Director - HR M&A Transactions

Director -  M&A

As a Director in HR M&A Transactions, you will play a critical leadership role across strategy, delivery, people and commercial growth.

Drive strategic thinking

• Develop and shape HR strategies that directly enable M&A objectives, drawing on EY’s global tools, insights and methodologies.
• Translate complex datasets into clear, compelling insights that strengthen client propositions and support practice growth.
• Stay abreast of market trends and emerging insights shaping the M&A landscape, using these to continually refine EY’s M&A People proposition.
• Actively represent EY in the market, promoting our thought leadership, insights and value proposition.

Define and deliver high‑impact projects

• Lead end‑to‑end HR M&A engagements across the full deal lifecycle, including Due Diligence, Sell & Separate, and Buy & Integrate.
• Shape and deliver people‑led transformation programmes that enhance organisational performance and realise deal value.
• Lead the development of high‑quality RFP responses and client proposals, ensuring timely and professional execution.
• Ensure full compliance with EY’s Quality and Risk Management (QRM) requirements, from client acceptance through delivery and programme close.
• Build and sustain trusted relationships with clients and multi‑disciplinary delivery teams.
• Uphold EY’s quality, risk and commercial standards across all engagements.
• Strengthen EY’s reputation as a trusted partner in HR M&A and people‑led transformation.

Empower and guide teams

• Lead, coach and develop high‑performing HR M&A consultants in complex and demanding delivery environments.
• Partner closely with client leadership teams to guide them effectively through the delivery journey.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive and high‑performing team culture, acting as both mentor and role‑modelled leader.
• Be recognised as a trusted senior leader and SMR within the HR Transactions team and the wider EY Consulting practice.

Commercial acumen

• Build and deepen senior client relationships across priority sectors.
• Lead business development activity to sustain and grow commercial performance.
• Play a key role in defining and executing EY’s go‑to‑market strategy for M&A People services.
• Track, manage and interpret key engagement and financial performance metrics.
• Translate strategy into actionable plans that drive individual, team and financial performance.

What You Bring

We are looking for a leader who combines deep HR M&A expertise with strong consulting and commercial capabilities:

• Significant experience across HR M&A, HR strategy, HR transformation and HR consulting.
• Proven ability to shape, lead and deliver complex, fast‑paced programmes with confidence.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with credibility at senior executive level.
• Strong analytical capability, with a talent for distilling complexity into impactful insight.
• A genuine passion for people, M&A and building enduring client relationships.
• Personal drive, resilience and determination to consistently deliver high‑quality outcomes.
• High emotional intelligence and adaptability to lead diverse teams and clients through ambiguity and change.
• Experience working with domestic and international clients, balancing client needs with team wellbeing.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.
• A proven track record of establishing a credible SMR reputation within a professional services environment.

Desirable:

• Degree and post‑graduate qualification (beneficial but not essential).
• Experience working in global and cross‑border M&A environments.

Who Thrives Here

This role is ideally suited to someone who is:

• Proactive, motivated and driven to deliver outstanding results.
• Analytically minded and detail‑focused, while maintaining strong commercial perspective.
• Collaborative and team‑oriented, thriving in dynamic and evolving environments.
• Curious, ambitious and committed to innovation and continuous improvement.
• Self‑motivated and resilient, with the energy to continually evolve EY’s M&A People proposition.