Corporate Development - M&A Origination
Harris Open · verified Oct 22, 2026 At a glance
Mid-level Investment & Corporate Development role at Harris. Toronto · full-time · CA$70,000–CA$80,000 base.
financeroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Research competitors, adjacent markets and new regions, then keep acquisition target lists current with public and proprietary information
- Use calls, email, LinkedIn and events to reach company leaders, assess fit and build a steady stream of prospects
- Develop lasting ties with public safety founders, executives and advisers, keeping potential sellers engaged as deals progress
- Screen prospects for strategic and financial fit, maintain CRM stages and forecasts, and prepare pipeline updates for senior leaders
- Arrange prospect meetings and site visits, coordinate diligence information, and hand qualified opportunities to the M&A team
What you bring
- Direct experience in public safety, M&A sourcing, business development, enterprise software sales or high-value B2B sales
- A record of successful cold outreach, lead generation and relationship building, including with senior executives
- Strong written and spoken communication, with the ability to explain an investment approach and value proposition
- You can organize several opportunities at once and maintain accurate records in a CRM
Who this fits
This mid-level role suits someone with a commercial sourcing background who can work independently and build rapport with company leaders. You should be willing to travel domestically and internationally for founder meetings and industry events, around ten to twenty percent of the time.
From the employer
Harris’ public safety portfolio is looking for a business development professional responsible for driving acquisition sourcing by researching, engaging and developing potential acquisition targets for our high-velocity M&A organization. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to join a prolific acquirer and learn from the highly successful acquisition culture of Constellation Software.
We don’t believe there is a “one size fits all” profile for this position, but are particularly excited to speak with candidates who have progressive experience in one or a combination of the following functions:
• Public safety background/SME
• Investment sourcing/origination
• Outbound SaaS sales
• Investment banking or other investing roles
• Growth/GTM (early/growth stage or sponsor-backed)
• Chief of Staff/Strategy (early/growth stage or sponsor-backed)
Key Responsibilities
1. Market mapping and research
o Conduct detailed research on competitors, potential add-on offerings, new geographies, and adjacent markets.
o Segment assigned markets and continuously refresh target lists using public and proprietary sources.
o Research industry dynamics to identify acquisition/investment news, competitive tenders, leaderships changes, etc.
2. Originate & qualify opportunities
o Execute multi-channel outreach campaigns (cold calling, email, LinkedIn, trade shows) to open conversations with founders/executives and assess fit with our investment profile.
o Attend conferences and regional events to network and build our acquisition pipeline.
3. Relationship management
o Build trust with CEOs, entrepreneurs, advisors and intermediaries; act as the long-term account manager for acquisition prospects in public safety market.
o Maintain regular communication to keep prospects engaged and ensure prospects progress through the deal sourcing pipeline.
4. Qualification and pipeline management
o Evaluate opportunities against strategic and financial criteria, including company life cycle stage, product fit and ownership dynamics.
o Manage a disciplined pipeline in Salesforce or similar CRM; log outreach activities, track deal stages, forecast pipeline health and prepare reports for senior management.
5. Transaction support
o Organize management meetings, site visits and prospecting trips; coordinate due diligence requests and information flow.
o Work closely with the M&A team throughout the process to ensure a smooth hand off once opportunities progress.
Qualifications and Skills
• Experience: direct experience in Public Safety, M&A origination, business development, enterprise software sales or high ticket B2B sales.
• Commercial “hunter” mentality: demonstrable success in cold outreach, lead generation and relationship management. Comfortable navigating conversations and building rapport at the C suite level.
• Communication and interpersonal skills: articulate communicator with excellent writing and presentation skills, capable of clearly conveying our investment philosophy and value proposition.
• Financial literacy and analytical ability: ability to interpret financial statements and discuss basic valuation drivers is an asset.
• Organizational discipline: strong planning and prioritization; meticulous CRM hygiene; ability to manage multiple parallel opportunities.
• Self starter with integrity: proactive, resourceful and able to work independently; high E.Q.
• Tools: comfortable using CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce), LinkedIn, email sequencing tools, Excel/PowerPoint and research platforms.
• Travel: willingness to travel domestically/internationally (~10–20%) for founder meetings and industry events.
Measures of Success (Illustrative)
• Steady cadence of first touch conversations and new qualified targets added to the pipeline.
• Conversion rates from outreach → meetings → qualified opportunities → letters of intent.
• Quality of relationships; evidenced by high engagement and positive feedback.
• Timely and accurate CRM reporting and adherence to pipeline KPIs.
What We Offer
• Competitive base salary plus performance based bonus.
• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits.
• Robust training and development, including mentorship from experienced M&A professionals and exposure to the full deal lifecycle.
• Opportunity to grow within an acquisitive, growth oriented, decentralized organization.
Salary range: $70,000 - $80,000 CAD per year.