What are the responsibilities and job description for the VP, Strategic Acquisitions position at Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.?
Job Summary
This position is responsible for leading the end-to-end coordination and completion of M&A transactions, serving as the central “quarterback” across all internal functional teams. This role ensures seamless alignment between strategy, diligence, deal execution, and integration planning by orchestrating cross-functional efforts and driving accountability throughout the transaction and onboarding lifecycle.
This leader partners closely with executive and senior leadership, business development, finance, legal, HR, IT, and business unit stakeholders as necessary to ensure deals are completed efficiently, risks are proactively managed, and value creation objectives are achieved.
Key Deliverables And Responsibilities
The ideal candidate is a strategic and results-driven professional with a bachelor’s degree, MBA or other advanced degree preferred, complemented by 10 years of experience in practice management, business development, investment sales, consulting, or a related field. This individual brings a proven track record of successfully leading complex, cross-functional projects and transactions, with deep knowledge of the full M&A lifecycle, including due diligence, execution, and post-transaction integration. They possess the ability to influence and align stakeholders across multiple broker-dealer and RIA functions while navigating competing priorities with confidence and professionalism. The ideal candidate demonstrates exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, paired with outstanding communication and executive presentation abilities that enable them to effectively engage leadership teams, build strong relationships, and drive strategic initiatives forward.
Salary Range: $130,000 - $170,000 plus incentive compensation. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate based on the ideal candidate’s qualifications, the company’s operational needs, and other factors permitted by law. Actual compensation may vary depending on experience, skills, education, performance, internal equity, and geographic location.
Why Cambridge? Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support your health, well-being, and work-life balance. We offer paid time off, paid holidays and floating holidays, medical, dental, and vision coverage, short- and long-term disability, and company-paid life insurance. Associates also enjoy volunteer time off, wellness incentives, and additional benefits that support you both personally and professionally.
You can find more details about our comprehensive benefits package here.
Company Overview: At Cambridge, our purpose is simple: to make a difference in the lives of our financial advisors, their clients, and our associates. Founded in 1981, we have nearly 45 years of experience supporting independent financial advisors with industry-leading tools, compliance, and transition services. Guided by our core values—integrity, commitment, flexibility, and kindness—we put financial advisors first in every decision we make.
Cambridge is an internally controlled, growth-focused independent broker-dealer with $254 billion in assets under advisement and $1.97 billion in annual revenues. We rank among the largest and fastest-growing firms in the industry, providing financial advisors with the flexibility, resources, and support to thrive. With home offices in Fairfield, Iowa, and Phoenix, Arizona, and a nationwide reach, our 900 associates maintain a 4:1 advisor-to-associate ratio to ensure personalized service.
Our community of over 4,000 producing financial advisors includes diverse business models—RIA, corporate RIA, hybrid, fee-only, and brokerage—and offers a broad selection of investment solutions with no proprietary products. At Cambridge, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and empowering workplace, where 60% of our associates and 18% of our financial advisors are women, and 17% of our advisors are under 40.
Join us to help financial advisors succeed, make an impact, and discover your Something Wonderful. For further information about Cambridge, please visit https://www.joincambridge.com/
Work Environments: This role offers a hybrid schedule, requiring three days weekly in the office. Applicants should be located near one of our hubs (Fairfield, IA or Phoenix, AZ) and must be willing to work this schedule.
Recruiting Agencies: This position is being managed directly by Cambridge’s Talent Acquisition team. We will reach out to our preferred agency partners in the rare instance we require additional talent options. Fees will not be paid for unsolicited submissions. Your respect for this process is appreciated.
This position is responsible for leading the end-to-end coordination and completion of M&A transactions, serving as the central “quarterback” across all internal functional teams. This role ensures seamless alignment between strategy, diligence, deal execution, and integration planning by orchestrating cross-functional efforts and driving accountability throughout the transaction and onboarding lifecycle.
This leader partners closely with executive and senior leadership, business development, finance, legal, HR, IT, and business unit stakeholders as necessary to ensure deals are completed efficiently, risks are proactively managed, and value creation objectives are achieved.
