Director Sports Business Group

Deloitte LLP; Birmingham, Belfast, City of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen City; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading professional services firm is looking for a Director to join its Sports M&A practice, focusing on advising high-profile clients on mergers and acquisitions in the sports sector. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in corporate finance advisory, especially within sports transactions. This role requires strong leadership skills and proven capabilities in managing corporate finance engagements. The position supports hybrid working, based in either Manchester or London, and offers a dynamic environment for personal growth and client impact.

Benefits

Hybrid working policy

Continuous training and feedback

Support for personal development

Qualifications

• Proven interest in the sports business market, focusing on investment.
• Experience managing corporate finance projects.
• Strong analytical skills to process large data sets.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage M&A engagements within sports.
• Advise on investment/divestment of sports-related businesses.
• Develop junior colleagues within the Sports Business Group.

Skills

Corporate finance advisory experience

Experience in sports transactions

Client relationship management

Strong financial analysis

Excellent communication skills

Education

Qualified accountant or relevant professional qualification (CFA, MBA)

Job description

Overview

Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Guernsey, Ipswich, Isle of Man, Jersey, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Port Talbot, Reading, Southampton, St Albans

Business Line

Strategy, Risk & Transactions Advisory

Job Type

Permanent / FTC

Date published

29-Jan-2026

22054

Connect to your Industry

In sport, each move counts. The Deloitte Sports Business Group powers clients at every step. Fuelling bold moves that protect and propel the value of sport. Equipping our clients with M&A and Advisory knowledge gained while working at the heart of the industry for more than 30 years, across over 40 markets and 40 sports. Delivering expertise spanning Sports M&A, Governance, Regulation, Insights, Fan Engagement, Media Rights, and more so that our clients can build lasting legacies - from grassroots to the global stage.

We\'re not just trusted advisors; we\'re experts in the intricacies of sports business, strengthened by the global reach and knowledge of Deloitte.

Together, we\'re committed to helping our clients build a brighter future in sport.

Connect to your career at Deloitte

Deloitte drives progress. Using our vast range of expertise, we help our clients\' become leaders wherever they choose to compete. To do this, we invest in outstanding people. We build teams of future thinkers, with diverse talents and backgrounds, and empower them all to reach for and achieve more.

What brings us all together at Deloitte? It\'s how we approach the thousands of decisions we make everyday. How we behave, our beliefs and our attitudes. In other words: our values. Whatever we do, wherever we are in the world, we lead the way, serve with integrity, take care of each other, fostering inclusion, and collaborate for measurable impact. These five shared values lead every decision we make and action we take, guiding us to deliver impact how and where it matters most.

Connect to your opportunity

This advertised role sits within The Sports Business Group\'s dedicated M&A practice.

Driven by the exceptional growth of our sports M&A practice, we are currently looking to expand our team by recruiting an exceptional new colleague at Director level, based in Manchester or London, to join our dedicated Sports M&A practice.

You\'ll have a strong track record in your career to date and share our excitement about working on high-profile sports transactions, in an increasingly high-profile and competitive industry.

We are looking for candidates with relevant experience of leading on M&A projects in the sports industry.

The successful candidate will have responsibility for leading, and delivering, the Group\'s projects in the sports M&A market. This will include working across our truly end-to-end sports M&A offering, which encompasses M&A strategy, lead M&A advisory (corporate finance), transaction due diligence and post-transaction support services.

You will advise purchasers and vendors on prospective investments and divestments of sports related businesses (e.g. sports teams, leagues, international sports federations, media rights agencies, service providers to the sports market etc.).

As a Director, you will have the opportunity to lead and deliver some of the most impactful projects in the sports industry, and you will:

• Focus on the sports M&A market, developing expert knowledge of the business side of sports.
• Work effectively in diverse teams within an inclusive team culture where people are recognised for their contribution.
• Lead M&A engagements, including but not limited to: lead corporate finance advisory (buy-side and sell-side), M&A strategy, due diligence and valuations for clients acquiring and / or divesting high-profile sports assets around the world.
• Lead and manage project teams to deliver an impact that matters for our clients.
• Be comfortable working to deal related deadlines, adding value on high-profile projects.
• Deliver sports business, finance and commercial analysis.
• Lead and manage client relationships as part of project delivery.
• Lead business development activities, leading client pitches, coordinating preparation of discussion materials, responding to requests for proposal, lead and maintain client relationships, perform independent industry research for both deal origination and transaction analysis.
• Coach and develop other more junior team members to become high-performing consultants within the Sports Business Group.
• Support the Group’s maintenance of its market leading knowledge and insights function, including managing key databases (i.e. the Sports Business Group’s sports transactions database).
• Collaborate with colleagues in producing the Group’s key publications (Annual Review of Football Finance and Deloitte Football Money League), in addition to other thought leadership to enhance the Group’s eminence, led by our knowledge & insights function

Connect to your skills and professional experience

Essential skills and experience:

