Company: Phipps Cameron Recruitment
Location: London
Posted: April 4th, 2026
We are seeking an experienced Corporate Development Deal Lead to play a central role in executing the group’s inorganic growth strategy. This individual will lead full-cycle M&A transactions, from origination through to completion, working closely with senior management, private equity sponsors, and external advisers.
The role is suited to a commercially minded M&A professional with deep transaction experience who can operate independently, build trusted relationships with founders and advisers, and drive deals through to completion in a fast-paced, PE-backed environment.
Originate proprietary and intermediated acquisition opportunities across the financial services landscape.
Build and maintain relationships with founders, management teams, advisers, and industry participants.
Represent the business credibly in the market and articulate the group’s investment proposition.
Lead full-cycle M&A processes from initial screening through to deal completion.
Assess strategic fit, value creation potential, and transaction risks.
Lead valuation, structuring, pricing, and commercial negotiations.
Coordinate and manage all due diligence workstreams (financial, commercial, legal, regulatory, tax, HR, IT).
Negotiate transaction documentation (NDAs, HoTs, SPAs, TSAs, employment and shareholder agreements) alongside legal advisers.
Prepare and present materials for executive leadership, boards, and PE investment committees.
Act as a trusted partner to the CEO, CFO, and senior leadership team.
Work closely with private equity sponsors and investment teams.
Manage external advisers including investment banks, accountants, lawyers, and consultants.
Support post-deal integration planning in collaboration with operational and functional leaders.
Ensure transaction rationale translates into executable value creation initiatives.
Track deal performance against original investment cases.
10+ years’ M&A experience, gained in:
Corporate development / in-house M&A, and/or
Investment banking / M&A advisory at senior level.
Proven track record of leading full-cycle transactions from origination to completion.
Experience within financial services (e.g. insurance, wealth management, lending, payments, fintech or adjacent regulated sectors).
Prior exposure to PE-backed environments strongly preferred.
Strong commercial judgement and deal instincts.
Deep understanding of transaction mechanics, valuation, and deal structuring.
Confident negotiator with the ability to engage credibly with founders and senior stakeholders.
Highly organised, resilient, and comfortable operating in a high-volume, fast-moving deal environment.
Low-ego, collaborative approach with the gravitas to operate at board and sponsor level.
Hands-on mindset;comfortable owning deals end-to-end.
London-based role.
Regular interaction with senior leadership and PE sponsors.
Occasional UK and international travel as required.