Associate Director- M&A Integration & Separation

Job description

Role Overview:
The Associate Director (AD) will play a critical leadership role in managing and delivering integration, separation, and synergy initiatives throughout the deal lifecycle. The role focuses on overseeing Day 1 readiness, strategic planning, and post-deal execution to ensure successful business transitions and value creation for clients. This includes managing the full spectrum of integration and separation activities, from early-stage planning to execution, across diverse transaction scenarios.

Key Responsibilities:
Integration & Separation Leadership: Lead the planning and execution of integration and separation strategies, ensuring business continuity, operational alignment, and the realization of deal synergies from Day 1 through post-deal implementation.

Day 1 Readiness: Oversee and ensure Day 1 readiness for clients, driving cross-functional alignment across the business and ensuring seamless execution of operational, technological, and strategic transition activities.

Synergy Management: Identify, assess, and track synergies from potential transactions, ensuring that both cost and revenue synergies are realized post-deal. Develop detailed plans for synergy delivery, including interdependencies, risks, and milestones.

Post-Deal Execution: Manage post-deal integration or separation activities, ensuring smooth transitions, value preservation, and minimal disruption to the business. Work closely with client stakeholders to monitor progress, address issues, and adapt plans as necessary.

Stakeholder & Client Leadership: Serve as the primary point of contact for client leadership on integration, separation, and synergy initiatives. Build and nurture deep, trusted relationships with senior executives and ensure alignment on strategic goals and execution.

Project & Workstream Management: Oversee the execution of multiple workstreams across integration, separation, and synergy efforts, ensuring timely delivery, resource allocation, and cross-functional coordination. Manage risk and ensure projects meet both client expectations and financial goals.

Team Leadership & Development: Mentor and lead internal teams, providing coaching, feedback, and development opportunities while fostering a collaborative environment that drives performance and high-quality delivery.

Business Development & Strategy: Support business development efforts by identifying new opportunities, contributing to proposals, and helping to convert business leads into engagements. Build and maintain a strong network within the firm and externally to position for future work.

Risk & Governance: Ensure all integration, separation, and synergy activities adhere to the firm's risk management frameworks, maintaining governance and compliance while protecting the firm's reputation. Manage financial performance, including engagement profitability, WIP, and timely invoicing.

Role Requirements:
Experience: 8-12 years of experience in leading integration, separation, or synergy initiatives, with a focus on M&A transaction environments. Strong background in managing complex projects involving multi-disciplinary teams.

Skills: Proven expertise in managing post-deal integration and separation, identifying synergies, and developing actionable plans to achieve strategic goals. Strong problem-solving, analytical, and project management skills.

Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead teams and manage senior client relationships, fostering collaboration, innovation, and value creation throughout the transaction lifecycle.

Strategic & Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of the financial and operational drivers of business transactions, with the ability to align integration and separation plans to broader strategic objectives and ensure financial performance.

Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly to senior executives and key stakeholders.

Education: Strong academic credentials, with a preference for advanced degrees or certifications in business, finance, or a related field. Additional language skills are a plus