Corporate Development Lead

Building the Future of Open Finance Payward - the parent company behind Kraken, NinjaTrader, Breakout, xStocks, Payward Services and CF Benchmarks - has spent the last 15 years building one of the most modern and globally accessible financial infrastructure platforms in the industry, built to advance an open, global financial system. Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions across the globe. It offers spot trading, margin, futures, staking, and OTC services, with products built for both individual investors and institutional clients. As a Deal Lead on our Corporate Development team, you’ll be responsible for executing M&A transactions that drive our strategic vision forward. Working closely with a cross-functional team of stakeholders, you’ll lead discussions with target leadership, negotiate key terms, coordinate due diligence, identify sources of risk, and drive deals to a timely closing. You bring a deep interest across financial services, especially in the crypto industry, a deep familiarity with M&A processes, strong financial modeling and valuation skills, and the ability to work fluidly across multiple high-priority initiatives. The opportunity - Contribute shaping Kraken’s M&A, venture strategy and identifying high-value opportunities - Drive M&A, venture investments and develop recommendations that push initiatives forward - Spearhead the end-to-end deal process, from initial diligence to closing - Articulate key value drivers and considerations for potential M&A and venture opportunities in concise deal memos; build consensus across Leadership and the wider organization - Oversee the development of pro forma financial models and valuation analyses - Coordinate the due diligence process in concert with cross-functional stakeholders - Build and maintain an extensive network in the crypto and financial services industry to stay on top of key trends and developments - Contribute to enhancing the Corporate Development function by identifying opportunities to improve processes and mentoring team members - Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned What you bring - 8+ years of experience in Corporate Development at a hyper-growth FinTech company or investment bank - Experience building pro forma financial models and valuation analyses (DCF, comparable multiples, accretion / dilution, etc.) - Deep familiarity with the M&A process (and venture), including legal matters and integration planning - Strong ability to drive consensus and coordinate process with a diverse group of cross-functional stakeholders in Legal, Finance, Product, Engineering, and beyond - An understanding of the global regulatory environment around crypto and financial services - Strong knowledge of and/or demonstrated curiosity for the cryptocurrency industry - Excellent analytical, problem solving, writing, and storytelling skills - Rigorous attention to detail and a reputation for “sweating the small stuff” - Technical background or strong knowledge of software/internet products and services - Strong network in crypto and / or traditional financial services markets