Mergers & Acquisitions - Managing Director

Corporate Finance Group Inc.; London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A forward-thinking company is seeking a highly motivated Tax Managing Director to lead its UK M&A tax offering. This exciting role involves guiding a talented team in delivering exceptional tax services to a diverse client base, from venture-backed firms to FTSE500 companies. The ideal candidate will leverage their extensive experience in tax due diligence and structuring to drive business growth and foster strong client relationships. With a culture that values integrity and professional excellence, this position offers a unique opportunity for career advancement in a dynamic and supportive environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of M&A tax experience in Big-4 or next tier UK firms.
• Strong collaboration and leadership skills with a focus on integrity.

Responsibilities

• Lead M&A tax projects and manage client relationships effectively.
• Perform tax due diligence and provide strategic business development support.

Skills

Tax Due Diligence

Tax Structuring

Fund Flows

SPA Review

UK and Cross-Border Tax Planning

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Organizational Skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Accounting

Professional Certification (ATII, CTA, ACA, ACCA)

Job description

About CFGI:

Corporate Finance Group, Inc. (“CFGI”) was founded in 2000 by former Big 4 professionals. CFGI is an established industry leader with the resources to successfully navigate today’s complex accounting, reporting, compliance and now tax landscape. An assemblage of top-flight professionals with in-depth public accounting expertise, CFGI can fulfill a variety of client needs without the restrictions of auditor independence.

We provide our clients with a unique combination of integrity, flexibility, creative solutions, and deep tax technical expertise. Many of our clients are global, market leading, publicly held companies, while others are privately held, early stage, or venture-backed emerging businesses. Here at CFGI, we place a high value on a culture of continued learning, where teamwork is encouraged, and professional excellence is rewarded. We offer a flexible career progression model that allows for a variety of challenging opportunities throughout your career.

In 2022, CFGI opened its London office (its first outside the US) and achieved fantastic revenue in the first full year of trading, primarily derived from the accounting advisory practice. In January 2023 the UK tax practice was formed and the UK tax partner is looking to quickly assemble a high-quality team of tax professionals to grow the tax business and provide clients with an exceptional and differentiated service.

Position Summary:

CFGI seeks a highly motivated tax managing director to lead its UK M&A tax offering. CFGI's unique client base of venture/PE-backed privately held companies to global multi-billion-dollar FTSE500 Companies provides for a unique environment for highly motivated self-starters to continue and enhance their careers.

This position reports directly to the Partner-in-Charge of Tax and will require an in-depth knowledge of taxation as it relates to strategic PE and corporate transactions in the mergers and acquisitions lifecycle. Our Transactions Tax specialists provide a variety of services, such as tax due diligence reviews (buy-side and sell-side), advice relating to private equity and similar structures, vendor assistance, and management tax planning. The successful candidate will work with business lines, service providers, and other tax professionals in fulfilling his or her responsibilities. In the beginning, tax work is not expected to require 100% of the executive’s time for project management and billable work, as they will be asked to do other tasks including:

1. Interviewing and recruiting new tax team members to work under their direction.
2. Business Development activity, including getting to know the partners at CFGI within all verticals.
3. Identifying additional revenue streams within our clients.

Principal Responsibilities:

1. Lead M&A tax projects in accordance with the firm’s standard procedures and agreed arrangements with the client, including costs and billing logistics.
2. Perform tax due diligence reviews, tax structuring, tax modelling, and various other pre- and post- deal services.
3. Act as the main point of contact and manage client relationships, responding quickly to queries and internal teams.
4. Research and prepare proposals for new work, as well as taking part in presentations to prospective clients.
5. Support in strategic targeting and business development activity, particularly in the private equity space, with the Tax Partner.
6. Act as a people manager, including delegation and taking an active role in individuals’ training and career development via on-the-job coaching, delivering formal training, and carrying out requested feedback and career conversations.

Skills and Competencies:

1. Strong expertise in tax due diligence, structuring, fund flows, and SPA review, ideally with private equity clients.
2. Exposure to portfolio company tax work, UK and cross-border tax planning, and withholding tax is preferred.
3. Demonstrated ability to effectively present information and appropriately respond to questions from clients and team members.
4. Excellent organizational skills, ability to multi-task, and work under deadlines.
5. Excellent analytical, supervisory, organizational, and written and verbal communication skills are necessary.
6. Demonstrated ability to be accountable for independently completing assignments.
7. Capable of collaborating and communicating with people of different technical backgrounds and roles.

Education and Experience Requirements:

1. Ten plus years of M&A tax experience in the Big-4 and/or next tier UK accounting firms.
2. Significant experience of operating as a Senior Manager or Associate Director level (or equivalent) is necessary.
3. Up-to-date knowledge of Transactions Tax, in a specialist capacity or as a Corporate Tax professional.
4. Strong collaboration and teamwork skills, and an ability to adapt to changing priorities and learn new businesses quickly.
5. Other key areas to consider: the ideal candidate must demonstrate integrity and accountability, always remaining flexible, adaptable, and willing to accept coaching, building and managing professionally healthy relationships, and continually developing awareness of business-related topics.
6. Analytical ability to navigate work-related situations with practicality, sound reasoning, and demonstrating creativity in problem solving.
7. Leadership skills that display good judgment and certainty in decision making, taking initiative with job-related demands, demonstrating innovative thinking and sound planning with business practices, managing individual performance toward shared organizational goals, and thinking strategically to set and accomplish goals.
8. Bachelor’s degree in accounting with a preference in holding an accounting or tax professional certification (ATII, CTA, ideally along with an ACA, ACCA).