownership and responsibility from the beginning of your career. - **Career Development:** Potential progression into senior deal origination, acquisitions, or broader operating responsibilities. - **Technology Exposure:** Opportunity to use modern AI and sourcing tools in a practical acquisition environment. - **Learning Opportunity:** Hands-on experience understanding how businesses are sourced, assessed, qualified, and progressed toward potential acquisition.