Business Development Associate in Markham

The Business Development Associate is a key contributor to our M&A deal origination team and the identification and evaluation of strategic acquisition opportunities. In this role, you will be responsible for sourcing, qualifying, nurturing and managing a pipeline of acquisition opportunities in the software sector. The role is ideal for candidates looking to apply their problem solving, analytical, and strategic thinking skills to shape outreach strategies, identify high potential software verticals, and build a robust pipeline of acquisition opportunities. You will work closely with senior M&A leadership to target attractive verticals, execute sourcing plans and qualify deals that align with our investment criteria.

This position requires a mix of strategic thinking, hands‑on origination, and relationship building skills, along with an ability to hold confident conversations with founders, board members, C‑suite executives, investment bankers, private equity/venture capital firms and industry leaders to represent the company virtually and in person at industry events.

Location: Markham, GTA (Hybrid)

Job Description:

• Strategic Sourcing & Pipeline Management
  • Research companies using a variety of public and internal tools to gather contact details and other relevant information.
  • Proactively and persistently follow up with business owners and executives that are seeking to sell their business.
  • Timely record keeping and deal flow tracking through Salesforce, leveraging CRM insights to improve processes.
  • Source deals through top of the funnel activities to identify and prioritize attractive industries, build target lists and tailor sourcing strategies.
  • Liaison with senior M&A and operational leaders within the CORA organization to build acquisition approaches and strategies with individual prospects.
  • Develop industry knowledge through industry research and industry events, tradeshows and conferences.
• Relationship Development & Outreach
  • Conduct outreach to founders, CEOs, executives and other key decision-makers of software companies using various outreach methods (e‑mail, LinkedIn, calls, video calls, in‑person meetings).
  • Exhibit advanced outreach skills – building rapport quickly, including navigating gatekeepers, and leading conversations confidently off‑script using pre‑meeting research if needed.
  • Establish relationships with decision makers of acquisition targets and book meetings for senior M&A and operational leaders within CORA.
  • Nurture relationships with prospective sellers to progress them through the M&A pipeline.
• Collaboration & Deal Evaluation
  • Conduct initial qualification to ensure opportunities meet quantitative and qualitative investment criteria.
  • Partner with M&A leadership to assess deal fit, prioritize opportunities and present qualified targets to the internal M&A committee weekly.
  • Arrange NDAs with qualified acquisition targets and collect key situational, operational and financial information in a nuanced manner.

Skills You’re Bringing:

• Exceptional organization, communication and time management skills.
• Advanced reach out skills (including: “Getting past the gatekeeper,” and quick to establish rapport), generate conversations off‑script, comfortably interact with mature business owners.
• Strong work ethic with persistence and drive to continuously refine and enhance your individual processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness, comfort with experimenting.
• Team player mindset, goals driven and results oriented.
• Intellectual curiosity to qualify leads by piecing together information to develop a view on the business.
• Demonstrates curiosity and openness to adopting new technologies, particularly AI and automation tools.
• Ability to evaluate, test, and recommend AI‑driven solutions that enhance team productivity and organizational efficiency is a plus.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, finance, or a related field.
• 2+ years’ experience in deal origination, business development, software sales or investment related roles.
• Prior M&A, PE, VC, or Corporate Development experience is an asset.
• Prior experience with CRM platforms (e.g. Salesforce) and Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
• Prior experience integrating or experimenting with AI tools (e.g. workflow automation, data analysis, content generation, role optimization) is a plus.
• Understanding of financial and business metrics is an asset.

Success in This Role Will Look Like:

• Demonstrated ability to independently source, engage, and build a high quality acquisition funnel through creativity, persistence, and strategic networking.
• Consistently booking substantive calls with qualified business owners and key decision makers.
• Building strong, trust based relationships with founders and executives, and effectively guiding them through each stage of the acquisition process.
• Maintaining accurate, detailed research and documentation in Salesforce to ensure visibility and accuracy across the pipeline.
• Ensuring timely follow up and information collection from engaged prospects to keep momentum strong.
• Presenting qualified acquisition candidates to team with supporting analysis.
• Delivering industry insights to support CORA’s broader acquisition strategy.
• Taking initiative to improve outreach strategies, research methods, and internal processes for greater efficiency and impact.

Compensation and benefits:

• Competitive base salary and bonus.
• Significant upward growth trajectory for high performers.
• Comprehensive health benefits and 3 weeks vacation + personal days.
• Hybrid work flexibility.
• Direct access to senior decision makers, industry leaders, M&A leadership, and deal evaluation discussions.