Business Development Associate

Business Development Associate (BDR) — M&A Origination

Company: Dark Alpha Capital (Independent Sponsor)

Reports to: VP of M&A Origination

Work model: Remote (U.S. Eastern hours) • Travel: 0%

Contract type: Independent contractor • Success-fee only

About Dark Alpha Capital

Dark Alpha Capital (“DAC”) is a private equity independent sponsor focused on acquiring and scaling lower middle market companies across business services, industrial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and aerospace & defense. We pursue transactions typically between $10 million and $200 million in enterprise value, targeting companies with $1 million+ in EBITDA, strong cash flow, and transition-ready ownership.

Our team partners with operating executives and investors to execute proprietary, thesis-driven buyouts and drive long-term value creation.

Position Overview

The Business Development Associate (BDR) is an outbound-focused role responsible for creating top-of-funnel deal flow by identifying, engaging, and qualifying founder-led businesses and relevant intermediaries that match DAC’s acquisition criteria.

This role is designed for a true BDR motion: list building, outbound sequencing, cold calling, follow-up, qualification, and pipeline hygiene, with clear activity targets and conversion metrics. You will support the origination team by converting outreach into qualified seller conversations and advancing opportunities to Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) or Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) and initial screening stages.

This is a performance-based, success-fee role with no fixed salary.

Key Responsibilities

Outbound Prospecting & Outreach (BDR Motion)

Build and execute outreach campaigns to founders, owners, and select intermediaries via phone, email, and LinkedIn.

Run structured sequences (cadences) and maintain consistent follow-up to drive response and meeting conversion.

Source proprietary opportunities aligned with DAC’s sector and size criteria.

Qualification & Meeting Setting

Conduct first-touch discovery to confirm fit and seller intent, including:

Approximate revenue/EBITDA range and business profile

Ownership structure and transition goals

Industry alignment and business model clarity

Timeline, buyer openness, and next-step willingness

Schedule qualified introductory calls and ensure crisp handoffs with clear notes and next steps.

Pipeline Management & CRM Discipline

Maintain accurate CRM records (Bitrix24) including outreach activity, contact info, call notes, stage progression, and next steps.

Track engagement signals and manage opportunity aging to prevent pipeline stall.

Coordinate early-stage workflow items such as NDA routing, CIM requests, and initial information collection.

Research, Targeting, and List Building

Build and refine target lists by sector, geography, and thesis (including roll-up adjacency where relevant).

Identify and maintain accurate ownership and decision-maker contact data.

Provide light screening insights to support prioritization and sequencing.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

Report weekly metrics on activity and outcomes.

Partner with leadership to refine messaging, objection handling, ICP definition, and campaign strategy.

Share market feedback from founder conversations to improve DAC’s positioning and outreach effectiveness.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or related field (or equivalent experience).

0–5 years in BDR/SDR, outbound business development, PE origination, M&A advisory support, or a similarly metrics-driven role.

Comfortable with high-volume outbound and executive-level conversations.

Strong written and verbal communication; able to qualify quickly and document clearly.

Proficiency with CRMs and outreach tools (Bitrix24 preferred; LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo, Grata, or similar).

Understanding of business fundamentals and basic financial statement literacy.

High ownership mentality; thrives in a performance-driven environment.

Compensation (Success-Fee Based; No Fixed Salary)

Compensation is tied directly to measurable pipeline outcomes and clear origination attribution:

Closing Success Fee: 0.25%–5.00% of total fees, net of expenses, collected by DAC for any closed acquisition that originated through your efforts (paid at closing).

Advancement Path: Top performers may transition into a Senior BDR / VP Origination track with expanded responsibility and a more traditional compensation structure.

Ideal Candidate Traits

Proactive, metrics-driven, and highly disciplined with follow-up

Strong relationship builder with confident executive presence

Comfortable handling objections and navigating founder psychology

Organized and accountable with pipeline management

Motivated by pay-for-performance incentives and clear outcomes

Curious about M&A, deal process, and value creation mechanics

Equal Opportunity

Dark Alpha Capital is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know.

Application Question(s):

Can you work in a Success-fee based compensation only?

How do you maintain motivation and financial stability in a role where your income depends solely on success-based fees?