JOB DESCRIPTION

Strategy & Corporate Development Manager

Role Overview

Job Title

Strategy & Corporate Development Manager

Department

Strategy / Corporate Development

Reports To

Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director

Location

TBD

Employment Type

Permanent, Full-Time

Purpose of the Role

The Strategy & Corporate Development Manager is responsible for driving and executing the organisation's strategic growth agenda, with a specific focus on Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and corporate due diligence. This role serves as a key advisor to senior leadership, identifying, evaluating, and executing strategic transactions and partnerships that align with the company's long-term objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning

• Develop and maintain the organisation's medium- to long-term strategic plan in alignment with business objectives.
• Conduct market landscape analysis, competitive intelligence, and industry benchmarking to inform strategic decisions.
• Identify and evaluate new business opportunities, markets, and growth vectors.
• Present strategic recommendations to the Executive Committee and Board as required.
• Lead end-to-end M&A processes including target identification, screening, valuation, negotiation, and transaction execution.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of potential acquisition targets and strategic partners.
• Develop financial models, business cases, and investment memoranda to support M&A decisions.
• Coordinate with legal, finance, and external advisors throughout the transaction lifecycle.
• Manage post-merger integration planning and execution in collaboration with relevant business units.
• Lead and manage comprehensive due diligence processes across financial, legal, operational, commercial, and human capital workstreams.
• Coordinate internal and external due diligence teams, ensuring timely delivery of findings.
• Prepare and present due diligence reports and risk assessments to senior stakeholders and the Board.
• Identify deal risks, red flags, and value drivers, and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Maintain due diligence frameworks, templates, and institutional knowledge repositories.
• Prepare Business cases in collaboration with cross-functional teams
• Manage end-to-end deal processes, including timelines, trackers, and deliverables
• Coordinate cross-functional diligence workstreams (finance, legal, tax, tech, HR, etc.)
• Act as a central point of coordination between internal stakeholders and external advisors
• Support Sale & Purchase Agreement tracking, closing preparation, and transaction readiness

Mergers & Acquisitions

Due Diligence

Business & Project Management

• Ensure compliance with governing documents and relevant laws.
• Prepare annual budgets (operational and capital).

Stakeholder & Board Reporting

• Prepare Board meeting packs, reports, and recommendations.
• Prepare presentations, investment papers, and board-level materials
• Support internal decision-making processes and approvals
• Manage relationships with external advisors (bankers, legal, auditors, consultants)
• Assist with early-stage integration planning
• Support Day 1 / Day 100 planning and execution frameworks
• Contribute to synergy tracking and value realisation initiatives

Post-Deal & Integration Support

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Bachelor's degree in finance, Business, Economics, Law, or a related field.
• Postgraduate qualification (MBA, CA, CFA, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• Minimum 5–8 years of experience in strategy, corporate finance, investment banking, private equity, or management consulting.
• Proven track record of end-to-end M&A deal execution, including buy-side and/or sell-side transactions.
• Extensive experience leading or participating in due diligence processes across multiple workstreams.
• Strong financial modelling and valuation skills (DCF, LBO, comparable company analysis).
• Experience operating in a multi-country or pan-African business environment.
• Exposure to post-merger integration (PMI) processes.
• Existing relationships with regional investment banks, private equity firms, or strategic advisors.

Advantageous

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and commercial acumen
• Analytical rigour and attention to detail
• Strong written and verbal communication, including Board-level presentation skills
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously under time pressure
• High degree of integrity, discretion, and confidentiality
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to influence without direct authority
• Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-paced environments

This job description is intended as a guide and may be subject to change based on business requirements.