Scientific Safety Alliance

The Head of Mergers & Acquisitions will lead SSA’s acquisition strategy end-to-end — from deal sourcing and evaluation through diligence, transaction execution, and post-close integration. This executive will play a critical role in shaping SSA’s future by identifying high-quality businesses that strengthen our platform and accelerate our growth.

This role exists to take SSA’s M&A engine to the next level. We closed ~10 acquisitions last year. Our goal is to close 15+ high-quality acquisitions per year with industry-leading speed, efficiency, and seller satisfaction — without sacrificing culture or long-term value.

You will build and lead a world-class M&A function, not just execute deals. This role is about scale, systemization, talent, and strategic vision.

• Build, lead, and empower a world-class corporate development and M&A team with the talent, systems, and operating cadence required to execute at industry-leading scale and speed
• Scale deal velocity to 15+ acquisitions per year with consistent quality
• Define and execute SSA’s acquisition strategy:
  • Target criteria, and long-term M&A roadmap for the lower middle market.
  • End-to-end inorganic growth strategy, including vertical ideation, acquisition theses, and execution
  • Identify and develop roadmap into new niche verticals and service adjacencies that align with SSA’s mission and customer base
  • Develop repeatable M&A playbooks, tools, and governance processes to support scale
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of acquisition targets across SSA’s core service lines
• Lead comprehensive due diligence across financial, operational, legal, and people dimensions
• Structure and negotiate transactions, including valuation, earn-outs, incentives, and equity participation
• Partner with internal teams to design and execute integration plans that preserve momentum and culture
• Streamline internal workflows to reduce manual effort and unnecessary complexity

• Build and scale one of the top 1% M&A platforms in our space, defined by industry-leading speed, deal quality, operational rigor, and seller experience
• Development of a sustainable, repeatable M&A engine that compounds value year over year
• Expansion of SSA into adjacent and emerging service areas driven by regulatory, scientific, and customer demand trends
• Efficient, repeatable diligence and integration processes that reduce risk and accelerate value creation
• A differentiated acquisition strategy that balances scale, specialization, and cultural integrity
• Strong post-close performance and rapid realization of strategic and operational synergies
• Strategic optionality created through portfolio design, enabling future organic growth, cross-selling, and geographic expansion
• Clear executive-level reporting on pipeline health, deal performance, and integration progress
• Transactions that enhance SSA’s platform strength, culture, and long-term equity value

• Proven experience building and scaling a world-class M&A function at a highly acquisitive company.
• Track record of doubling or tripling the size of a business through disciplined acquisition
  (~$50M → $250M+ scale preferred)
• Deep experience in the lower middle market
• Demonstrated experience creating acquisition strategy, not just executing transactions
• International M&A or cross-border expansion experience, including evaluating and integrating businesses across different regulatory, cultural, and operating environments
• Strong financial, strategic, and analytical skills with the ability to assess both quantitative performance and qualitative strategic fit
• Operator-builder mindset — not a career banker or deal-only profile
• High integrity, sound judgment, and strong cultural intuition