[Remote] Practice Area Lead, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Core Education is a Public Benefit Corporation that partners with colleges and universities to transform their business models for long-term sustainability and growth. The M&A Practice Area Lead will own and scale Core’s Mergers, Acquisitions, and Partnerships (MAP) practice, guiding institutions through the full lifecycle of strategic transactions and leading engagements to enhance institutional collaboration. Responsibilities • Lead and grow Core’s M&A / MAP practice area, establishing methodology, playbooks, and success metrics for transaction design and integration • Serve as a senior advisor to presidents, boards, and CFOs on mergers, affiliations, partnerships, and system formation • Build a strong pipeline of engagements in collaboration with Core’s business development and partnerships team • Represent Core in sector forums, conferences, and board-level discussions, articulating the value of system-enabled growth • Oversee all phases of M&A engagements - including strategy development, opportunity screening, financial and operational modeling, due diligence, and post-transaction integration design • Direct multi-disciplinary Core teams (finance, technology, HR, and governance) to deliver coordinated, data-driven analyses and recommendations • Lead deal structuring and LOI-to-agreement progression, working in concert with institutional and legal counsel • Ensure that every engagement aligns with Core’s mission of strengthening independence through shared capacity • Manage project economics, staffing, and resource allocation across engagements • Partner with Core’s finance team to establish deal budgets, forecasts, and margin targets • Track and report on practice-level performance indicators, driving continuous improvement • Shape Core’s intellectual capital in M&A and system design, developing frameworks, case studies, and best practices • Mentor emerging leaders across the firm to strengthen expertise in transaction design and institutional integration • Contribute to the evolution of Core’s Private Systems model as a platform for multi-institution collaboration and growth Skills • 10+ years of experience in higher education strategy, M&A advisory, investment banking, or management consulting - with a strong record of leading complex transactions or system integrations • Deep understanding of higher education finance, governance, and institutional operations • Proven experience managing senior client relationships at the president, board, or CFO level • Strong financial modeling, valuation, and scenario analysis skills • Exceptional communication and presentation ability — able to distill complexity into clarity for diverse audiences • Demonstrated success in building and scaling a practice, business line, or team • Entrepreneurial mindset: thrives in a growth-oriented, mission-driven organization Company Overview • Core Education is an organization with the goal of assisting small and mid-sized institutions by providing creative shared services. It was founded in 2019, and is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, USA, with a workforce of 51-200 employees. Its website is Apply tot his job