Director – Mergers & Acquisitions; M&A Job Gloucester area,England UK,Management

Position: Director – Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)

Director – Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)

Gloucester / Hybrid working, UK

About Optimas:

Optimas is a multinational distributor of integrated supply chain solutions and engineering support focused on delivering fasteners, components, industrial and safety supplies to our diverse customers around the world. Our local, on‑ground teams understand the nuances of every community we serve. This allows us to adapt with our customers and partners as needs evolve, leveraging our footprint to remain at your side while providing a highly personalised level of service and support no matter where you find yourself around the globe.

To learn more, please visit our website:

Job Purpose:

The Director of Mergers & Acquisitions will lead Optimas’ global inorganic growth agenda, identifying and executing acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships that accelerate growth, expand capabilities, and strengthen market position. The role is accountable for the full transaction lifecycle from strategy development and target identification through execution, integration, and value realisation. Working closely with the CEO, CFO, Board and senior functional leaders, the post‑holder will ensure disciplined capital deployment and sustainable long‑term value creation across the Group.

Role

of Department:

The Corporate Development function is responsible for supporting the Group’s strategic growth agenda through mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, strategic partnerships, market analysis and portfolio optimisation. The function works cross‑functionally with Finance, Operations, Commercial, HR, IT and Legal teams to evaluate opportunities and execute strategic initiatives that enhance shareholder value.

Geographic scope:
Across the Optimas International Footprint in the UK, Europe and Asia
International Travel:
Frequent
Stakeholders:
Board, CEO, CFO, SLT, external advisors, sellers, investors, legal/tax partners
Financial scope:
Acquisition pipeline, valuation models, synergy tracking and transaction budgets
Leadership scope:
Matrix leadership of cross‑functional deal and integration teams

Key Result Areas:

M&A Strategy & Pipeline Development

Develop and continuously refine the Group M&A strategy aligned to corporate growth objectives.
Build and maintain a robust, rolling acquisition pipeline across target markets.
Lead market mapping, competitor analysis, and target screening.
Deliver proactive market intelligence to Executive Leadership.
Partner with Senior Leadership to define investment criteria and strategic priorities.

Deal Execution (End‑to‑End Ownership)

Lead full transaction lifecycle including target approach, financial modelling, due diligence, risk assessment, and negotiation.
Ensure transactions are completed on time and within approved parameters.
Deliver rigorous investment cases with clear risk/reward assessment.
Coordinate external advisors (investment banks, legal, tax, consultants).
Present investment cases to Executive Committee and Board.
Lead SPA negotiations and transaction closing.

Integration & Value Realisation

Oversee post‑merger integration planning from diligence stage onwards.
Ensure Day 1 readiness and 90/180/360‑day integration planning.
Track synergy delivery against approved business cases.
Establish clear synergy targets (cost, revenue, operational, procurement).
Partner with functional leaders to ensure structured integration governance.
Monitor synergy delivery and ROI performance.
Support cultural integration and organisational alignment.
Lead divestiture execution where required.

Financial & Risk Governance

Ensure disciplined capital allocation aligned with Group financial strategy.
Develop investment models, scenario analysis, and sensitivity testing.
Identify and manage transaction risks across international jurisdictions.
Maintain strong compliance and governance standards.

Stakeholder Management

Act as senior advisor to CEO, CFO, Board, and SLT on inorganic growth.
Engage with key stakeholders as required.
Build strong relationships with target company executives.
Operate effectively across multi‑country environments.

Additional

Key Duties:

Support enterprise strategic planning activities
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