At a Glance
- Tasks: Guide small business owners through the entire sale process and drive deals to completion.
- Company: Join iwoca, a leader in revolutionising finance for small businesses.
- Benefits: Flexible hours, medical insurance, generous holiday, and a learning budget.
- Other info: Dynamic culture focused on growth, learning, and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by helping SMEs successfully sell their businesses.
- Qualifications: 3+ years of M&A experience and strong negotiation skills required.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 80000 £ per year.
Join iwoca to help small business owners successfully sell their businesses. We’re looking for a Transaction Manager to build and manage the sell‑side of our M&A platform, guiding owners through the entire sale process and driving deals through to completion.
Responsibilities
- Own the entire sell‑side journey – from seller intake and preparation to buyer engagement, negotiation, LOI, due diligence and completion.
- Build and maintain a portfolio of SME owners ready for majority or full exits.
- Qualify sellers early on motivation, timeline, financial readiness, disclosure discipline and valuation fit.
- Impose price realism using valuation guardrails and correct misalignment upfront.
- Prepare sellers for market: financial hygiene, documentation completeness and data‑room readiness.
- Support basic vendor due diligence and convert outputs into information memoranda, teasers and staged disclosures.
- Establish a clean, end‑to‑end process framework for sellers.
- Manage inbound and outbound buyer interest: outreach, qualification, calls and site visits.
- Drive NDA execution and control access to data‑room phases.
- Translate diligence signals into negotiation leverage and run structured negotiations to LOI while maintaining valuation discipline and timeline integrity.
- Maintain momentum post‑LOI through confirmatory diligence, Q&A coordination and document flow.
- Unblock commercial issues and preserve alignment between sellers and buyers.
- Manage exclusivity integrity and prevent process drift.
- Drive the transaction through to completion in coordination with legal and accounting advisors.
- Track leakage and exclusivity adherence, enforce fee protection, non‑circumvention and process compliance across all stages.
Qualifications
- 3+ years of SME M&A experience from a broker, advisory firm or deal platform.
- Evidence of end‑to‑end deal execution under time constraints, demonstrating the ability to close transactions in fast‑moving environments.
- Strong ability to manage emotionally‑driven sellers and impose price realism while maintaining trust and rapport.
- Comfort with lightly‑tooled processes and high manual throughput in the early stages of platform building.
- Fluency in UK SME deal structures, Share Purchase Agreement terms, and payment mechanisms including earn‑outs and deferred consideration.
- Comfortable interfacing with legal counsel and financial buyers, coordinating between multiple parties throughout the transaction.
- High‑output mindset with fast adoption of new workflows and consistent delivery of iwoca‑grade customer experience.
- Strong commercial instinct when originating relationships, working through incomplete information and maintaining deal velocity.
- Bonus: experience partnering with M&A lawyers and accounting firms; traditional SME brokers; digital‑enabled deal platforms; background with imperfect financial data within the £500k‑£10m enterprise value range; track record of originating mandates directly from business owners; understanding of financial due diligence outputs.
Salary & Compensation
- Base salary: £50,000 – £100,000, depending on experience.
- Performance‑linked incentive based on a fixed percentage of the transaction fees you generate – typically 1.5× to 2.5× base.
Benefits
- Flexible working hours.
- Medical insurance from Vitality, including discounted gym membership.
- Private GP service for you, partner and dependents.
- 25 days holiday per year + extra birthday day + option to buy or sell 5 extra days & unlimited unpaid leave.
- One‑month fully paid sabbatical after four years.
- External counselling and therapy sessions.
- 3% pension contributions on total earnings.
- Employee equity incentive scheme.
- Generous parental leave & nursery tax benefit scheme.
- Electric car scheme & cycle‑to‑work scheme.
- Two company retreats a year.
- Learning & development budget for everyone.
- Company‑wide talks with internal and external speakers.
- Access to learning platforms such as Treehouse.
About iwoca
Since 2012 we’ve revolutionised how small businesses access finance, delivering billions in funding to more than 150,000 businesses across Europe. We combine cutting‑edge technology and data science with genuine human understanding to make finance feel less like a barrier and more like a superpower.
Culture
At iwoca we prioritise learning, growth and support, investing in the professional development of our team. We value diverse thought and skill, encouraging exploration to innovate and improve our products and services.
Transaction Manager (Sell-Side) - M&A Platform in Leeds employer: Iwoca
At iwoca, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters learning and growth. As a Transaction Manager, you'll enjoy flexible working hours, generous benefits including a one-month fully paid sabbatical after four years, and a supportive environment that values diverse thought and innovation. With access to a learning and development budget, company retreats, and an employee equity incentive scheme, iwoca is committed to empowering you to thrive in your career while making a meaningful impact on small business owners across the UK.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Transaction Manager (Sell-Side) - M&A Platform in Leeds
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with people in the M&A space! Attend industry events, join relevant online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to potential contacts on LinkedIn. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know!
✨Ace the Informational Interview
Set up informal chats with professionals already working in transaction management or M&A. This is your chance to learn the ropes and get insider tips. Plus, it shows your genuine interest in the field, which can really make you stand out when applying through our website.
✨Showcase Your Skills
Prepare a portfolio that highlights your past successes in M&A transactions. Include case studies or examples of how you’ve managed deals from start to finish. We want to see your ability to drive results, so make sure your achievements shine through!
✨Follow Up Like a Boss
After interviews or networking events, always send a follow-up message. Thank them for their time and reiterate your enthusiasm for the role. It keeps you fresh in their minds and shows that you’re proactive – a quality we love at StudySmarter!
We think you need these skills to ace Transaction Manager (Sell-Side) - M&A Platform in Leeds
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Transaction Manager role. Highlight your M&A experience and any specific achievements that align with the responsibilities mentioned in the job description. We want to see how your background fits into our mission!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about helping small business owners sell their businesses. Share specific examples of how you've successfully managed transactions in the past, and let us know why you want to join iwoca.
Showcase Your Skills:Don’t forget to highlight your skills in negotiation, relationship management, and financial analysis. We’re looking for someone who can handle emotionally-driven sellers while maintaining trust, so make sure to demonstrate your ability to balance empathy with realism.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows us you’re keen on joining the iwoca team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Iwoca
✨Know Your M&A Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of SME M&A processes, especially the sell-side journey. Be ready to discuss how you've managed transactions from start to finish, and have examples handy that showcase your ability to handle emotionally-driven sellers while maintaining price realism.
✨Showcase Your Negotiation Skills
Prepare to talk about your negotiation strategies and how you've successfully navigated complex deals. Think of specific instances where you translated diligence signals into leverage during negotiations, and be ready to explain how you maintained momentum post-LOI.
✨Demonstrate Your Process Management
Since this role involves establishing a clean end-to-end process for sellers, be prepared to discuss your experience with managing workflows and ensuring compliance across all stages of a transaction. Highlight any tools or methods you've used to keep everything on track.
✨Connect with Their Culture
iwoca values learning and growth, so show them you're on board with their culture. Share examples of how you've invested in your own professional development and how you can contribute to a supportive team environment. This will help you stand out as a candidate who aligns with their values.
