Corporate Finance/M&A Analyst

Corporate Finance/M&A Analyst

This is a rare opportunity to join a small, high-impact Corporate Finance team and play a central part in Isio’s growth story. Working closely with the Head of Corporate Finance, you will gain hands-on exposure across the full deal lifecycle – from identifying targets and building the models that shape our decisions, through diligence, execution and integration. You will also have regular exposure to senior leadership, including the Group CFO and wider leadership team, and to our private equity investors.

It is a genuinely broad role for someone early in their career who wants to build deep M&A and corporate finance expertise, take on real responsibility quickly, and be part of a private-equity-backed growth story.

What does the role entail?

The Corporate Finance / M&A Analyst will support the Head of Corporate Finance in delivering Isio’s inorganic growth agenda across its core pensions businesses (pensions consulting and administration) and its diversification businesses (currently Wealth, Investments and Employee Benefits), as well as supporting organic growth through talent acquisition and team-lift modelling.

The role provides hands-on analytical and execution support across the full M&A lifecycle – from market scanning and target identification through to financial modelling, due diligence and integration. It also carries broader corporate finance responsibilities, including supporting the group’s capital structure through debt facility modelling and the tracking and reporting of management incentive schemes.

Market Scanning, Target Identification & Pipeline Management

· Conduct market scans across Isio’s core and diversification sectors to identify acquisition targets, team lifts and emerging opportunities.

· Build and maintain a target pipeline, tracking key metrics, strategic fit and engagement status.

· Research market trends, competitor activity and regulatory developments to inform target selection.

Strategic Support

· Support business unit leaders on their M&A strategy – exploring and challenging options, and developing the strategic rationale for prospective acquisitions.

· Contribute analysis and ideas to support capability-gap assessments across the business.

· Help prepare strategic insights and reports for senior leadership to inform investment, partnership and broader strategic decisions.

· Support organic growth through talent acquisition, including modelling the impact of team hires (“lifts”) on the business.

Financial Modelling & Deal Evaluation

· Build and maintain detailed financial models to assess valuation, returns and capital structure, including synergy and sensitivity analysis.

· Conduct financial, commercial and market due diligence in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.

· Run scenarios and overlays that model the impact of acquisitions and team hires on group value, debt covenants, regulatory capital and shareholder returns, including analysis beyond the three-year horizon.

· Take ownership of the EBITDA metrics used in deal evaluation from initial modelling through to completion – ensuring diligence on EBITDA aligns with Isio’s accounting policies, and owning both the last-twelve-months EBITDA being acquired and the resulting run-rate EBITDA.

· Prepare outputs to support Investment Committee and Board decision-making.

Transaction Execution

· Help run M&A processes end-to-end, including timetables, workstream tracking and coordination across internal functions.

· Support due diligence, negotiation and documentation workstreams.

· Manage external advisers day-to-day, responding to queries and maintaining deal momentum.

Post-Merger Integration

· Support the development and tracking of integration plans and synergies for completed acquisitions.

Capital Structure & Funding

· Model the impact of M&A activity and other growth drivers, including team hires, on Isio’s debt and funding position.

· Partner with the Treasury and central finance teams to provide the M&A and growth inputs that feed the group’s funding and covenant analysis.

· Provide analysis on covenant headroom and funding capacity to inform deal structuring and Board decision-making.

· Support the tracking and reporting of management incentive schemes as part of the group’s capital structure.

What we’re looking for?

· Newly qualified Chartered Accountant (or equivalent) from a Big Four or other leading accountancy practice, ideally with a few years post-qualification experience in transaction services, due diligence, M&A, investment banking, financial modelling and valuations, or a high-performing finance team.

· Candidates who are not qualified accountants but hold a degree in finance and/or accounting, with relevant experience, will also be considered.

· Strong financial modelling, valuation and analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear recommendations.

· Excellent commercial judgement and attention to detail.

· Confident written and verbal communication skills, comfortable engaging with senior stakeholders.

· A keen learner with a genuine desire to build a career in M&A, take on new challenges and be part of a private-equity-backed growth story.

· An interest in or exposure to UK financial services – pensions, investment management, wealth or employee benefits – is an advantage but not essential.

Why Join Isio

Isio is a fast-growing professional services business, that offers career development through an evolving client base, diverse and meaningful work, nationwide opportunities, and a culture that rewards high performance and accountability.

We hold ourselves to the highest standards and our values guide how we advise our clients, how we operate as a business and how we work together as a team. We call it the Isio Attitude. We encourage our people to be bold, to communicate with conviction, and to deliver advice that matters.

Here, growth brings opportunity - more responsibility, more clients, and work that stretches and develops you. We invest in training and development so you can expand your skills and explore different career paths across diverse markets to make your mark. Isio is a place to realise your potential and build a career with impact. You can find out more about Isio and the benefits we offer on our career's website Isio - Careers & Benefits.

About Isio

A progressive advisory firm, partnering with clients of all sizes to deliver expertise in pensions, employee benefits and wealth advisory services.

Working with pension trustees, employers, individuals, families and their offices, we are supported by talented colleagues across 10 UK offices. With a Big 4 heritage we combine a strong focus on quality with a fresh perspective challenging traditional thinking.

Our culture shapes our work; we foster a supportive environment where we develop our people to grow and fulfil their potential. We invest in our services, products and technology, and provide clear, expert solutions for our clients. This brings clarity, confidence, and better outcomes for everyone.

At Isio, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace, in which our colleagues feel they belong, regardless of background or difference. We uphold the values of respect, fairness, and inclusion in our actions and decisions. We believe that by adhering to these principles, we will create a stronger, more innovative, and supportive environment for all, as well as ensuring that the advice and support we provide to our clients is more creative, more insightful and leaves a lasting impact.

We can offer a hybrid, flexible approach to work, supporting a work-life balance that works for you. Isio Group is an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

If you think you may require a reasonable adjustment to be made for any reason at any stage of your recruitment process, please ask us [email protected]