• Relevant corporate finance advisory experience at a leading professional services firm, investment bank or boutique.
• Experience of having originated and / or sold corporate finance projects to new clients, preferably in the sports or sports adjacency industries.
• Experience of leading and managing corporate finance advice on sports-related transactions specifically.
• Proven interest in, and understanding of, the sports business market, with a particular focus on the topic of investment in sport.
• Experience of transaction due diligence and valuations.
• Qualified accountant or other relevant professional qualification (CFA, MBA or equivalent).
• Experience of leading, and delivering, corporate finance engagements.
• Experience of leading project teams and developing junior colleagues.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, both oral and written.
• Ability to connect high level strategic thinking to the micro details of a company\'s financial information.
• A focus on client service, with ability to work quickly and establish effective working relationships.
• Strong financial, analytical skills and numeracy skills with keen attention to detail and the ability to absorb and analyse large amounts of data
• Appropriate FCA certification
• A broader perspective of potential issues encountered when managing / working in diverse teams and strategies to overcome them.
• A clear understanding of the firm\'s commitment to creating a more inclusive culture.
• We take personal development seriously, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities with a highly supportive environment. Our appraisal process is structured, transparent and interactive – you will receive continuous training and ongoing supportive feedback to achieve goals that you set yourself. You will be a part of an environment where excellent client service, hard work, ambition and enthusiasm will be recognised.
• A committed, flexible and team-oriented working style.
• The ambition to develop and grow as part of a driven and collaborative team.

Connect to your business -Strategy, Risk & Transactions Advisory

In an ever-evolving world, there are no certainties in business. Our teams help clients to navigate risks, process major transactions and deliver transformational change that will future-proof their business. Join us to make a positive difference.

Mergers and Acquisitions

We challenge dealmakers to expect more and to see beyond the deal to create sustainable value for shareholders, employees and society. We support corporates, private equity and financial investors across the full M&A lifecycle and are committed to identifying and delivering sustainable value at every stage of the deal.

Personal independence

Regulation and controls are standard practice in our industry and Deloitte is no exception. These controls provide important legal protection for both you and the firm. We are subject to a number of audit regulations, one of which requires that certain colleagues abide by specific personal independence constraints (e.g., in relation to any financial interests and employment relationships). This can mean that you and your "Immediate Family Members" are not permitted to hold certain financial interests (shares, funds, bonds etc.) with audit clients of the firm, and also prohibitions on certain employment relationships (e.g., you are not permitted to hold a secondary employment role with SEC audit clients of the firm whilst being employed by the firm). The recruitment team will provide further detail as you progress through the recruitment process or you can contact the Independence team upon request.

Connect with your colleagues

"Deloitte\'s Sports Business Group has a track record that spans more than three decades. The team leads the way through its global eminence and is a trusted advisor on many of the most impactful M&A and Advisory projects in sports business. The Group recently won the Best Professional Services Award at the 2025 Sports Business Awards as recognition for the impressive dedication and output of our people and the role being played in shaping the future of the sports market."

Sam Boor, Partner, Sports Business Group

Our hybrid working policy

You\'ll be based in Manchester or London with hybrid working.

At Deloitte we understand the importance of balancing your career alongside your home life. That\'s why we\'ll support you to work flexibly through our hybrid working policy. Depending on the requirements of your role, you\'ll have the opportunity to work in your local office, virtual collaboration spaces, client sites and remotely. You\'ll get the chance to meet face to face when needed, while you collaborate and learn from colleagues, share your experiences, and build the relationships that will fuel your career and prioritise your wellbeing. Please check with your recruiter for the specific working requirements that may apply for your role.

Connect to your return to work opportunity

Are you looking to return to the workplace after an extended career break?

For this role we can offer coaching and support designed for returners to refresh your knowledge and skills, and help your transition back into the workplace after a career break of two years or more. If this is relevant for you, just let your recruiter know when you make your application.

Our commitment to you

Making an impact is more than just what we do: it\’s why we\’re here. So we work hard to create an environment where you can experience a purpose you believe in, the freedom to be you, and the capacity to go further than ever before.

We want you. The true you. Your own strengths, perspective and personality. So we\’re nurturing a culture where everyone belongs, feels supported and heard, and is empowered to make a valuable, personal contribution. You can be sure we\’ll take your wellbeing seriously, too. Because it\’s only when you\’re comfortable and at your best that you can make the kind of impact you, and we, live for.

Your expertise is our capability, so we\’ll make sure it never stops growing. Whether it\’s from the complex work you do, or the people you collaborate with, you\’ll learn every day. Through world-class development, you\’ll gain invaluable technical and personal skills. Whatever your level, you\’ll learn how to lead.

Connect to your next step

A career at Deloitte is an opportunity to develop in any direction you choose. Join us and you\’ll experience a purpose you can believe in and an impact you can see. You\’ll be free to bring your true self to work every day. And you\’ll never stop growing, whatever your level.

Discover more reasons to connect with us, our people and purpose-driven culture at deloitte.co.uk/careers