Director - M&A - Corporate Development - 12 month FTC

Legal & General (L&G) is a leading UK financial services group and major global investor. 

We’ve been safeguarding people’s financial futures since 1836, and strive to build a better society, while improving the lives of our customers and creating value for shareholders. 

We are one of the world’s largest asset managers and provide powerful asset origination capabilities. Together, these underpin our retirement and protection solutions: we are an international player in pension risk transfer, in UK and US life insurance, and in UK workplace pensions and retirement income.  

Our Group Functions provide the services that all areas of the business need. This requires a talented and diverse team behind the scenes, who enable everyone at L&G to do what they do best.  

Joining us means helping to improve the lives of our customers and contributing to the success of the business every day. 

Legal & General is looking for an experienced Corporate Development professional to support Group-level M&A activity on a maternity cover basis. This is a hands-on role with exposure to the full transaction lifecycle, working closely with investment teams and senior stakeholders across Asset Management, Retail, Institutional Retirement and wider Group functions.

You’ll be joining a collaborative team that plays an important role in assessing, shaping and executing strategic transactions. The role would suit someone with strong M&A execution experience, excellent financial analysis skills and the confidence to work with ambiguity, senior stakeholders and complex deal processes.

This is a 12 month fixed term contract. 

What you’ll be doing:

• Leading M&A transaction execution from opportunity assessment through to signing and completion
• Assessing financial performance, strategic fit, key risks, value drivers and commercial considerations
• Coordinating due diligence across legal, tax, finance, capital, HR, strategy and commercial teams
• Building and maintaining a strong internal network across business functions to align stakeholders, secure input and drive successful transaction execution
• Preparing governance papers, transaction recommendations and presentations for senior approval forums
• Supporting investment teams with business cases, valuation analysis, financial models and transaction scenarios
• Negotiating transaction terms, structures, documentation and legal agreements with counterparties
• Managing stakeholders, timelines, risks and issue resolution throughout live transactions
• Maintaining transaction pipeline reporting and Corporate Development data as required

Who we’re looking for:

• Strong M&A transaction execution experience, ideally gained in Corporate Development, Investment Banking, Corporate Finance, consultancy or a similar transaction-led environment
• Excellent financial analysis, valuation and modelling capability, with the ability to interpret financial statements and identify meaningful trends
• Ideally ACA, ACCA or CFA qualified, or able to demonstrate equivalent technical financial capability
• Experience in financial services, Asset Management or insurance would be highly valuable
• Confidence preparing clear, high-quality papers and presentations for senior stakeholders and governance forums
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to lead calls, explain deal rationale and influence stakeholders
• Ability to work at pace, manage ambiguity and stay flexible during the natural peaks and troughs of M&A activity
• Collaborative working style, strong attention to detail and a genuine interest in financial services and financial markets

Whatever your role, we reward performance and behaviour with a package that looks after all the things that are important to you. Here are some of the benefits we offer:

• The opportunity to participate in our annual, performance -related bonus plan and valuable share schemes
• Generous pension contribution
• Life assurance
• Healthcare Plan (permanent employees only)
• At least 25 days holiday, plus public holidays, 26 days after 2 years’ service. There’s also the option to buy and sell holiday
• Competitive family leave
• Participate in our electric car scheme, which offers employees the option to hire a brand-new electric car through tax efficient salary sacrifice (permanent employees only)
• There are many discounts we offer – both for our own products and at a range of high street stores and online
• We’re creating net‑zero carbon workplaces by 2030 by investing in our sustainable, modern offices across the UK, all designed to bring people together and elevate the in‑person experience

At L&G, we believe it's possible to generate positive returns today while helping to build a better future for all. 

If you join us, you’ll be part of a welcoming, inclusive culture, with opportunities to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds, views, and experiences. Guided by leaders with integrity who care about your future and wellbeing. Empowered through initiatives which support people to develop their careers and excel.

We care passionately about outcomes rather than attendance and are therefore open to discussing all kinds of flexible working options including part-time and job shares. Although some roles have limited flexibility due to customer demand, we accommodate requests when we can. 

It doesn’t matter if you don’t meet every single criterion in this advert. Instead, think about what you excel at and what else you can bring in terms of strengths, potential and connection to our purpose.