Director, Mergers & Acquisitions - US-Based

Job Summary:

As Director of M&A, you will lead the identification, assessment, and execution of acquisition opportunities that align with Toptal’s strategic growth objectives—particularly in the talent, IT services, and tech product ecosystems. You will be directly responsible for sourcing and initiating M&A discussions, owning deal execution, and supporting post-acquisition integration and performance tracking.

This role requires a strong operator who can manage multiple concurrent deals under time pressure, balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution, and clearly communicate complex deal theses to C-level stakeholders. You’ll work cross-functionally with Legal, Finance, Product, Engineering, People, and others to evaluate opportunities and build scalable diligence and integration frameworks.

This is a remote position. Resumes and communication must be submitted in English.

Responsibilities:

The following information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or required skills.

Your primary objective will be to support the M&A team in identifying strategic acquisition targets that align with our long-term vision. This highly visible position demands a leader with exceptional communication skills, an entrepreneurial spirit, and an unwavering commitment to driving growth.

Origination & Sourcing

·        Identify and proactively reach out to small business owners and founders in the talent, IT services, and adjacent sectors to build a high-quality acquisition pipeline.

·        Develop and test creative sourcing approaches to uncover actionable, proprietary opportunities.

·        Represent Toptal in founder conversations, demonstrating empathy, professionalism, and strategic insight.

Deal Execution

·        Lead commercial, financial, and operational diligence in collaboration with cross-functional partners.

·        Develop compelling deal theses and valuation models tailored to each opportunity.

·        Negotiate deal terms and structure, working closely with internal and external legal counsel.

Executive Engagement

·        Present and defend deal rationale, strategic fit, and risks to senior executives including the CEO.

·        Clearly communicate trade-offs and integration implications of each transaction.

Integration & Monitoring

·        Partner with functional leads to build and oversee execution of integration plans.

·        Track post-close performance of acquired companies, escalate risks early, and drive accountability.

Team Development & Best Practices

·        Help codify Toptal’s M&A playbook and continuously refine sourcing, diligence, and integration frameworks.

·        Mentor junior team members and champion a culture of excellence, urgency, and ownership.

In the first week, expect to:

·        Onboard and integrate into Toptal.

·        Learn Toptal’s business model, our value proposition, and our story.

·        Shadow critical teams throughout the organization to learn Toptal’s core operations and capabilities.

In the first month, expect to:

·        Gain a comprehensive understanding of Toptal’s go-to-market strategies to effectively guide M&A initiatives.

·        Lead efforts to conduct in-depth market research to identify and evaluate potential acquisition targets that align with Toptal’s strategic goals.

·       Cultivate strong relationships with team members across various departments to support ongoing research and outreach efforts.

In the first three months, expect to:

·        Continue building Toptal’s proprietary deal pipeline.

·        Initiate contact with promising acquisition targets, gauging their interest in potential partnerships or acquisitions.

·        Advance ongoing deals across the M&A pipeline, while exercising discretion and independent judgment.

In the first six months, expect to:

·        Demonstrate progress by contributing to the growth of the acquisition pipeline and starting to see the impact of your efforts on Toptal’s strategic goals.

In the first year, expect to:

·        Have successfully executed multiple acquisitions or partnerships that align with the company’s long-term goals.

·        Expand your influence within the company by continuously refining and executing your strategies, leading to measurable improvements in pipeline volume and gross revenue.

·        Continue scaling your efforts by optimizing processes, tools, and collaboration with other departments to drive sustained growth and success.

Qualifications and Job Requirements:

·        Bachelor’s degree is required.

·        10+ years of relevant experience in M&A, corporate development, investment banking, or private equity; experience with tech services or product-based acquisitions strongly preferred.

·        Demonstrated success sourcing and closing small-cap, founder-led deals, particularly in talent marketplaces, IT services, or product-led companies.

·        Experience initiating and managing founder outreach, including cold engagement and relationship development.

·        Strong comfort juggling multiple engagements simultaneously and managing execution under time pressure.

·        Hands-on experience with post-acquisition integration and performance monitoring.

·        Proven ability to present and defend deals to C-level leadership and boards.

·        Deep understanding of valuation, deal structuring, and strategic fit analysis.

·        Comfortable with ambiguity and able to move fast in a lean, high-accountability environment.

·        Exceptional modeling skills in Excel and ability to use Google Sheets.

·        Relentless attention to detail and a bias for action.

·        Must have excellent written and oral communication skills. Good communication is at the core of everything we do, and you must be a strong communicator able to work with a wide range of stakeholders from senior executives to individual contributors.

·        Excellent organization skills and detail-oriented. You are hyper-organized, know how to work efficiently, and prioritize execution, as well as mentor others to do the same.

·        Adaptable. Comfortable managing changing priorities, learning new skills, and building consensus across varied senior stakeholder groups.

·        Ownership. You are a dependable leader who takes responsibility for your success as well as the success of the entire team.

·        Quality. You take pride in everything you deliver as a reflection of yourself.

·        Ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly growing company and handle a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and a diverse array of contacts.

·        You must be a world-class individual contributor to thrive at Toptal. You will not be here just to tell other people what to do.

Essential Job Functions

·        Regularly and reliably attend scheduled virtual team meetings on camera.

·        Work independently with minimal supervision.

·        Use all required digital collaboration tools.

·        Prioritize and self-manage workflows and deadlines.

US FLSA Classification: Full-Time/Exempt