Key Deliverables And Responsibilities
- Provide enterprise level coordination for all active M&A initiatives, that includes strategic alignment, facilitative execution, and cross functional accountability.
- Own end to end execution, setting and driving timelines, milestones, and decision gates from diligence through pre and posting closing of transactions.
- Identify and mitigate risks, bottlenecks, and dependencies throughout the transaction lifecycle
- Lead and coordinate activities across internal workstreams including but not limited to Transition, Compliance, Finance, Legal, HR, IT, and Marketing
- Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and accountability across all contributors
- Establish and maintain M&A playbooks, tools, and governance frameworks
- Implement tracking mechanisms to monitor transaction progress and value realization
- Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, providing concise, actionable updates on transaction status, key risks, trade‑offs, and decisions required.
- Serve as the primary transaction liaison between Cambridge and sellers, coordinating information requests and exchanges, connecting cross-functional teams, and supporting advisor onboarding and enablement
The ideal candidate is a strategic and results-driven professional with a bachelor’s degree, MBA or other advanced degree preferred, complemented by 10 years of experience in practice management, business development, investment sales, consulting, or a related field. This individual brings a proven track record of successfully leading complex, cross-functional projects and transactions, with deep knowledge of the full M&A lifecycle, including due diligence, execution, and post-transaction integration. They possess the ability to influence and align stakeholders across multiple broker-dealer and RIA functions while navigating competing priorities with confidence and professionalism. The ideal candidate demonstrates exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, paired with outstanding communication and executive presentation abilities that enable them to effectively engage leadership teams, build strong relationships, and drive strategic initiatives forward.
Salary Range: $130,000 - $170,000 plus incentive compensation. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate based on the ideal candidate’s qualifications, the company’s operational needs, and other factors permitted by law. Actual compensation may vary depending on experience, skills, education, performance, internal equity, and geographic location.
Why Cambridge? Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support your health, well-being, and work-life balance. We offer paid time off, paid holidays and floating holidays, medical, dental, and vision coverage, short- and long-term disability, and company-paid life insurance. Associates also enjoy volunteer time off, wellness incentives, and additional benefits that support you both personally and professionally.
You can find more details about our comprehensive benefits package here.
Company Overview: At Cambridge, our purpose is simple: to make a difference in the lives of our financial advisors, their clients, and our associates. Founded in 1981, we have nearly 45 years of experience supporting independent financial advisors with industry-leading tools, compliance, and transition services. Guided by our core values—integrity, commitment, flexibility, and kindness—we put financial advisors first in every decision we make.
Cambridge is an internally controlled, growth-focused independent broker-dealer with $254 billion in assets under advisement and $1.97 billion in annual revenues. We rank among the largest and fastest-growing firms in the industry, providing financial advisors with the flexibility, resources, and support to thrive. With home offices in Fairfield, Iowa, and Phoenix, Arizona, and a nationwide reach, our 900 associates maintain a 4:1 advisor-to-associate ratio to ensure personalized service.
Our community of over 4,000 producing financial advisors includes diverse business models—RIA, corporate RIA, hybrid, fee-only, and brokerage—and offers a broad selection of investment solutions with no proprietary products. At Cambridge, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and empowering workplace, where 60% of our associates and 18% of our financial advisors are women, and 17% of our advisors are under 40.
Join us to help financial advisors succeed, make an impact, and discover your Something Wonderful. For further information about Cambridge, please visit https://www.joincambridge.com/
Work Environments: This role offers a hybrid schedule, requiring three days weekly in the office. Applicants should be located near one of our hubs (Fairfield, IA or Phoenix, AZ) and must be willing to work this schedule.
Recruiting Agencies: This position is being managed directly by Cambridge’s Talent Acquisition team. We will reach out to our preferred agency partners in the rare instance we require additional talent options. Fees will not be paid for unsolicited submissions. Your respect for this process is appreciated.
Salary : $130,000 - $170,000