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M&A/OriginationAssociate

Business Development Associate

Dark Alpha Capital is hiring a remote Business Development Associate (BDR) – success-fee independent contractor – to generate proprietary top-of-funnel deal flow through high-volume outbound outreach (phone/email/LinkedIn), qualify founder-led businesses and intermediaries, book qualified meetings, maintain CRM discipline, and support lower-middle-market M&A acquisitions in key sectors—with direct attribution to closing fees.

Business Development Associate (BDR) — M&A Origination

Dark Alpha Capital (Independent Sponsor)

Reports to: VP of M&A Origination

Location: Fully Remote (U.S. Eastern hours alignment required)

Travel: 0%

Contract Type: Independent Contractor – Success-Fee Only (no fixed salary; compensation tied to originated/closed deals)

About Dark Alpha Capital

Dark Alpha Capital (“DAC”) is a private equity independent sponsor focused on acquiring and scaling lower-middle-market companies with enterprise values typically between $10 million and $200 million (targeting $1M+ EBITDA, strong cash flow, and transition-ready ownership). We specialize in proprietary, thesis-driven buyouts across business services, industrial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and aerospace & defense—partnering with operating executives and aligned investors to execute disciplined transactions and create long-term value.

Position Overview

The Business Development Associate (BDR) is a high-activity, outbound-focused role dedicated to building the top of the deal funnel. You'll identify and engage founder-led businesses and intermediaries that align with DAC’s acquisition criteria through structured prospecting, multi-channel cadences, qualification calls, meeting booking, and pipeline management. This performance-driven position converts outreach into qualified seller conversations, advancing opportunities to NDA/CIM and initial screening stages—directly impacting sourced deals and closing success fees.

This is a true BDR motion in an M&A origination context: list building, high-volume outbound, qualification, follow-up, CRM hygiene, and metrics tracking—with clear activity targets and no base salary.

Key Responsibilities Outbound Prospecting & Outreach

  • Build and execute targeted outreach campaigns to founders, owners, and intermediaries via phone, email, and LinkedIn.
  • Run structured cadences with consistent follow-up to maximize response rates and meeting conversions.
  • Source proprietary opportunities strictly aligned with DAC’s sector, size, and thesis criteria (including roll-up adjacencies).

Qualification & Meeting Setting

  • Perform first-touch discovery to assess fit and seller intent, covering revenue/EBITDA range, ownership structure, transition goals, industry alignment, timeline, buyer openness, and next steps.
  • Schedule qualified introductory calls/meetings and deliver crisp handoffs with detailed notes and context.

Pipeline Management & CRM Discipline

  • Maintain accurate, real-time records in Bitrix24 CRM (outreach activity, contact details, call notes, stages, tags, next steps).
  • Track engagement signals, manage opportunity aging, and prevent pipeline stalls.
  • Coordinate early workflow: NDA routing, CIM requests, and initial data collection.

Research, Targeting, & List Building

  • Build/refine high-quality target lists by sector, geography, and investment thesis.
  • Identify accurate ownership/decision-maker contacts and provide light screening insights for prioritization.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

  • Deliver weekly metrics reports on activity, outcomes, and conversion rates.
  • Collaborate with leadership to refine messaging, objection handling, ICP profiles, and campaign strategies.
  • Share market intelligence from founder interactions to enhance DAC’s positioning and outreach.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or related field (or equivalent experience).
  • 0–5 years in BDR/SDR, outbound business development, PE/M&A origination support, advisory, or metrics-driven sales roles.
  • Proven comfort with high-volume outbound prospecting and executive-level conversations.
  • Excellent written/verbal communication; ability to qualify rapidly and document clearly.
  • Proficiency with CRM (Bitrix24 preferred) and outreach tools (LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo, Grata, or similar).
  • Basic understanding of business/financial fundamentals (P&L, balance sheet literacy).
  • High ownership, discipline, and motivation in a performance-based, entrepreneurial environment.

Compensation (Success-Fee Based; No Fixed Salary) Compensation is 100% tied to measurable outcomes and origination attribution:

  • Closing Success Fee: 0.25%–5.00% of total fees (net of expenses) collected by DAC on any closed acquisition originated through your efforts (paid at closing).
  • Advancement Path: Exceptional performers may transition to Senior BDR / VP Origination roles with expanded scope and potential shift to more traditional compensation.

Ideal Candidate Traits

  • Proactive, metrics-obsessed, and disciplined with follow-up and pipeline management.
  • Confident relationship builder with strong executive presence and objection-handling skills.
  • Organized, accountable, and thrives under pay-for-performance incentives.
  • Curious about M&A processes, deal mechanics, founder psychology, and value creation in private equity.

Application Questions (Please address in your response):

  • Can you work in a success-fee-based compensation structure only (no fixed salary)?
  • How do you maintain motivation and financial stability in a role where income depends solely on success-based fees?

Equal Opportunity Employer

Dark Alpha Capital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Reasonable accommodations available upon request.

How to Apply Email careers@darkalphacapital.com (or via LinkedIn/Handshake) with:

  • Resume + LinkedIn URL
  • Answers to the application questions above
  • Brief note (≤200 words) on why you're excited about M&A origination in an independent sponsor model and a past example of outbound success (cadence/results)