Pre-Close Cybersecurity MA&D Principal

Cencora; England; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cencora in the United Kingdom is seeking a Secure MA&D Principal to lead pre-close cybersecurity due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other strategic transactions. You will identify cyber risks, estimate remediation and integration costs, and support Day 1 readiness planning.

You will manage third-party diligence providers, translate findings into business and financial impacts, and collaborate with Finance, Legal, IT, and Security teams to validate risks and costs.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in cybersecurity, information risk, security consulting, M&A due diligence, or security program leadership.
• Experience leading cybersecurity assessments, risk reviews, diligence activities, or integration planning.
• Strong understanding of core security domains, including IAM, endpoint security, vulnerability management, cloud security, data protection, security operations, GRC, and third-party risk.
• Ability to explain cyber risks in business terms and connect findings to cost, timing, compliance, and operational impact.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; PMP (or equivalent formal project management certification) and CRISC strongly preferred
• Additional relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CISA, or CCSP are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead pre-close cybersecurity due diligence for assigned MA&D transactions.
• Review target-company security posture, documentation, interviews, and assessment results.
• Identify key cyber risks, control gaps, compliance concerns, and Day 1 readiness issues.
• Translate technical findings into clear business, operational, and financial impacts.
• Manage third-party cybersecurity diligence providers, including scope, timelines, deliverables, and quality of findings.
• Develop preliminary cost estimates for remediation, integration, tooling, licensing, labor, and ongoing run support.
• Partner with Finance, Corporate Development, Legal, IT, and Information Security teams to validate risks, assumptions, and costs.
• Transfer diligence findings, risks, and open items to security capability owners before close.
• Support Day 1 readiness planning by identifying minimum required controls, dependencies, and immediate post-close actions.
• Maintain clear documentation of risks, decisions, assumptions, action items, and handoffs.
• Improve Secure MA&D diligence templates, playbooks, cost models, and reporting materials.

Skills

Cybersecurity leadership

M&A due diligence

Risk assessment

Executive communication

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Business impact communication

Security domains knowledge

Threat & risk modeling

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Job description

Cencora in the United Kingdom is seeking a Secure MA&D Principal to lead pre-close cybersecurity due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other strategic transactions. You will identify cyber risks, estimate remediation and integration costs, and support Day 1 readiness planning.

You will manage third-party diligence providers, translate findings into business and financial impacts, and collaborate with Finance, Legal, IT, and Security teams to validate risks and costs.