M&A Relationship Development

South Grand is a relationship-driven deal origination firm connecting established private businesses with experienced U.S. investment partners.
We develop proprietary lower middle market opportunities by building direct relationships with business owners and creating conversations where a company, its ownership, and an investment partner appear meaningfully aligned.
THE ROLE
South Grand is engaging independent Origination Leads to develop opportunities across active investment mandates.
This is a commission-based independent contractor opportunity for professionals who can work autonomously, identify relevant privately held businesses, and create credible conversations with owners, founders, CEOs, and other senior decision-makers.
The objective: generate qualified business-owner conversations that may develop into acquisition, investment, or other strategic opportunities for South Grand and its investment partners.
Mandates may be assigned based on experience, professional network, industry exposure, business development activity, or proximity to companies that fit specific investment criteria.
This opportunity is separate from the South Grand M&A Fellowship. Origination Leads are not assigned Fellowship teams, prescribed weekly hours, research quotas, or standardized activity requirements.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
• Identify privately held businesses that fit assigned acquisition or investment criteria.
• Research the company, ownership, and potential strategic fit.
• Establish direct contact with owners, founders, CEOs, and senior decision-makers.
• Develop conversations around ownership objectives, succession, acquisitions, investment, growth, or other mandate-specific opportunities.
• Determine whether genuine owner interest and strategic fit exist.
• Gather relevant context and facilitate a clean handoff to South Grand when an opportunity becomes sufficiently developed.
• Maintain follow-up as opportunities progress.
• Keep material opportunity information and activity current in South Grand's pipeline.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Success is measured by the quality and development of real business-owner conversations, not simply activity volume.
Strong opportunities generally include direct engagement with a decision-maker, credible fit with an active mandate, genuine willingness to explore a transaction or strategic discussion, useful context regarding ownership objectives or timing, and a logical next step.
We value thoughtful origination over indiscriminate outreach.
AUTONOMY
Origination Leads have significant flexibility in how they develop opportunities. You may use existing relationships, professional networks, referrals, direct outreach, industry communities, proprietary research, and appropriate sourcing methods.
South Grand establishes the mandate, target criteria, positioning, and desired outcome. The Origination Lead determines how best to generate results within agreed parameters, confidentiality requirements, and professional standards.
There are no prescribed daily working hours or Fellowship-style call quotas.
PIPELINE & ATTRIBUTION
Trello serves as South Grand's source of truth for opportunity management, recordkeeping, and attribution.
Origination Leads are expected to maintain enough information for South Grand to understand the company, decision-makers, material conversations, owner feedback, current status, follow-up commitments, and next steps.
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Strong candidates may come from business development, sales, M&A, investing, consulting, entrepreneurship, corporate development, or related commercial backgrounds.
We are particularly interested in professionals who can confidently initiate conversations with business owners and senior executives, communicate credibly at an executive level, recognize strategic fit, work without constant supervision, follow through, and maintain disciplined records.
Existing relationships within lower-middle-market business communities, relevant industries, or professional networks are especially valuable.
Prior M&A experience is desired but not absolutely required if there are synergistic opportunities.
ENGAGEMENT STRUCTURE
This is a paid, commission-based independent contractor opportunity, not a salaried or hourly employment position.
Origination Leads determine their own working schedule and methods within agreed engagement parameters and may continue other professional activities subject to applicable confidentiality and conflict requirements.
Specific mandate assignments, compensation, attribution rights, and economics are established separately in writing. Compensation is success-based and tied to qualifying opportunities generated under the applicable engagement.
Do not apply if you are not comfortable with commission-only compensation.
Strong performance may lead to additional mandates, broader origination responsibility, research support, increased involvement in active opportunities, expanded economics, and longer-term opportunities with South Grand.

Work arrangement
Yes