Transaction Diligence Manager at Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY)

As a Manager in Transaction Advisory Services, you will manage and lead teams on financial diligence project work. You’ll be focused on analysing financial data and identifying key trends behind the performance of a business, discussing business performance and forecast assumptions with senior team management, and helping structure reports that set out our findings and recommendations around the key financial and business issues in a transaction. You will also be responsible for people and practice development activities. Additionally, you’ll be responsible for business development and pursuit activities as well as cultivating long-term client relationships.

Skills and Attributes for Success

• Managing and executing financial due diligence engagements.
• Developing and communicating fees and timelines.
• Analyse financial and operational results of businesses to be acquired or sold through reviewing accounting records and conducting interviews with management.
• Identifying negotiation factors for purchase price and deal structuring.
• Identifying post-acquisition action steps to achieve anticipated earnings/cash flow improvements.
• Constantly researching industry trends and technologies, as well as seasonality and cyclicality on cash flow requirements to provide knowledge and insight to clients.
• Understanding EY's service lines and actively present ways the firm can successfully serve clients.
• Utilising EY’s data analytics and digital platforms to provide quality insights to clients.

Your client responsibilities

• Assist in producing work products that clearly explain key due diligence findings and recommendations to the client, ensuring compliance with EY standards
• Challenge the engagement scope and specific procedures and suggest modifications that will better address the client's needs and concerns
• Secure and enhance relationships with senior client management
• Assign and lead teams that will exceed client's expectations in terms of performing engagement management activities including billing, scheduling, performance, evaluations, mentoring, managing client expectations, and identifying additional client needs
• Maintain active communication with both partners and clients to manage expectations and ensure client satisfaction. Proactively identify, document and communicate any changes to the scope of work  

Your people responsibilities

• Mentor staff members in their professional development and career planning
• Provide on-the-job performance feedback and periodic performance reviews
• Identify training needs of staff members
• Live our shared culture and values at all times and encourage your team members to do the same
• Operational excellence
• Review work in accordance with the firm's policies on a timely basis and in a thorough and constructive manner
• Ensure appropriate use of tools and sources of knowledge.
• Manage risk to the firm by adhering to the risk management policies and procedures and ensuring significant risks are identified
• Perform detailed analysis to evaluate potential deal breakers and/or contract negotiating points
• Apply transaction experience and industry knowledge to identify key issues and value drivers that will be critical to the engagement
• Link key terms and conditions to areas to be focused on during due diligence
• Draft the proposed scope and budget for the financial due diligence engagement with limited supervision  

Skills and Experience

• Minimum of 4 years relevant working experience
• Strong written and verbal communication skills - reports need to be ready for Partner review
• Good Computer skills
• Project Management Skills
• People Management Skills
• Big 4 Corporate Finance experience in Transaction Support Management Role
• Exposure to large transactions that are complex and involve cross boarder activities
• Able to utilise strong local insights to the Due Diligence
• Africa experience preferable
• Experience in running multiple projects simultaneously

To qualify for the role, you must have

• A bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance and 4 years of related work experience supported by an active certification.
• CA(SA)
• Significant accounting and previous financial due diligence experience.
• Excellent analytical skills and the confidence to translate complex data into meaningful insights.
• Ability to prioritize effectively on projects and the skills to adapt quickly to new challenges and concepts.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills, and the ability to develop long-lasting relationships both internally and externally.
• Ideally, you’ll also have
• A proven record of excellence in a mergers or acquisitions transactions role.
• Experience gained within another large professional services organization.
• Established networking skills in a relevant industry.
• We would ideally like a senior manager that has flexibility to travel at times for work engagements.