Job title: Corporate Development Lead
Job type: Permanent
Emp type: Full-time
Salary: negotiable
Location: London, UK
Job published: 18/02/2026
Job ID: 126324

Job Description

Corporate Development Deal Lead

 

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Corporate Development Deal Lead to play a central role in executing the group’s inorganic growth strategy. This individual will lead full-cycle M&A transactions, from origination through to completion, working closely with senior management, private equity sponsors, and external advisers.

The role is suited to a commercially minded M&A professional with deep transaction experience who can operate independently, build trusted relationships with founders and advisers, and drive deals through to completion in a fast-paced, PE-backed environment.

 

Key Responsibilities

Deal Origination & Relationship Building

  • Originate proprietary and intermediated acquisition opportunities across the financial services landscape.

  • Build and maintain relationships with founders, management teams, advisers, and industry participants.

  • Represent the business credibly in the market and articulate the group’s investment proposition.

End-to-End Transaction Execution

  • Lead full-cycle M&A processes from initial screening through to deal completion.

  • Assess strategic fit, value creation potential, and transaction risks.

  • Lead valuation, structuring, pricing, and commercial negotiations.

  • Coordinate and manage all due diligence workstreams (financial, commercial, legal, regulatory, tax, HR, IT).

  • Negotiate transaction documentation (NDAs, HoTs, SPAs, TSAs, employment and shareholder agreements) alongside legal advisers.

  • Prepare and present materials for executive leadership, boards, and PE investment committees.

Stakeholder Management

  • Act as a trusted partner to the CEO, CFO, and senior leadership team.

  • Work closely with private equity sponsors and investment teams.

  • Manage external advisers including investment banks, accountants, lawyers, and consultants.

Integration & Value Creation

  • Support post-deal integration planning in collaboration with operational and functional leaders.

  • Ensure transaction rationale translates into executable value creation initiatives.

  • Track deal performance against original investment cases.

 

Candidate Profile

Experience

  • 10+ years’ M&A experience, gained in:

    • Corporate development / in-house M&A, and/or

    • Investment banking / M&A advisory at senior level.

  • Proven track record of leading full-cycle transactions from origination to completion.

  • Experience within financial services (e.g. insurance, wealth management, lending, payments, fintech or adjacent regulated sectors).

  • Prior exposure to PE-backed environments strongly preferred.

Skills & Attributes

  • Strong commercial judgement and deal instincts.

  • Deep understanding of transaction mechanics, valuation, and deal structuring.

  • Confident negotiator with the ability to engage credibly with founders and senior stakeholders.

  • Highly organised, resilient, and comfortable operating in a high-volume, fast-moving deal environment.

  • Low-ego, collaborative approach with the gravitas to operate at board and sponsor level.

  • Hands-on mindset;comfortable owning deals end-to-end.

 

Location

  • London-based role.

  • Regular interaction with senior leadership and PE sponsors.

  • Occasional UK and international travel as required.