M&A Vice President / Director - Portfolio M&A in London

Our client is a leading European private equity investor seeking an experienced M&A professional to support acquisition-led growth across its portfolio.

Working closely with investment professionals, portfolio company management teams and senior executives, the successful candidate will play a central role in identifying, evaluating and executing strategic M&A opportunities across Europe. The position combines the pace and technical rigour of advisory M&A with the commercial ownership and long-term perspective of an investor-backed environment.

This is a highly execution-focused role suited to an experienced deal professional who has developed strong transaction judgement, is comfortable operating directly with senior management teams and can take ownership of complex cross-border processes from initial assessment through completion.

Key Responsibilities

• Transaction Leadership: Lead the execution of acquisitions, disposals, carve-outs and strategic combinations across portfolio companies, taking ownership of processes from initial evaluation and valuation through due diligence, negotiation, documentation and completion.
• Buy-and-Build Strategy: Work alongside management teams and investment professionals to develop and execute acquisition-led growth strategies, assessing potential targets against strategic, commercial and financial objectives.
• Target Assessment: Evaluate acquisition opportunities through detailed financial analysis, valuation, market assessment and strategic review, forming clear recommendations on transaction attractiveness, structure and execution approach.
• Deal Process Management: Coordinate internal and external workstreams across management teams, financial advisers, legal counsel, consultants, lenders and other transaction stakeholders, ensuring processes remain focused, disciplined and commercially driven.
• Management Partnership: Build trusted relationships with CEOs, CFOs and senior leadership teams across the portfolio, providing hands-on M&A support while maintaining the judgement and independence required to challenge assumptions where appropriate.
• Transaction Structuring: Support the development of transaction structures, financing considerations and negotiation strategies, balancing strategic objectives with valuation discipline and execution risk.
• Portfolio Development: Help identify areas where M&A can accelerate growth, strengthen market positioning, broaden geographic reach or enhance the strategic value of portfolio companies.
• Cross-Border Execution: Manage transactions across multiple European jurisdictions, navigating differing market dynamics, stakeholder requirements and cultural environments with confidence.

Candidate Profile

• Approximately 8-12 years of high-quality M&A experience, gained within investment banking, corporate finance, private equity-backed corporate development or a comparable transaction-led environment.
• A strong track record of executing complex buy-side and/or sell-side M&A transactions, with clear personal responsibility across valuation, due diligence, process management, negotiation and senior stakeholder interaction.
• Excellent technical foundations across financial analysis, valuation, transaction structuring and deal execution, combined with the commercial judgement to understand what genuinely creates value beyond the transaction model.
• Experience working with private equity sponsors, sponsor-backed businesses or management teams operating in acquisition-led environments would be highly relevant.
• Exposure to buy-and-build strategies, corporate carve-outs, cross-border transactions or portfolio company M&A would be particularly valuable.
• Strong interpersonal presence and the ability to communicate effectively with investment professionals, senior executives, advisers and shareholders while maintaining credibility in demanding transaction environments.
• Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy, managing multiple workstreams simultaneously and making sound judgements in fast-moving situations.
• A pragmatic, commercially minded approach with the ability to move between detailed transaction analysis and broader strategic thinking.
• Fluent German and English are required.
• Candidates should be London-based or committed to being based in London.

This opportunity offers the chance to move beyond traditional advisory execution into a role with direct exposure to portfolio strategy, management teams and the long-term development of businesses across a leading European private equity platform.

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