Description
Position: Director, Mergers & Acquisitions
Company: Exa Capital, Inc.
Location: Dallas, Texas
Position: Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Reports to: CEO
Travel: Moderate
About Exa
Exa Capital is a permanent holding company that acquires, builds, and nurtures a growing portfolio of independently run enterprise software companies. Our model is grounded in trust, autonomy, and long-term stewardship. At Exa, we take pride in being a value-driven organization. We prioritize substance over flash, long-term value over short-term wins, and people over process. Our mission is to be the best possible home for great companies and leaders who run them.
Position Overview
We are looking for a high-performing Director, M&A to join our holding company’s leadership team. This is a high-impact, high autonomy role responsible for leading the full lifecycle of acquisitions across industries and geographies. From sourcing and evaluation through execution and post-close value creation. Beyond transaction execution, this role plays a pivotal part in building the future of our M&A function: develop talent, shaping culture, and scaling our global acquisition platform.
What Will You Do?
- Lead Acquisitions: Own multiple acquisition processes annually, from deal sourcing, initial valuation and LOI through due diligence, and close.
- Build Founder Relationships: Meet with business owners and executives, share Exa’s value proposition, and assess cultural and strategic fit.
- Drive Analysis & Decision-Making: Build and review financial models, evaluate strategic upside and risks, and synthesize key insights for investment decisions.
- Coordinate Diligence & Closing: Lead cross-functional diligence efforts, managing internal stakeholders and external advisors across legal, finance, tech, and ops.
- Steward Integration: Oversee post-close transition and support new portfolio companies with early strategic planning, leadership alignment, and operational priorities.
- Build the M&A Function: Recruit, mentor, and grow a high-caliber team. Develop and evolve our deal execution approach and internal best practices.
- Shape the Culture: Act as a culture carrier – modelling humility, high standards, and long-term thinking in everything you do.
Requirements
What Are We Looking For?
- 7+ years of experience in M&A, private equity, investment banking, or corporate development with a track record of successful acquisitions across industries and/or geographies.
- Demonstrated experience in software and technology sectors is required – ideally with a history of successful acquisitions in vertical and enterprise software markets.
- Strong financial acumen with the ability to lead valuation, modeling, and commercial analysis.
- Proven track record in operating in high-ambiguity environments and managing multiple deals simultaneously.
- Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills – able to build trust with founders, operators, and internal stakeholders.
- Experience managing cross-functional teams and coordinating third-party advisors through complex transactions.
- A team builder who takes pride in developing talent and shaping culture.
- Willingness to travel globally and work across time zones.
- MBA, CPA, CFA, or similar credentials preferred.
What Will Make You Successful?
- Ownership mindset: You take initiative, follow-through, and hold yourself to a high bar – without waiting for top-down direction.
- Builder energy: You’re excited by the opportunity to shape a growing platform, not just execute a static playbook.
- Emotional Intelligence: You lead with empathy, communicate clearly, and build strong relationships at every level.
- Adaptability: You thrive in fast-moving environments and are comfortable navigating complexity and change.
- Cultural alignment: You resonate with Exa’s values of autonomy, trust, humility, and long-term orientation.
- Value Learning: You will foster, seek out and celebrate opportunities to learn.
- Location: You will reside in or relocate to Dallas.
Application Process
We're looking for someone who shares our values and vision for creating permanent homes for exceptional software businesses. If you're passionate about working with founders and building lasting relationships rather than just executing transactions, we'd love to hear from you. Please apply here or submit your resume along with a brief note explaining why Exa Capital's mission and founder-first approach resonates with you to michelle.pannett@exacapital.co
Exa Capital is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion.
