Manager of Corp Dev vs. Sr. Manager of FP&A Pre-IPO — Please Help Me Decide!

Hi all — I’m fortunate to have two really strong job offers on the table, but I’m completely torn between them and would love some perspective from the community.

Background on me: I've always been interested in M&A, but I also really value strong mentorship and long-term career growth. Both roles are compelling in different ways — one is more aligned with what I’ve always wanted to do, the other offers broader optionality and potential upside.

Here’s a quick overview of each opportunity, along with the pros and cons I’ve outlined so far:

Job Offer 1: 
Title: Manager of Corporate Development & Strategy
Location: downtown metro (~45 min bus commute)
Compensation: $135K base + 15% bonus target (potential for up to 45% based on company performance)

Overview:
This role is on the M&A team at a publicly traded company. While deal volume is low, the transactions are large (up to $1B+). The team seems collaborative and aligned with my values, and the office location is ideal — I could commute with my girlfriend and possibly meet her for lunch. M&A is something I’ve always wanted to do, and this role offers the chance to build a strong foundation in it.

Pros:

• Direct M&A work — a long-standing career goal
• Strong, collaborative team culture
• Ideal downtown location with easy commute
• Public company with large, meaningful transactions
• Opportunity to grow within Corporate Development

Cons:

• Slightly lower compensation
• Fewer deal reps due to low volume

• “Manager” title (vs “Senior Manager” elsewhere)
  
  
  
  Job Offer 2:
  Title: Senior Manager of FP&A
  Location: Suburbs (~60–90 min commute by car)
  Compensation: $140K base + 10% bonus + stock options / net carry

  Overview:
  This is a senior FP&A role at a large, PE-backed company planning to go public in the next 18–24 months. I’d work directly under the CFO, who I really admire. The role offers significant exposure: helping take the company public, potentially transitioning into M&A, or even joining the CFO in future ventures. The stock options could potentially be very lucrative depending on the IPO outcome and company performance, though hard to quantify right now.

  Pros:

• High visibility role reporting directly to the CFO
• Exposure to IPO process — rare and valuable experience
• Strong mentorship and career path flexibility (M&A, CFO track, etc.)
• “Senior Manager” title

• Stock options with potentially significant upside

  Cons:

• Long commute by car, inconsistent with my lifestyle preferences
• Not doing M&A initially

• Equity upside is not guaranteed — depends on IPO outcome and company performance

  Would really appreciate any thoughts — especially from folks who’ve been in Corp Dev, FP&A, or have made a similar call between public company structure and pre-IPO upside. Thanks in advance!