Head of Corporate Development at Plaid in San Francisco, CA

We believe that the way people interact with their finances will drastically improve in the next few years. We’re dedicated to empowering this transformation by building the tools and experiences that thousands of developers use to create their own products. Plaid powers the tools millions of people rely on to live a healthier financial life. We work with thousands of companies like Venmo, SoFi, several of the Fortune 500, and many of the largest banks to make it easy for people to connect their financial accounts to the apps and services they want to use. Plaid’s network covers 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada, UK and Europe. Founded in 2013, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Washington D.C., London and Amsterdam.

Finance multiplies Plaid's potential. We turn insight into action, capital into momentum, and discipline into the kind of growth that compounds for the long run.

Plaid's Corporate Development function drives inorganic growth, evaluating and executing M&A and investment opportunities that extend Plaid's product, technology, and market position. As Head of Corporate Development you will report directly to the CFO and serve as Plaid's primary architect for build-vs-buy decisions. Beyond executing deals, you will be a key voice in shaping Plaid's strategic direction, using market and competitive insights to inform where the company invests, builds, or acquires next. You'll partner closely with the Executive team, Product, Engineering, Legal, and Corporate Finance to source, evaluate, and close deals that accelerate Plaid's strategy.

Responsibilities

• M&A & Investment Strategy. Build and own a proactive pipeline of acquisition and investment opportunities aligned to Plaid's strategic priorities. Maintain an up-to-date view of the competitive and startup landscape to identify targets before they're formally for sale.
• Outbound Relationship Building. Build and nurture a network of founders, executives, and investors across fintech and adjacent markets to source proprietary deal flow.
• Market & Competitive Intelligence. Develop well-researched and insightful points of view on adjacent categories and key competitors, and use that intelligence to help inform Plaid's strategic direction and investment priorities.
• Deal Execution & Diligence. Lead end-to-end deal execution: valuation, financial modeling, diligence coordination, negotiation, and structuring, partnering with key cross-functional throughout.
• Post-Deal Integration & Accountability. Partner with Finance, Legal, People and business leaders to successfully integrate closed acquisitions. Set a clear integration plan with milestones and performance metrics, track integration milestones and backtest outcomes against the original investment thesis.
• Cross-Functional Orchestration. Engage Product, Engineering, and GTM to qualify opportunities and sharpen Plaid's areas of strategic interest.
• Executive & Board Communication. Prepare board- and executive-ready materials on market landscape, deal pipeline, deal evaluation and due diligence findings, integration plan and post-close performance.

Qualifications

• Experience. 12+ years of experience across Investment Banking, Private Equity, Corporate Development or Management Consulting (with a focus on PE due diligence work).
• Deal Execution. Deep, hands-on experience evaluating and executing deals end-to-end, including sourcing, valuation, financial modeling, diligence, negotiation, and closing.
• Track Record. A track record of managing multiple complex deals simultaneously, from inception through post-close integration.
• Judgment. Strong analytical rigor paired with sound business judgment, knowing when to dig deeper and when to move forward with a decision.
• Builder Mindset. Comfort building frameworks and processes, turning ambiguity into repeatable motions.
• Communication. Executive presence and excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with the ability to engage senior stakeholders and Board-level audiences.
• Industry experience. Prior experience in Technology is a must-have. Experience partnering with Product and Engineering leaders is a plus; fintech or financial services experience is a plus.

Our mission at Plaid is to unlock financial freedom for everyone. To support that mission, we seek to build a diverse team of driven individuals who care deeply about making the financial ecosystem more equitable. We recognize that strong qualifications can come from both prior work experiences and lived experiences. We encourage you to apply to a role even if your experience doesn't fully match the job description. We are always looking for team members that will bring something unique to Plaid!

Plaid is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, military or veteran status, disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Plaid is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance with your application or interviews due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations@plaid.com.

Please review our Candidate Privacy Notice here.

Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered. Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Pay is based on factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience and skillset, and location. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.