North Park Group
Business Development & M&A Associate
North Park Group is a private family office investment group of business operators based out of Fort Lauderdale, FL and Chicago, IL. We focus on the acquisition of family-owned United States based manufacturing and distribution businesses with the strategy to hold and grow them. We believe in the fundamentals that make family-owned businesses great: People, Customer Service, Teamwork, Continuous Improvement, and Long-term Value Creation. We have the flexibility and creativity to tailor our investment to meet the business characteristics and shareholder goals. With a focus on small and middle market businesses, we understand the challenges and opportunities facing niche businesses.
We are now looking to bring in a Business Development & M&A Associate to support deal sourcing, evaluation, diligence, and transaction execution. This role will work directly with senior leadership and play a meaningful role across the full lifecycle of acquisitions — from first conversation through close and post-acquisition transition.
This is an opportunity for someone who wants real responsibility, exposure to business owners and operators, and a clear path to growing into a senior investing role.
Key Responsibilities Deal Sourcing & Relationship Management
Source acquisition opportunities through business brokers, intermediaries, direct outreach, and proprietary channels
Build and maintain relationships with business owners, advisors, lenders, and M&A intermediaries
Track and manage deal pipeline activity using CRM and internal tools
Represent North Park Group professionally in outreach, meetings, and conferences
Deal Evaluation & Execution
Screen opportunities and prepare initial investment summaries
Build and maintain financial and operating models
Support valuation analysis and deal structuring
Coordinate due diligence across financial, legal, operational, and commercial workstreams
Assist with LOI preparation, transaction documentation, and closing processes
Work closely with external advisors (accountants, attorneys, lenders)
Post-Acquisition Support
Assist with transition planning and early post-close initiatives
Support portfolio company strategic and operational projects as needed
Qualifications
2–5 years of experience in private equity, investment banking, transaction advisory, corporate development, search fund/ETA, or related fields
Strong financial modeling and analytical skills
Comfortable interacting with business owners and senior executives
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple workstreams
Self-starter who thrives in a lean, entrepreneurial environment
Willingness to travel periodically for deal work
Manufacturing or industrial experience is a plus, but not required.
Personal Attributes
1️⃣ Relationship-First, Not Transaction-First
Comfortable building long-term trust with owners and brokers
Listens more than they talk
Understands that sourcing is about credibility and consistency, not spamming CIMs
2️⃣ Owner Mindset
Thinks like a business owner, not an analyst
Naturally asks: "Would I want to own this?"
Cares about quality, durability, and downside protection
3️⃣ Comfort With Ambiguity
Doesn’t need a playbook for everything
Comfortable working with imperfect data and evolving priorities
Can move a deal forward without waiting for permission
4️⃣ High Integrity + Low Ego
Honest with brokers, sellers, and teammates
Will say “we’re not the right buyer” when appropriate
Doesn’t oversell or bluff
5️⃣ Process-Oriented but Not Bureaucratic
Organized, disciplined, and reliable
Keeps pipelines clean and follow-ups tight
Doesn’t create busywork or unnecessary memos
6️⃣ Commercial Curiosity
Genuinely interested in how businesses make money
Asks smart questions about customers, pricing, labor, capex
Enjoys factory floors and operator conversations
7️⃣ Resilient & Patient
Understands that 95%+ of deals do not close
Doesn’t get discouraged by slow processes or dead deals
Keeps showing up consistently
8️⃣ Strong Written & Verbal Communicator
Can write clean, concise outreach emails
Can summarize complex deals simply
Comfortable talking to owners, brokers, lenders, and lawyers
9️⃣ Bias Toward Action
Follows up without being asked
Moves deals forward proactively
Balances speed with judgment
Long-Term Orientation
Not chasing a two-year resume flip
Motivated by building something durable
Aligned with reinvestment and compounding over time
Work Environment
Normal office environment
Some travel (25%) will be required
Locations:
Chicago, IL
St. Charles, IL
Madison, OH
Memphis, TN
Wichita, KS
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Compensation Range
Base range - $100-200K depending on qualifications
Bonus - STI incentive target of 0-40% - variable based on achieving specific benchmarks in year-over-year EBITDA growth and Cash Return on Initial Equity.
