Director, Corporate Development

At LifeStance Health, we strive to help individuals, families, and communities with their mental health needs. Everywhere. Every day. It’s a lofty goal; we know. But we make it happen with the best team in mental healthcare.Thank you for taking the time to explore a career with us. As the fastest growing mental health practice group in the country, now is the perfect time to join our team!LifeStance Health ValuesBelonging: We cultivate a space where everyone can show up as their authentic self.Empathy: We seek out diverse perspectives and listen to learn without judgment.Courage: We are all accountable for doing the right thing - even when it's hard - because we know it's worth it.One Team: We realize our full potential when we work together towards our shared purpose.Benefits As a full-time employee of LifeStance Health, the following benefits are offered: medical, dental, vision, AD&D, short and long-term disability, and life insurance. Additional benefits include a 401k retirement savings with employer match, paid parental leave, paid time off, holiday pay and an Employee Assistance Program.ABOUT THE ROLELifeStance is seeking a Director of Corporate Development to lead deal evaluation and execution across our M&A program. This is a senior, deal-execution-oriented role responsible for managing transactions from initial evaluation through close — including sourcing, financial analysis, diligence, structuring, and negotiation — while leading a team of two (a Corporate Development Manager and a Corporate Development Analyst) through each phase of the deal process.The role sits within the Corporate Development & Strategy organization and reports to the Head of Corporate Development & Strategy. It is the primary execution engine for LifeStance's inorganic growth agenda, which spans tuck-in practice acquisitions, specialty services, technology enablement, and scaled platform opportunities.Consistent with LifeStance's values, every member of the LifeStance team is expected to support each other and the mission, which may mean participating in projects and initiatives and performing functions and responsibilities not specifically outlined in this job description.KEY RESPONSIBILITIESDeal Origination & Pipeline ManagementBuild and manage a pipeline of acquisition targets across LifeStance's deal categories: Tuck-In Acquisitions, Specialty Services, Tech Enablement, and Scaled PracticesLead pre-LOI financial and operational analysis, including preliminary valuation, market sizing, and strategic fit assessmentMaintain active relationships with investment banks, M&A advisors, venture capital and private equity firms, and industry contacts to generate proprietary deal flowConduct competitive analysis and market research to identify acquisition targets aligned with LifeStance's strategic priorities and LFST2030 goalsDeal ExecutionManage the full transaction lifecycle from LOI through close, including diligence coordination, legal process management, quality of earnings oversight, and deal structuringBuild and own financial models — including DCF, comparable transaction, and returns analyses — to support valuation and deal economicsLead negotiations with sellers, their advisors, and legal counselCoordinate cross-functional deal teams across Finance, Legal, Operations, HR, and TechnologyPrepare and present investment recommendations to senior leadership and the Board of DirectorsManage outside advisors including legal counsel, financial diligence providers, and quality of earnings firms through each transactionTeam LeadershipDirectly manage and develop a team of two: a Corporate Development Manager and a Corporate Development AnalystAssign and oversee workstreams across sourcing, modeling, diligence, and deal documentationMaintain deal pipeline tracking, reporting cadence, and governance across the teamCoach and develop team members through live transactions, building institutional capability in deal executionStrategic Partnerships & Build/Buy/Partner EvaluationEvaluate strategic partnership and technology investment opportunities alongside traditional M&A, including pilot agreements, minority investment structures, and warrant arrangementsCollaborate with the broader Strategy function on build/buy/partner tradeoffs for new capability areas including digital health, AI enablement, and specialty servicesAssess inorganic options in the context of LifeStance's overall capital allocation prioritiesPost-Close TransitionSupport integration planning in close coordination with operational counterparts, ensuring clean handoffs and continuity of deal value post-closeTrack post-acquisition performance metrics against underwritten projections and flag material variances to leadershipAct as the corporate development liaison during the transition period between close and full operational handoffQUALIFICATIONSRequired7–10 years of experience in M&A transaction execution in investment banking, corporate development, or private equityDemo