Director Mergers and Acquisitions

First for a reason:At First Student, we are a family of 60,000+ employees who take pride in safely transporting more than 5 million students and passengers to and from their destinations each day! Our family of brands include Transco, Total Transportation, Maggies Paratransit, and GVC II. Our employees are at the forefront of safety and innovation; they create and implement the most advanced training and technology the transportation industry has to offer.About The PositionThe Director M&A will be responsible for setting strategy and leading acquisitions for First Student. This person will originate deal flow, manage the acquisitions pipeline, lead and manage due diligence, and present deals to executive teams. This person is expected to deliver 500-1000 bus acquisitions per year.Responsibilities:• Lead increasing the fleet size for First Student via acquisition of incremental territories/bus routes that are operated by privately held independent companies. Follow through the entire process from identification to successfully securing the new business and integrating them.• Identify priority areas, assess relevant market information including market size, market segmentation, growth rates and target companies. Create investment hypotheses detailing the potential attractiveness of each area.• Generate leads from a variety of sources/methods. Identify and source new investment opportunities through networking in the student transportation industry and researching industry news and data. Develop and maintain CRM database of potential targets.• Analyze emerging trends within the sector, adjacent sector, or geography to identify opportunities which First Student can capitalize. Maintain and evolve strategy for given areas of responsibility as well as opportunity pipeline for Senior Leadership Team review.• Originate deal flow. Build positive relationships with owners and key executives of selected investment targets as well as other key influencers including investment bankers, business brokers, lawyers and industry experts.• All other duties as assigned.Qualifications:• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Marketing, Statistics, or related field; MBA or MA/MS a plus.• 5- 10 years of business with direct/indirect transactional experience.• Strong understanding of financial valuations, financial statements, and financing with modeling experience.• Proven track record of leading and delivering acquisitions and building and maintaining equitable business relationships with internal and external customers.• Demonstrated ability to understand and interpret legal language and implications to deal structure.• Must be able to manage Banking, Broker and Seller relationships and matrixed teams.• Investment Banking experience a plus.• Demonstrates Integrity – Interacts with others in an open, honest, respectful and fair manner.• Delivers Results – Proactively identifies opportunities to achieve challenging goals.• Persuasive, outgoing, self-motivated and goal oriented.• Strategic, analytical, creative and motivated.• Strong management, negotiation and interpersonal skills.• Strong business acumen and financial analysis capability• Excellent communication and presentation skills.• Ability to travel up to 50 % of the time.First for a ReasonBenefitsWe offer competitive compensation and benefits (which vary based on role, location, and business), including physical and mental health initiatives, medical/dental/vision, 401(k), and paid holiday/vacation.Professional AdvancementStart here. Go far. We believe in promoting from within which means tremendous opportunities for you, thanks to our strong presence across North America. In addition, our 3 to 5 month Manager-In-Development program prepares future leaders at First Student.Extensive TrainingBuild skills and knowledge in such areas as safety and security, injury prevention, technology and equipment, and job efficiency.Diversity & InclusionBecause we’re stronger together, we aspire to have a culture where all people are First. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and diverse working environment for everyone every day.Community Service & ImpactGo where opportunity meets community. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. As the face of First in your community, you’ll have a positive impact on others.Apply today and get your career on the road with First Student!In the state of Washington, all technician and driving positions, including but not limited to van drivers and any other position requiring employees to drive a company-owned vehicle, are considered safety-sensitive and are therefore subject to drug and alcohol testing, including cannabis.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. First will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, and any other fair chance law. Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance Poster is at this link or upon request https://www.phila.gov/media/20210423160847/Fair-Chance-Hiring-law-poster.pdf .