Lead Specialist, Corporate Development

Location: UK (London)

Department: M&A Deal Operations

We are seeking a proven M&A practitioner to lead acquisitions and divestitures across Pearson’s portfolio of education businesses. This role will support the full deal lifecycle, leading workstreams within our cross‑functional M&A model, partnering closely with the Corporate Development Team and other corporate functions to validate deal rationales and targets, define and operationalise integration plans, and oversee post‑close integration.

This is a critical role within an innovative, fast‑growing organization, and will engage a broad landscape of internal stakeholders across the globe and across functions. The ideal candidate will operate at a high level of intellectual curiosity, with superior communication skills, a collaborative work ethic, and a proven ability to drive operational excellence through ambiguity. They will have the maturity, confidence, intellectual strengths, and robust experience to lead project teams and advise senior stakeholders through complex initiatives.

• Strategy and Execution: Drive the creation of as‑is assessments, separation or integration strategies and plans, including TSA schedules, services and negotiations, through due diligence and transaction processes, across all the functional areas in any transaction. Working alongside functional leads and deal operations team.
• Collaboration: Act as liaison and assurance on data collation for data room, with significant interaction, coordination and connecting between stakeholders and business teams. Work with appointed representatives across specialist and technical areas. Contribute to pre‑deal due diligence and valuation processes and deliverables, supporting the Corporate Development Strategy Deal Team. Using program management disciplines, establish governance and deal milestones that are adequately tracked, monitored and escalated as necessary. Collaborate with dedicated deal Program Manager as required. Build a network of partnerships internally and externally that help drive team’s performance improvement.
• Analytics and Research: Gather financial estimates and identify key costs associated with integration or separation, including one‑time, stranded, and TSA costs, which could inform valuation and execution, as well as managing budget and spend for deal execution costs.
• Communication: Ensure transaction governance and managing of buyer/business relationships, risk & issue management to ensure successful execution of post‑deal close activities. Prepare clear, concise materials for senior stakeholders; communicate trade‑offs, dependencies and recommendations across transaction phases.
• Knowledge Management: Maintain playbooks, department and business knowledge, keeping up with industry best practices, and maintaining a high‑performance level and success rate of all identified post‑deal activities for the business.

• Essential: Experience working in an M&A, divestment and deal delivery capacity within a fast‑paced, highly competitive, and dynamic environment, at a director level. The candidate will demonstrate an in‑depth operational and valuation financial estimating experience, making effective decisions through the analysis of information and proficient deal analysis, negotiation, consulting and execution. The candidate will have knowledge of accounting concepts, corporate finance, and will also have experience managing a deal operations team through the entire lifecycle of a transaction. This includes in‑depth knowledge of the company operating model and business strategic drivers and models. Ability to build strong networks and business relationships with influence across a highly complex, globally matrixed organization with competing priorities. A suitable candidate will also have had a successful track record of managing transactions, transaction valuation, and strategic transaction analyses. The candidate will have the ability to design and deliver holistic operational strategies across multiple dimensions in complex matrix environments across a range of industries and sectors. The candidate will have the ability to manage strictly confidential information relating to potential targets and manage stakeholder communications with need‑to‑know requirements. Strong project management experience with proven delivery expertise at a strategic and tactical level.
• Preferred: Excellent communication skills, both in written and verbal form, and able to tailor to suit various audiences. Ability to handle high‑profile engagements from Board room to external partners and third parties, operating at the highest level of professionalism as a representative of the Pearson Brand. Strong people leadership skills. Highly proficient integrator and influencer. Degree (or equivalent experience) in Business, Finance, Accounting, Economics or a related field. Experience from consulting, Big 4, corporate development, integration management office (IMO) and/or separation management office (SMO) environments. Demonstrable experience managing HR / Technology M&A integration. Highly proficient in the use of Ms Word, Ms Excel, and PowerPoint, necessary for the creation of visually and verbally engaging reports and presentations for the business’s executives, stakeholders, and collaborating personnel. Skilled in efficiently analysing and synthesising large data quantities and driving financial estimates and due diligence. Able to process raw information and data, translating this into actionable insights for informed decision‑making within the departments. Experience working across global teams and multiple time zones.

• Strategy and Execution: Delivers timely, accurate plans ensuring successful deal delivery and execution, navigating the complexities of our transformed operating model and minimising deal risk and protecting operational costs. Provides or source solutions to ensure contractual obligations are met to quality standards, agreed timeframes and within budget/cost agreements. Ability to adapt and maintain effectiveness through significant change, shifting priorities and evolving deal contexts. Uses data and experience to assess options, manage trade‑offs, and recommend pragmatic paths forward. Ensures proper protocols and processes are followed and adhered to in a timely manner for each transaction. Establishes clear governance, milestones and accountable owners, and delivering plans on time. Ensures relevant business/functional representative approvals and signoffs are obtained, and all issues/risks appropriately mitigated. Details accurate financial estimations and budget management. Installs KPI’s and tracks these to ensure realization of value drivers. Maintains the M&A Playbook, ensuring up‑to‑date business knowledge reflecting current Pearson business and governance practices.
• Collaboration: Delivers well communicated, balanced, and comprehensive analyses for each stage of transactions for the business’s executives and key stakeholders. Demonstrates clear, credible communication, effective influencing and relationship‑building across functions. Aligns stakeholders, negotiates effectively, and drives timely decisions in a matrix environment. Builds a network of partnerships internally and externally that help drive team’s performance improvement. Performs steadily under pressure and in ambiguous situations typical of transactions. Takes ownership for outcomes, proactively escalates issues, and delivers on commitments.

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world’s lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn’t just what we do. It’s who we are.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.