Associate Director - Corporate Finance

Heligan Group; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Heligan Group, based in Birmingham, seeks a senior corporate finance professional who blends leadership with hands-on deal execution across the entire transaction cycle.

You will mentor analysts, manage client relationships, and help originate opportunities while coordinating with external advisers to deliver compelling financial solutions.

This role requires strong modelling, ACA/CFA or equivalent, and a pragmatic, can-do attitude to drive outcomes.

Qualifications

• Substantial corporate finance experience across deal lifecycle.
• Professional qualification such as ACA or CFA.
• Strong financial modelling and debt/equity financing knowledge.
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint; clear business cases.
• Experience using AI tools to support engagement.
• Ability to build trusted client relationships.
• Experience developing junior team members.
• Can-do attitude with ownership and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop analysts, review financial analysis and modelling.
• Direct project management across marketing, due diligence, and negotiations.
• Originate relationships and opportunities to generate fee income.
• Coordinate with clients, lawyers, tax and DD advisers as needed.

Skills

Leadership & people development

Project management

Client relationship building

Analytical thinking

Strategic thinking

Education

ACA / CFA / equivalent

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

AI tools (Claude)

Job description

We're looking for a corporate finance professional who wants more than deal execution.This is a senior role, and leadership matters just as much as technical delivery.

You'll split your time across:

Leading people: Taking an active role in developing our analysts is central to the role. You will be directing and managing their work alongside wider support staff, supervising and reviewing the financial analysis and modelling they produce, coaching them through diligence and materials, and giving regular, honest feedback that actually helps people progress.

Deal execution: You'll lead project teams as one of the senior points of contact with clients on each mandate, taking day-to-day responsibility for project management and delivery across all phases of the transaction cycle: from marketing materials, pitch materials and client proposals, through financial modelling, due diligence and legal document review, to process management and negotiation support, usually alongside external legal, tax and DD advisers.

Deal origination: You'll help originate relationships and ideas that generate fee income by building and developing strong relationships in the market, taking responsibility for agreed areas of origination and business development, and leading on targeting and pitching.

About Heligan Group

Heligan is an intelligence-led financial advisory group working across Corporate Finance, Investments, Strategic Advisory and Wealth Management.

We work with business owners, investors, organisations and private clients at moments when the right decision can have a lasting impact. Each brings a different question. Our role is to understand what matters to them, examine the wider picture and bring informed judgement to the choices ahead.

That means looking beyond the immediate transaction, investment or challenge. We consider the people involved, the market around them and the opportunities and risks that may influence the outcome. It is how we help clients make decisions with greater clarity and confidence.

What you'll bring

• Substantial relevant experience in corporate finance, in an Investment Bank, top-tier accountancy firm, Private Equity, or M&A Boutique with strong deal structuring experience and demonstrable involvement in transactions throughout the transaction lifecycle including analysis, execution and completion. As a guide, this would ordinarily involve at least three years’ relevant experience
• Professional qualification such as ACA, CFA, or equivalent
• Demonstrated financial modelling expertise and a strong working knowledge of financing structures and debt/equity funding
• Advanced Excel, PowerPoint skills with the ability to prepare clear, persuasive business-cases, and communicate complex financial matters effectively, both orally and in writing
• Experience of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as Claude to support day-to-day engagement activities
• The ability to establish trusted and constructive relationships with clients, colleagues and stakeholders
• A track record of, or genuine enthusiasm and commitment for, developing junior team members
• The confidence to take ownership of problems, lead by example, and engage constructively with feedback in both directions
• A “can-do” attitude with a strong drive to succeed

Location

This is a full-time, office-based role at our Birmingham office. The successful candidate must be able to attend the Birmingham office during the required working hours and should therefore live within a reasonable commuting distance or be willing to relocate before commencing employment.
Applicants must have the existing right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, the company is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role.