Director, Mergers & Acquisitions

About Toptal

Toptal is a global network of top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams, on-demand. With $200+ million in annual revenue and team members based around the globe, Toptal is the world’s largest fully remote workforce.

We take the best elements of virtual teams and combine them with a support structure that encourages innovation, social interaction, and fun. We see no borders, move at a fast pace, and are never afraid to break the mold.

Job Summary:

As Director of M&A, you will lead the identification, assessment, and execution of acquisition opportunities that align with Toptal’s strategic growth objectives—particularly in the talent, IT services, and tech product ecosystems. You will be directly responsible for sourcing and initiating M&A discussions, owning deal execution, and supporting post-acquisition integration and performance tracking.

This role requires a strong operator who can manage multiple concurrent deals under time pressure, balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution, and clearly communicate complex deal theses to C-level stakeholders. You’ll work cross-functionally with Legal, Finance, Product, Engineering, People, and others to evaluate opportunities and build scalable diligence and integration frameworks.

This is a remote position. Resumes and communication must be submitted in English.

Responsibilities:

The following information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or required skills.

Your primary objective will be to support the M&A team in identifying strategic acquisition targets that align with our long-term vision. This highly visible position demands a leader with exceptional communication skills, an entrepreneurial spirit, and an unwavering commitment to driving growth.

Origination & Sourcing

• Identify and proactively reach out to small business owners and founders in the talent, IT services, and adjacent sectors to build a high-quality acquisition pipeline.
• Develop and test creative sourcing approaches to uncover actionable, proprietary opportunities.
• Represent Toptal in founder conversations, demonstrating empathy, professionalism, and strategic insight.

Deal Execution

• Lead commercial, financial, and operational diligence in collaboration with cross-functional partners.
• Develop compelling deal theses and valuation models tailored to each opportunity.
• Negotiate deal terms and structure, working closely with internal and external legal counsel.

Executive Engagement

• Present and defend deal rationale, strategic fit, and risks to senior executives including the CEO.
• Clearly communicate trade-offs and integration implications of each transaction.

Integration & Monitoring

• Partner with functional leads to build and oversee execution of integration plans.
• Track post-close performance of acquired companies, escalate risks early, and drive accountability.

Team Development & Best Practices

• Help codify Toptal’s M&A playbook and continuously refine sourcing, diligence, and integration frameworks.
• Mentor junior team members and champion a culture of excellence, urgency, and ownership.

Qualifications and Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in M&A, corporate development, investment banking, or private equity; experience with tech services or product-based acquisitions strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success sourcing and closing small-cap, founder-led deals, particularly in talent marketplaces, IT services, or product-led companies.
• Experience initiating and managing founder outreach, including cold engagement and relationship development.
• Strong comfort juggling multiple engagements simultaneously and managing execution under time pressure.
• Hands-on experience with post-acquisition integration and performance monitoring.
• Proven ability to present and defend deals to C-level leadership and boards.
• Deep understanding of valuation, deal structuring, and strategic fit analysis.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and able to move fast in a lean, high-accountability environment.
• Exceptional modeling skills in Excel and ability to use Google Sheets.
• Relentless attention to detail and a bias for action.
• Must have excellent written and oral communication skills. Good communication is at the core of everything we do, and you must be a strong communicator able to work with a wide range of stakeholders from senior executives to individual contributors.
• Excellent organization skills and detail-oriented. You are hyper-organized, know how to work efficiently, and prioritize execution, as well as mentor others to do the same.
• Adaptable. Comfortable managing changing priorities, learning new skills, and building consensus across varied senior stakeholder groups.
• Ownership. You are a dependable leader who takes responsibility for your success as well as the success of the entire team.
• Quality. You take pride in everything you deliver as a reflection of yourself.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly growing company and handle a wide variety of challenges, deadlines, and a diverse array of contacts.
• You must be a world-class individual contributor to thrive at Toptal. You will not be here just to tell other people what to do.