Incentive equity in new deals
Ability to co-invest in future North Park Group acquisitions
Seniority Level Mid-Senior level
Employment Type Full-time
Job Function Business Development and Sales
Industries Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
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We are now looking to bring in a Business Development & M&A Associate to support deal sourcing, evaluation, diligence, and transaction execution. This role will work directly with senior leadership and play a meaningful role across the full lifecycle of acquisitions — from first conversation through close and post-acquisition transition.
This is an opportunity for someone who wants real responsibility, exposure to business owners and operators, and a clear path to growing into a senior investing role.
Key Responsibilities Deal Sourcing & Relationship Management
Source acquisition opportunities through business brokers, intermediaries, direct outreach, and proprietary channels
Build and maintain relationships with business owners, advisors, lenders, and M&A intermediaries
Track and manage deal pipeline activity using CRM and internal tools
Represent North Park Group professionally in outreach, meetings, and conferences
Deal Evaluation & Execution
Screen opportunities and prepare initial investment summaries
Build and maintain financial and operating models
Support valuation analysis and deal structuring
Coordinate due diligence across financial, legal, operational, and commercial workstreams
Assist with LOI preparation, transaction documentation, and closing processes
Work closely with external advisors (accountants, attorneys, lenders)
Post-Acquisition Support
Assist with transition planning and early post-close initiatives
Support portfolio company strategic and operational projects as needed
Qualifications
2–5 years of experience in private equity, investment banking, transaction advisory, corporate development, search fund/ETA, or related fields
Strong financial modeling and analytical skills
Comfortable interacting with business owners and senior executives
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple workstreams
Self-starter who thrives in a lean, entrepreneurial environment
Willingness to travel periodically for deal work
Manufacturing or industrial experience is a plus, but not required.
Personal Attributes
1️⃣ Relationship-First, Not Transaction-First
Comfortable building long-term trust with owners and brokers
Listens more than they talk
Understands that sourcing is about credibility and consistency, not spamming CIMs
2️⃣ Owner Mindset
Thinks like a business owner, not an analyst
Naturally asks: "Would I want to own this?"
Cares about quality, durability, and downside protection
3️⃣ Comfort With Ambiguity
Doesn’t need a playbook for everything
Comfortable working with imperfect data and evolving priorities
Can move a deal forward without waiting for permission
4️⃣ High Integrity + Low Ego
Honest with brokers, sellers, and teammates
Will say “we’re not the right buyer” when appropriate
Doesn’t oversell or bluff
5️⃣ Process-Oriented but Not Bureaucratic
Organized, disciplined, and reliable
Keeps pipelines clean and follow-ups tight
Doesn’t create busywork or unnecessary memos
6️⃣ Commercial Curiosity
Genuinely interested in how businesses make money
Asks smart questions about customers, pricing, labor, capex
Enjoys factory floors and operator conversations
7️⃣ Resilient & Patient
Understands that 95%+ of deals do not close
Doesn’t get discouraged by slow processes or dead deals
Keeps showing up consistently
8️⃣ Strong Written & Verbal Communicator
Can write clean, concise outreach emails
Can summarize complex deals simply
Comfortable talking to owners, brokers, lenders, and lawyers
9️⃣ Bias Toward Action
Follows up without being asked
Moves deals forward proactively
Balances speed with judgment
Long-Term Orientation
Not chasing a two-year resume flip
Motivated by building something durable
Aligned with reinvestment and compounding over time
Work Environment
Normal office environment
Some travel (25%) will be required
Locations:
Chicago, IL
St. Charles, IL
Madison, OH
Memphis, TN
Wichita, KS
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Compensation Range
Base range - $100-200K depending on qualifications
Bonus - STI incentive target of 0-40% - variable based on achieving specific benchmarks in year-over-year EBITDA growth and Cash Return on Initial Equity.
Incentive equity in new deals
Ability to co-invest in future North Park Group acquisitions
Seniority Level Mid-Senior level
Employment Type Full-time
Job Function Business Development and Sales
Industries Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
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