M&a Business Development Associate

Job Description:
M&A Business Development Associate
Jonas Software - CORA
Location: Markham, Greater Toronto Area (Hybrid -1 day/week in Markham office or as required)

About Jonas Software - CORA
Jonas Software is the leading provider of enterprise management software solutions across numerous verticals. Within these vertical markets, Jonas is made up of over 130 distinct brands, which are respected and leaders within their own domain. Jonas’ vision is to be the global leader across the vertical markets and to be recognized by customers and respective industry stakeholders as the trusted provider of ‘Software for Life’ and as an ambassador for technology, product innovation, quality, and customer service. Together, we are the valued technology partner of over 60,000 customers worldwide in more than 30 countries. Jonas is headquartered in Canada and operates offices throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia New Zealand, and Africa. Jonas is a 100% owned subsidiary of Constellation Software Inc., headquartered in Toronto and traded on the S&P/TSX 60.

CORA Group (Collective Organization Redefining Advancement) operates as a portfolio within Jonas Software, positioned within North America to the Collection & Recovery, Food Service, Construction, Wine/Retail, Moving & Storage, Loyalty, Legal, and Long-Term Care Pharmacy industries. Adding to its 1400 employees, CORA is continuously expanding through acquisitions. CORA was formally launched in 2022 to better position themselves with an emphasis on employee culture while accelerating growth through acquisition and investing in the long-term.

Position Specification:
We are seeking a highly driven and strategic M&A Business Development Associate to join our deal origination team. In this role, you will be responsible for sourcing, qualifying, nurturing, and managing a pipeline of acquisition opportunities in the software sector — shaping outreach strategies, identifying high-potential software sectors, building a robust pipeline of acquisition opportunities. You will build relationships with Board members, founders, C-suite executives, investment bankers, private equity/venture capital firms, and other stakeholders to uncover attractive opportunities that fit our investment criteria. To be successful in this role you will need to have a team player mindset, and a tenacious desire + work ethic to outperform everyone.

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 industry leaders and represent the company at industry events.

Reporting directly to the Director on the team, this role offers exposure to M&A deal origination from the ground up at one of the largest and most successful software acquirers in the world while giving you a chance impact it’s growth directly.

Key Responsibilities:

- Strategic Sourcing & Pipeline Management_- Strategically source, qualify, build and manage a large pipeline of acquisition targets across multiple software verticals.- Identify and add new acquisition targets and relevant M&A decision making contacts to the database.- Identify and prioritize attractive industries, building target lists and tailored sourcing strategies.- Maintain accurate + timely records of outreach and deal progression in Salesforce, leveraging CRM insights to improve processes.
- Relationship Development & Outreach_-
- Exhibit advanced outreach skills — building rapport quickly, including navigating gatekeepers, and leading conversations confidently off-script using robust pre-meeting research, if needed.- Establish relationships with C-suite executives, founders, investment bankers, PE/VC funds, and other stakeholders.- Nurture relationships with prospective sellers to progress them through the M&A pipeline.
- Collaboration & Deal Evaluation_- Conduct initial qualification to ensure opportunities meet 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.- Work closely with internal & external stakeholders to ensure smooth progression of deals.
- Market Intelligence & Representation_- Conduct industry research to identify attractive markets and acquisition targets.- Attend and represent the company at industry events, trade shows, conferences, and in-person meetings with business owners.
- Mentorship & Process Improvement_- As you become tenured and grow in the role you will be expected to help junior or newer team members by providing guidance, feedback, and support on the best practices.- Continuously refine a