Download Fact Sheet
SET AN APPOINTMENT
Deal TeamAssociate

Origination Associate

Title: Origination Associate Department / Team: Deal Team Location: Remote Employment Type: Full-time; Non-exempt Build and own the top-of-funnel deal engine at Dark Alpha Capital by sourcing, qualifying, and converting proprietary investment opportunities. Drive outbound outreach, engage business owners and intermediaries, and consistently progress leads from initial contact through NDA and CIM stages to support successful transactions.

About the Firm

We are an independent sponsor firm focused on sourcing and managing private investment opportunities. Our team partners with a broad network of debt and equity investors to fund transactions across diverse industries. We pride ourselves on fostering strong, lasting relationships and delivering high-value opportunities to our investor base.

Role Summary

As an Origination Associate, you will build the top-of-funnel for proprietary deal flow. You will research Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) targets, execute multi-channel outbound cadences, qualify business owners and intermediaries, and book high-intent meetings for the Origination Lead. Your goal is to convert initial conversations into NDAs and CIMs through meticulous follow-through and data management, directly supporting the firm’s path to LOIs and closed transactions.

Key Responsibilities

  • Targeting: Build and maintain ICP target lists by niche, MSA, and ownership; score, prioritize, and de-duplicate leads.
  • Outreach: Run multi-channel cadences (email, phone, LinkedIn) via Smartlead and Apollo; relentlessly test and iterate on copy, CTAs, and openers.
  • Qualification: Qualify targets for fit, size, timing, and intent; book and confirm meetings for the Origination Lead.
  • CRM Hygiene: Maintain 100% CRM accuracy, ensuring all stages, tags, notes, and next steps are updated within 24 hours.
  • Document Flow: Coordinate NDAs, request Confidential Information Memoranda (CIMs), and execute clean handoffs with full context.
  • Reporting: Track and report weekly funnel metrics (Touch → Reply → Meeting → Qualified → NDA → CIM → LOI → Close).
  • Market Monitoring: Monitor broker feeds and market updates to escalate time-sensitive opportunities to leadership.
  • Compliance: Uphold DNC, CAN-SPAM, and privacy regulations; escalate any potential Material Non-Public Information (MNPI) immediately.

Qualifications

Required (BDR/SDR-Forward)

  • 1–3+ years of experience in BDR/SDR, outbound recruiting, agency sourcing, or GE/VC platform outreach roles.
  • Demonstrated discipline in running multi-channel prospecting cadences and hitting meeting targets.
  • Exceptional CRM habits and organizational skills.
  • Strong owner-facing writing and phone presence; confident in handling objections from business founders.
  • Research fluency: Ability to build ICP lists, find contacts, and route data to decision-makers.

Preferred

  • Background in SaaS outbound sales, executive search, or search funds.
  • Familiarity with the Industrials, Healthcare, or Aerospace sectors.
  • Experience with A/B testing messaging (subject lines/call openers) with documented performance lifts.

Skills and Competencies

1. High-Stakes Prospecting & Outreach

  • Objection Handling: Unlike selling software, you are often asking a founder to sell their "baby." You need the emotional intelligence to handle objections like "I'm not ready to retire" or "I've had ten other PE firms call me this week."
  • Multi-Channel Mastery: Competency in orchestrating "The Triple Touch" (Email + LinkedIn + Phone) so that the firm stays top-of-mind without being perceived as spam.
  • Pattern Recognition: The ability to look at a list of 500 companies and quickly identify which 50 are the "highest intent" based on news, size, or ownership structure.

2. Technical Stack Proficiency (GTM Ops)

  • Data Scavenging: Skill in using tools like Apollo and Sales Navigator to find the "unfindable" contact info for a 70-year-old founder who isn't on social media.
  • CRM Discipline: A "if it isn't in the CRM, it didn't happen" mindset. You need the competency to manage complex lead statuses so that the Origination Lead never walks into a meeting without knowing the full history of the lead.
  • Email Deliverability Knowledge: Basic understanding of how to keep sending domains "warm" and avoiding spam filters by monitoring bounce rates and engagement.

3. Communication 

  • Narrative Writing: The ability to write cold emails that don't look like templates. You need to sound like a sophisticated investor, not a generic telemarketer.
  • Active Listening: On the phone, you must be able to listen for "clues" (e.g., mentions of a partner retiring or a son not wanting to take over the business) that signal an investment opportunity.
  • Concise Briefing: The skill to hand off a lead to a VP or Managing Partner with a crisp, 3-sentence summary of why this deal is worth their time.

4. Behavioral Competencies 

  • Extreme Ownership: Since this is a success-fee role, you need a "Hunter" mentality. You must be self-policing and able to maintain a high activity ceiling without a manager breathing down your neck.
  • Resilience: The lower-middle market is a "numbers game." You need the grit to handle 49 "No's" to get to the one "Yes" that leads to a transaction.
  • Professional Maturity: The competency to handle MNPI (Material Non-Public Information). You must know when to stop asking questions and start signing NDAs to protect the firm’s reputation.

5. Financial Literacy (Foundational)

  • LMM Vocabulary: Familiarity with terms like EBITDA, Add-backs, Multiples, and Working Capital. You don't need to be an analyst, but you must be able to speak the language of a business sale to build credibility with owners.

Reporting Structure and Work Environment

Reports To:
Managing Director

Direct Reports:
Senior Leadership

Work Environment:

  • Standard office hours 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (EST)
  • Remote role, with periodic strategic syncs

Compensation

Structure: 100% success-fee based.

Terms: Payable only upon successful transaction close; no base salary or retainer. 

Compensation for this role is performance-based and directly tied to transaction outcomes and individual contribution across the deal lifecycle. Associates may earn up to 5% of Net Closing Transaction Fees for sourcing and origination activities, with additional participation of approximately 2.5% across key execution functions including financial analysis, deal execution, due diligence, and capital raising, based on level of involvement. The role may also include carry participation of ~2.5% on realized portfolio profits for contributions to successful exits. Compensation is paid following transaction close and receipt of proceeds, net of applicable deal-related expenses, and may be distributed over time depending on the nature of the contribution. Eligibility is contingent on measurable deal involvement and consistent documentation of activity within internal systems.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Dark Alpha Capital LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the role; duties may change over time as business needs evolve.