Head of M&A

Job Title: Head of M&A
Company: Solen Software Group
Location: Toronto, Canada
Reports to : CEO
Employment Type : Full-time

About Solen Software Group: Solen Software Group is an evergreen holding company that acquires and operates proven software businesses that have significant growth potential in a variety of vertical markets, enabling them to be market leaders in their niche industry. Solen owns several software companies in various market spaces: Human Resource Technology, Fleet Telematics, Asset Management, E-Health, Document Management, and other innovative software solutions in a variety of industries. Solen is backed by a group of advisors and investors that have built software businesses of material scale M in ARR) and advised many.

About the role: This is a crucial role on the Solen team–managing the mission-critical aspect of the business: M&A. Solen has built a highly productive sourcing engine - you will be a critical part of helping Solen enter our next phase of growth as an elite, professionalized holding company. You will be involved in aspects of the entire deal lifecycle, from thesis development to post-close support of operating companies, with specific responsibility for transaction underwriting and closing. You will be the key point of contact for business owners, brokers, and third parties, managing all aspects of the underwriting, due diligence, deal negotiations, and deal execution. The role will report directly to Alex Spencer, the company's CEO, and will work closely with our sourcing team led by Mason Bledsoe. The scope of this role expands well beyond the tactical aspects of underwriting and diligence. You will be a strategic partner for the future of Solen's strategy.

The successful candidate will work from Solen's offices in Toronto.

Key Responsibilities:

M&A Strategy & Sourcing Support

• Develop Solen's overall M&A strategy
• Work collaboratively with Solen's sourcing team to identify, map and perform outreach to attractive markets
• Develop expertise and credibility with founders in target verticals
• Work collaboratively with the sourcing team to develop and achieve ambitious KPIs

Deal Underwriting

• Meet with founders and quickly understand the fundamentals of their business
• Collect needed information (both from the company and other sources) to prepare a thoughtful and appropriately detailed financial model to determine an appropriate valuation and structure
• Develop, negotiate and execute LOIs

Due Diligence

• Create a diligence plan and drive the end-to-end due diligence process
• Create elite diligence supporting materials (deal decks, models, etc)
• Be laser focused on the key questions (80/20) without losing sight of the details
• Doggedly find opportunities to get a 360 view of the company through conversations with management, customers, competitors, industry experts, and whomever else we need to speak with to gain conviction
• Get all necessary company financial and operational information to deeply understand how the business works, what the key levers for growth are and assess trends and opportunities
• Work collaboratively with third parties for key aspects of the diligence (e.g., QoE, technology, insurance, legal, etc.) and manage their work

Deal Execution

• Oversee the drafting and the negotiation of the purchase agreement, working closely with Legal
• Work with other third-parties to ensure a smooth deal execution process
• Identify and secure the most favorable debt financing terms available by working and negotiating with a broad range of lenders
• Develop and negotiate employment agreements for management and any key employees, including launching executive searches for any key hires
• Work collaboratively with management to develop a post-transaction business plan

Post-Transaction Support

• Work collaboratively as needed with theCEO, Solen Operating Partners, and company management team to support the businesses success

Key requirements

• 7+ years prior work experience in software M&A
• Deep understanding of all aspects of the deal making process
• Strong financial modeling and presentation development skills
• Experience managing third party vendors (quality of earnings, tax, legal, etc.)
• Overall executive presence and prior experience directly interacting with founders, investors, bankers, and other intermediaries
• Prior experience raising debt in a software context is a plus
• Prior experience in investment banking or management consulting is highly desirable
• Advanced Excel, written, and verbal communication skills
• Fluency in english is mandatory
• Legally authorized to work in Canada

Benefits:

• Be part of a dynamic, growth-oriented company with a focus on long-term success
• Opportunity to drive strategic decision-making and drive legal excellence in a fast-paced environment.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package (includes 401k and M&A bonus plan).

Am I Right for This Position?

We are looking for individuals who are motivated by challenges and have a relentless drive to learn and grow. While technical proficiency is essential, your attitude and unwavering commitment to collaborative success are the traits that will blend well with our organizational culture.

What will set you apart:

• You have extensive experience investing in profitable software businesses and have an intuitive sense for what "good" looks like;
  
• Financial modeling is second nature - you develop financial models which get to the appropriate level of detail without being overly complex;
  
• You are creative and thoughtful when it comes to deal structure. You structure deals in a "heads we win, tails we don't lose much" mentality, while creating a win-win transaction for founders and avoiding zero-sum negotiations whenever possible;
  
• You are a systematic thinker. You develop tools, frameworks, and processes that can be used to streamline and scale our M&A engine

Solen-isms:
Pioneering

Pioneering driven by opportunity, using first principles thinking and unbound by tradition or rules.

Mutual Elevation

Committed to growth, elevating teams, developing future leaders, and removing barriers to mastery and joy.

Learn-It-Alls

Learn-it-alls, not know-it-alls, embracing failure as part of growth and progress.

Figure-It-Out-iveness

Embracing challenges, fostering growth, and taking initiative, leaders thrive on hard work and high failure tolerance.

Completionists

We exhibit stick-to-it-iveness. We are Completionists. We adapt. We think long-term. No plan B. We are all in. We burn the boats.

Ownership Mindset

We own the mission. We don't wait to be told. We lead, fix, and build as if it were ours. When problems arise, we run toward them, not away.

Dialectical

We learn through conversation. We ask, listen, question, and evolve — valuing disagreement as a tool for alignment and deeper understanding.

Benchmark to Best

We seek out excellence. We measure ourselves against the best and adapt quickly, always looking for the edge that moves us forward.

Will to win

Leaders relentlessly pursue potential, reject mediocrity, and get what they tolerate.

Candor

We communicate with integrity, transparency, and respect in all conversations.

Band of beavers

We are relentlessly resourceful, industrious semi-aquatic rodents. Our teeth are self-sharpening. As multi-faceted generalists, we terraform

Frugality

Achieving more with less, focusing on quality, long-term value, and company-wide responsibility.

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