M&A Assistant Director/ Senior Manager -Leeds

Ideas | People | Trust

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world.

We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy - and directly advise the owners and management teams that lead them.

We’ll broaden your horizons

Our Advisory team provide a wide variety of services that deliver value-led advice and outcomes. They have an in-depth knowledge of business, industry sectors and markets and understand the constantly changing risks and opportunities at the heart of our clients’ affairs. The team work across strategy, operations and improvement as well as at a transactional and defined project level. From technology to risk advisory, they’re experts in following through on top-level instructions and resolving the finer details – all in one straight-forward package. When you join them, you’ll work on some of the world's most exciting financial operations and business deals, building your experience and expertise alongside the brightest minds in the industry.

We’ll help you succeed

Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships.

You’ll be someone who is both comfortable working proactively and managing your own tasks, as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with senior managers, directors, and BDO’s partners to help businesses effectively. You’ll be encouraged to identify and draw attention to opportunities for enhancing our delivery and providing additional services to organisations we work with.

An Assistant Director’s primary responsibility is to manage the delivery of projects on a day-to-day basis, and to build sustainable and profitable external and internal client relationships. You will have a good understanding of, and experience in, the field of corporate finance for both buy-side and sell-side work, involving private and public companies, owner-managed businesses and private equity houses.  You will also be developed in your sector knowledge. 

You’ll be someone with:

• Project manage client engagements, which includes determining the project scope and resource requirements, monitoring progress against budget and established timeframe, review of work completed by junior team members and resolving all project issues prior to Partner and Director review. 

• Scope, prepare and review reports, information memoranda and documents using Word and PowerPoint 

• Scope and review financial models using Excel 

• Leading project management, including oversight of due diligence and client and buyer interaction, and management of the project team on a day-to-day basis. 

• Assist the Partners, Directors in the development of existing and new service stream methodologies. 

• Contributing and playing an active role in the development of new business relationships, marketing and business proposals, including: 

• Promote knowledge sharing within the team and facilitating research and development within the chosen stream. 

• Ensure client feedback is captured, addressed and effectively communicated to the project manager/director. 

• Build sustainable relationships with clients, and take responsibility for delivering answers to clients in most cases. 

• Support the conversion of opportunities into chargeable work, including pitch participation. 

• Identify and recognise new project and business opportunities, and inform the project directors or partners, as appropriate.

• Act as an ambassador of the firm, participate in marketing events and keeping abreast of the wide range of services the firm offers. 

• Support recruitment, retention, development, training and motivation of employees within the Corporate Finance team.

• Seek and take action on feedback. 

• Act as a mentor to team members and provide coaching with a view to assisting them to achieve their personal career goals, including: 

• People management responsibilities covering resource planning and allocation, performance management 

• Support to the appraisal process, training and recommendations for promotion. 

Essential skills:

• A good understanding of, and experience in, advising clients on both buy-side and sell-side work, and will have led projects to a successful close.  Your experience will involve working with private companies, owner-managed businesses and private equity houses. 

• ACA/ACCA qualified (or equivalent), or relevant work experience. 

• Previous staff supervision or management experience.

• Good knowledge of MS Office, in particular Word and Excel.

• For those involved in plc activities, a developing knowledge of relevant regulatory regimes.

• Relevant sector experience

We’re in it together

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value for the companies we work with and satisfying experiences for our colleagues, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you’ll never stop learning at BDO.

We’re looking forward to the future

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy.

Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in you. Across the UK thousands of unique minds continue to come together to help companies we work with to achieve their ambitions

We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.