Research Development Associate Jobs in Michigan (NOW HIRING)

Job Overview:

Harris' Frontline portfolio is looking for a Corporate Development Associate responsible for proactively researching, engaging and developing potential acquisition targets for a high-velocity M&A organization. In this newly created role, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to join a prolific acquirer and learn from the highly successful acquisition culture of Constellation Software.

Location: Preference for Toronto, but open to remote candidates (within North America)
Reports to: Director, Corporate Development

Key Responsibilities

Market mapping and research

• Conduct detailed research on competitors, potential add-on offerings, new geographies, and adjacent markets.

• Segment assigned markets and continuously refresh target lists using public and proprietary sources.

• Research industry dynamics to identify acquisition/investment news, competitive tenders, leaderships changes, etc.

Lead generation and outreach

• Design and execute multichannel outreach campaigns (cold calling, email, LinkedIn, trade shows) to open conversations with founders and executives.

• Attend conferences and regional events to network and build our acquisition pipeline.

Relationship management

• Build trust with CEOs, entrepreneurs, advisors and intermediaries; act as the longterm account manager for acquisition prospects in public safety market.

• Maintain regular communication to keep prospects engaged and ensure prospects progress through the deal sourcing pipeline.

Qualification and pipeline management

• Evaluate opportunities against strategic and financial criteria, including company lifecycle stage, product fit and ownership dynamics.

• Manage a disciplined pipeline in Salesforce or similar CRM; log outreach activities, track deal stages, forecast pipeline health and prepare reports for senior management.

Transaction support

• Organize management meetings, site visits and prospecting trips; coordinate duediligence requests and information flow.

• Work closely with the M&A team throughout the process to ensure a smooth handoff once opportunities progress.

Qualifications and Skills

• Experience: direct experience in M&A origination, business development, enterprise software sales or highticket B2B sales. Experience in M&A/VC/PE, investment banking or management consulting is an asset.

• Commercial "hunter" mentality: demonstrable success in cold outreach, lead generation and relationship management. Comfortable navigating conversations and building rapport at the Csuite 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.

• Selfstarter 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 and language: willingness to travel domestically/internationally (~10-20%) for founder meetings and industry events.

Measures of Success (Illustrative)

• Steady cadence of firsttouch 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 performancebased 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: $70,000 - $90,000/year.

About Harris Computer:

Harris provides mission critical software solutions for the Public Sector, Healthcare, Utilities and Private Sector verticals throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Working for Harris is the perfect opportunity to fulfill your professional goals as well as achieve your personal dreams! Our employees enjoy a casual work environment that offers comfort while providing superior service to our customers. We offer a comprehensive benefit package as well as other additional "Perks"!

• We empower our employees to make a difference

• We have an award-winning culture

• We offer opportunity to learn

• We are financially strong and we are owned by the largest software company in Canada (CSI)

• We have fun!

Follow us on social media to learn more about our company values, culture and initiatives!

• Instagram: @weareharris

• LinkedIn: Harris Computer