Group Acquisitions Finance Manager

Inspiring Vet Care; West of England; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Cycle to Work scheme

Pension

Discretionary Bonus

Discounted staff pet care

Dog Friendly office

Free Parking available at Head Office

Job summary

IVC Evidensia is seeking an experienced professional to lead the financial due diligence and acquisition finance process across acquisitions. You will manage external FDD providers, review TDD and tax issues, and ensure robust financial controls throughout the deal lifecycle.

Based in the UK with international exposure, the role requires a proactive, hands-on finance leader capable of challenging lawyers and tax advisers while collaborating with the Group CFO and Head of Acquisition Finance.

Qualifications

• Strong academically - educated to degree level and having completed their professional accounting qualification (ACA or equivalent).
• In-house M&A experience or transaction services/lead advisory background.
• Awareness of completion account mechanisms (locked box vs completion accounts).
• Thrives in a fast-paced, changing environment; flexibility is key.
• Hands on, willing to do whatever is needed to facilitate a deal.
• Broad understanding of legal and tax matters to identify issues and challenge advisers.

Responsibilities

• Manage outsourced Financial Due Diligence providers to meet IVCE processes and timelines.
• Act as the guardian of the financials to keep acquisitions financially disciplined.
• Review TDD and ensure tax issues are understood and communicated to lawyers.
• Work with lawyers to understand complex legal structures and hand over to Group Legal/Integration.
• Review and sign off on funds flows and proforma completion accounts.
• Ensure data from diligence and completion is transferred into systems post-completion.
• Prepare reviews and challenges to post-acquisition trading performance.
• Undertake other projects as defined by the Director of Acquisition Finance and Head of Acquisition Finance.

Skills

M&A experience

Financial due diligence

Financial controls

Stakeholder communication

Attention to detail

Self-motivated

CPD awareness

Travel readiness

Education

Degree level

ACA or equivalent

Job description

At IVC Evidensia, we are a leading veterinary services provider in Europe and North America with more than 2,500 clinics and hospitals across 19 countries and around 42,000 employees. We aim to have an extraordinary impact on animal lives, supporting in the region of 25,000 animals every single day across our international network. IVC Evidensia exists to champion the long-term health and welfare of animals and deliver our purpose of Healthy Animals, Happy Owners.

Working closely with the Head of Acquisition Finance and the Group Acquisitions Manager to deliver and control all the financial and tax activities within the surgery acquisition process. Whilst ensuring high quality surgery groups are acquired at appropriate multiples with a full understanding of all financial and tax matters from the due diligence process whilst protecting the company from on boarding inappropriate activities / processes with all risks managed and mitigated.

Maintain and manage the strong working relationships with our external due diligence providers(Financial, Tax and Legal) and M&A teams and continuously working to improve processes, quality and build on relationships across the group.

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the management of the outsourced Financial Due Diligence (FDD) providers, to ensure FDD is completed in line with IVCE processes, timescales and they are resourced to meet the needs of IVCE and never slow the pace of acquisitions.
• To be the “balance” and the guardian of the financials to ensure the acquisitions team remain financially disciplined.
• Responsible for the review of TDD and ensuring all tax issues are fully understood, communicated to lawyers to ensure IVCE are protected, and communicated to the Finance Integration/ Group Head of Tax to ensure inappropriate practices are immediately stopped at acquisition. Ensuring we never on-board inappropriate levels of tax risk and IVCE are fully protected.
• Working with the lawyers in the early stages of due diligence to flush out complex legal structures and ensuring the legal structures we are on boarding are properly understood and any legal due diligence risks are mitigated and handed over to Group Legal/Integration where relevant.
• Responsible for the review and recommendation to the Group CFO to approve FDD and the associated Investment proposals. Ensuring FDD and investment cases are produced to a high level of quality and that have picked up all issues highlighted from Legal Due Diligence (LDD) and Tax Due Diligence (TDD) right up to the point of completion.
• Ensuring all acquisitions are compliant with our Investor agreement and Banking agreement and if not highlighting immediately to the Group CFO, not allowing anything to complete that is not compliant.
• Reviewing disclosure letters and LDD for any financial or tax matters of concern and acting accordingly / escalating / adjusting investment cases
• Reviewing and signing off funds flows including supporting proforma completion accounts
• Ensuring vital data collected during diligence plus completion documents are transferred across into our systems post completion in a timely manner
• Ensure investments cases are properly handed across into the main Finance team and communicated fully.
• Prepare review and challenge to post-acquisition trading performance.
• Other projects as defined by the Director of Acquisition Finance and Head of Acquisition Finance.

Experience/Qualifications:

• Strong academically - educated to degree level and having completed their professional accounting qualification. ACA or equivalent
• In-house M&A experience, or experience working within corporate finance (either transaction services/lead advisory).
• Awareness to completion account mechanisms (locked box vs completion accounts).
• Thrives in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment - flexibility is key.
• Hands on, no task too small, will do whatever required to facilitate a deal.
• Broad understanding of legal and tax matters sufficient to be able to identify issues when presented and challenge both lawyers and tax advisors in their areas of expertise.
• Sufficient level of gravitas and communications skills to credibly challenge the M&A teams across all jurisdictions we currently operate in.
• Strong attention to detail, and able to deliver right-first-time results quickly without getting lost in the detail.
• Deadline focussed and managing workload with competing priorities. Must be willing to put in the effort required to ensure they always meet them
• Self-starting individual comfortable with working independently and ability to self-motive/regulate.
• Pro-active approach to CPD and keeping abreast of any changes to accounting standards, particularly on how these impact acquisitions.
• Occasional international travel necessary.
• Comfortable working within a clinical environment where compassion is a requirement

What We Offer:

At IVC Evidensia we recognise that our people are fundamental to the success of our business. Investing in our people, premises and processes is at the heart of what we do. In addition to a competitive base salary, you will benefit from

• Work-life balance
• 26 days annual leave
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Initiatives focused on employee wellbeing
• Pension
• Discretionary Bonus
• Discounted staff pet care
• Dog Friendly office
• Free Parking available at Head Office

Inclusion Statement:

As a BAME and LGBTQ+ inclusive employer, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.

Inclusion Statement:

At IVC Evidensia we are a committed to Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.