18 month Fixed Term contract initially
About Us
Across the FT Group, our people are united by a mission to deliver world-class information, news and services to our global audiences. We're a digital-first organisation made up of journalists, technologists, product managers, event planners, strategists, commercial and finance experts, marketing and communications specialists - and much more. Our strength is in our employees.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace
At the FT, we aim for employees across all regions to have a voice so that diverse perspectives are heard and valued. We believe that a supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves at work and have the flexibility they need to meet their personal needs. We'll continue to remove barriers for all, and in particular barriers facing employees from underrepresented groups.
The Role / Position Overview
Corporate development is a central part of our growth strategy. Corporate Development & Strategy is a small but high profile function reporting jointly to the CFO and the Director of Strategic Partnerships. We are responsible for sourcing, supporting and executing the FT’s inorganic and centralised growth initiatives, including M&A, Strategic Partnerships and special projects to accelerate growth beyond business as usual.
The Corporate Development and Strategy Associate will have significant exposure to all corporate development projects and also to the FT Board. We are seeking an innovative, creative, analytical and strategic thinker who can demonstrate passion about the future of our businesses. The ideal candidate enjoys solving problems and working alongside others, can take direction but is also proactive and is willing and able to work under their own initiative. The role will involve significant exposure to the FT’s leadership team and various functions throughout the business and so an ability to establish credibility in working with senior management and collaborating with others is essential.
Key Responsibilities
The Associate will be supporting the Corporate Development & Strategy team with:
- Sourcing corporate development opportunities - including acquisition target sourcing and filtering, relationship building and generating strategic partnership proposals;
- Improving the FT’s corporate development toolkit;
- Execution of acquisitions and disposals and strategic partnerships - including business valuation modelling, business plan analysis and pricing, due diligence coordination, contract negotiation and integration;
- Assisting with existing internal centralised projects e.g. cross-departmental strategic initiatives;
- Assisting with strategic projects on a case by case basis;
- Leading the financial and valuation analysis of the business opportunities, applying critical thinking to the business case and how it progresses the FT’s strategy, and assisting in the preparation of any documentation required to take the business case to the CFO, CEO, FT Board and Nikkei for approval.
Required Skills / Experience
- Candidates will have 3 - 6 years relevant experience gained working in an investment bank, M&A advisory firm or VC/PE, the corporate finance division of a large accounting or consulting firm, or within the M&A / strategy function of a corporate organisation;
- Undergraduate degree, ideally in economics, business, finance or accounting;
- Confident and experienced in financial modelling, valuation analysis and business plan and commercial analysis;
- Demonstrable end to end transaction experience;
- Excellent English oral and written communication skills;
- Highly numerate, with proven analytical and business and problem solving skills, with the ability to apply financial analysis to commercial issues;
- Confident working under own initiative as well as being a strong team player;
- Outstanding project management skills;
- Excellent attention to detail, commitment to the job and a strong results-driven work ethic;
- Strategy experience is a plus;
- Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and/or Google Suite.
What’s in it for you? Our Benefits
Our benefits vary depending on location, but we are committed to providing best in class perks across all our offices as well as an inclusive environment to develop your career. Examples of our benefits include; generous annual leave allowances, flexible working, medical cover, enhanced maternity & paternity packages and subsidised gym memberships. Full details of our benefits can be found on our Careers page.
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