Programme Manager - M&A

This role focuses on overseeing cross functional merger and acquisition projects. You'll be managing critical change initiatives, ensuring smooth transitions and successful project delivery.Lead the full lifecycle delivery of acquisitions, strategic partnerships and selected transformation programmes within a growing, private equity-backed organisation.

Client Details

Our client is a private equity-backed organisation pursuing an ambitious growth and acquisition strategy. With an active transaction pipeline, a developing operational excellence function and strong executive sponsorship, the business is investing in the capability required to integrate acquisitions successfully and deliver complex strategic change. Key hubs in West Midlands and Heathrow area.

Description

This is a newly created, highly visible Programme Manager role with responsibility for leading acquisition integrations from due diligence and pre-completion planning through to post-merger integration and benefits realisation. You will operate with considerable autonomy, working across a matrix organisation to deliver immediate priorities while establishing a robust and repeatable programme capability for the future.

• Lead and manage M&A projects from initiation to completion.
• Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, and budgets.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and progress.
• Identify and mitigate project risks effectively.
• Communicate regularly with stakeholders to provide updates and gather feedback.
• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements during M&A activities.
• Analyse and integrate business processes post-acquisition.

Support strategic decision-making with data-driven insights.Although M&A integration will be a central pillar of the position, the remit will extend to other strategically important transformation programmes where structured programme leadership is required.

• Lead the full acquisition integration lifecycle, from due diligence and Day 1 readiness through to operational integration and benefits realisation.
• Translate investment cases, acquisition objectives and synergy targets into practical programme plans and measurable outcomes.
• Establish effective programme disciplines, including governance, reporting, RAID management, RACI frameworks, delivery cadence and executive communications.
• Coordinate matrix teams across Operations, Finance, HR, IT, Legal, Compliance, Commercial, Customer and functional leadership.
• Provide clear, concise updates to executive leaders and steering committees, highlighting progress, performance, decisions, risks and dependencies.
• Build trusted relationships with acquired leadership teams, adapting the integration approach to different businesses, circumstances and levels of organisational readiness.
• Lead workshops, governance meetings and cross-functional working sessions that turn strategic intent into accountable delivery.
• Coordinate people, process, operational, technology, data and cyber integration activity with internal specialists and external advisers.
• Track programme performance, integration costs, synergies and benefits against agreed targets, intervening where delivery moves off plan.
• Develop reusable playbooks, templates, scorecards and governance standards that strengthen the organisation's long-term integration and programme capability.

Profile

As the Programme Manager, you will be a credible and adaptable programme leader who combines rigorous delivery disciplines with the emotional intelligence required to influence senior stakeholders and navigate organisational resistance.

Essential

• Demonstrable experience across the M&A lifecycle, including due diligence support, integration planning and post-merger integration.
• Experience delivering M&A integration within logistics, manufacturing, retail, supply chain or another operationally complex environment.
• Proven at working in small transformation teams with limited resources
• A strong record of leading complex, cross-functional integration, transformation or operational-change programmes.
• The ability to establish programme structure and governance in an environment where project management capability is still developing.
• Experience influencing executive leaders, heads of function, external advisers and operational teams without relying on direct authority.
• Strong capability across programme planning, RAID management, RACI frameworks, reporting, governance and performance management.
• Commercial and financial understanding, including business cases, P&L statements, integration costs, benefits and synergy targets.
• The confidence and self-direction to operate as a hands-on programme lead with considerable autonomy.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to lead workshops and produce concise executive-level updates and decision papers.

If you meet the essential criteria but not every desirable point, we encourage you to apply.

Job Offer

• Salary of £80,000 to £100,000.
• Flexible location, with one day per week in the West Midlands or South East.
• Travel to operational sites as required to support acquisition integrations.
• Direct exposure to Executive Committee members and functional leaders.
• An active acquisition pipeline and a broader remit across strategic transformation.
• Significant autonomy to establish new standards, governance and ways of working.
• The opportunity to build an organisational capability and leave a lasting legacy.

This opportunity will suit someone who wants more than responsibility for an established programme. You will have the sponsorship, visibility and autonomy to shape how a growing organisation delivers integrations and strategic change.