Corporate Development Associate

Department: Sales, Marketing, and Product Management

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Itasca, IL

Reporting To: Eric Jacobsen

Description

Reporting to the Director, Corporate Development this role offers professional development regarding all phases of a deal process – from origination through due diligence and the deal closing - while providing the opportunity for an individual to play a meaningful role in Knowles’ inorganic growth initiatives. You will support entire processes including strategy formulation, financial modeling/valuation analysis, due diligence, and project management with a variety of stakeholders and workstreams, negotiation and deal execution, working with business leaders, internal cross functional partners, and external advisors.  The work will be similar to roles at investment banking and strategic consulting firms but will have broad exposure within a global cutting-edge technology environment with a clear focus on execution.  Given the nature of the work, the candidate must be very well-organized, self-motivated, intellectually curious, display attention to detail and desire to work in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

Acquisitions and Partnerships ·    Develop and maintain a robust M&A funnel/pipeline from internal and external deal sources and research. Cultivate acquisition targets within served and adjacent markets.  ·    Produce financial and strategic assessments of targets, perform valuation analysis and track M&A comparables. ·    Lead transaction analysis including investment thesis, financial modeling, diligence, and documentation. ·    Work with Knowles leadership to ensure effective integration plans are in place for transactions. ·    Continuously improve infrastructure for managing information throughout the deal life cycle including deal pipeline, deal analysis, deal tracker, tailoring due diligence materials to the transaction at hand, and integration planning and reporting documents.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

1.     Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Finance or Engineering. 2.     1-3 years of experience within an investment bank, a management / transactional consulting firm, financial sponsor or a similar background with strategic growth and acquisition experience. 3.     Bright, self-starting, innovative thinker who is passionate about learning about new markets, including electronics, semiconductors, defense, electrification and medtech. 4.     Comfort with ambiguity - Adaptability in less-structured environments (able to "jump in" and contribute even when facts are not yet 100% clear); ability to quickly figure out solutions to complex issues. 5.     Is persistent and resilient in the pursuit of objectives, can shift gears easily, is willing to take on new challenges and works to resolve issues. 6.     High attention to detail and focus on driving processes through successful execution; Able to complete complex analytical tasks error-free with limited supervision. 7.     Exceptional project management skills to drive deals from identification to integration.  Hands on due diligence experience (including managing third party advisors) in multiple areas including: market and competitive reviews, financial accounting, and legal. 8.     Strong teamwork skills and ability to successfully work cross-functionally in a non-hierarchical environment, achieve results through influence, and communicate effectively with individuals at all levels of the organization. 9.     While a technical background is desired, the successful candidate must have an ability to communicate with technical professionals. 10.   Strong written and oral communications skills, ability to crisply and concisely convey complex information. Ability to be assertive and confident while demonstrating tact and diplomacy. 11.   Excellent transaction analysis, financial modeling, and quantitative skills are required. 12.   Expert in Microsoft Excel & PowerPoint. 13.   Cultural sensitivity - Understand cultural and social differences in key markets and potential secondary markets. 14.   Travel as required for deals and negotiations.  EEO-M/F/D/V 

Pay Parency and Benefits

At Knowles, we strive to deliver a Total Rewards package that will attract, engage, and retain top talent. The salary range for this position is $90,000.00/yr - $105,000.00/yr. This is a good faith estimate on the applicable range and serves as a general guideline. We recognize that candidates will come to us with different sets of skills and experiences. Therefore, the offer will be determined more or less than the anticipated range after considering various factors, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s experience, education, skills and abilities as well as internal