Corporate Development Manager | IR 449

The Darwin Education Group is a global platform for advanced healthcare education. We support clinicians throughout their professional journey, combining academic excellence, clinical relevance, technology-enabled learning and hands-on practical training to give them the skills, confidence and qualifications to deliver the best outcomes for their patients.

The Group operates through two Business Units, Improve Veterinary and College of Health, which bring together a portfolio of specialist brands and academic institutions. These include Improve Veterinary Education, founded in 1998 and now a global leader in postgraduate veterinary training; MedVet Symposium; Central CPD; Improve Human; The International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS), which awards internationally recognised postgraduate veterinary qualifications and has more than 5,700 alumni since 2003; and McTimoney College.

We are an international organisation with facilities in the UK, Portugal, Germany, Spain and operations in a further 12 countries, built for scale as we continue to grow.

The Corporate Development Manager, a newly formed position, will drive the Darwin Education Group’s inorganic and strategic growth agenda on a day-to-day basis. Working in partnership with the executive leadership team, private equity investors and the Board, the role will identify, evaluate and execute acquisitions, partnerships and new market opportunities that expand our portfolio of healthcare education and qualifications across existing and new geographies.

The postholder will lead M&A activity across the full deal lifecycle from origination to due diligence to completion, support post-deal integration, and provide rigorous commercial insight to inform the Group’s long-term strategy. This is a newly formed position in a high growth and very acquisition group and will suit a highly ambitious self-starter.

Pipeline Management

• Build and maintain relationships with corporate finance advisers, brokers, investors and potential target businesses.
• Build and manage a pipeline of acquisition, investment and partnership opportunities aligned with the Group’s strategy, including healthcare education providers, accreditation bodies and digital learning businesses.
• Conduct market mapping and competitor analysis across the UK, Europe and other target regions to identify growth opportunities and inform strategic priorities.

Initial Opportunity Appraisal and valuation

• Develop rapid initial financial models, valuations and investment cases with the CEO, CFO and investors to inform offers.

Diligence & Transactions

• Lead and coordinate due diligence workstreams with internal stakeholders and external advisers (legal, financial, tax and commercial), managing timelines and key risks.
• Lead internal commercial appraisal of targets and conduct FDD themselves on smaller deals where no external provider used
• Support the negotiation and structuring of transactions.
• Build detailed business plans for acquisition with other key business stakeholders
• Prepare high-quality Board papers, investment memoranda and presentations that communicate recommendations clearly and concisely.

Post Deal Support

• Plan and support post-acquisition integration, tracking synergies and performance against the original investment case.
• Manage hand off to BAU teams ensuring full knowledge transfer

Ad Hoc

• Lead ad hoc strategic projects for the leadership team, such as new product or market entry assessments and business case development.

Essential

• Minimum of 4–6 years’ corporate development, Private Equity or buyside experience
• Demonstrable experience of executing transactions end to end, from origination through to completion.
• High levels of accuracy and ability to work to short timelines
• Successful at the adoption of AI tools to accelerate deliverables, combined with commercial understanding to own output
• Advanced financial modelling and valuation skills, with strong proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn complex data into clear commercial recommendations.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills in English, with confidence presenting to senior stakeholders.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple workstreams to tight deadlines.
• Ability to lead, direct and influence stakeholders and advisors to ensure timelines are met
• High level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential information.

Desirable

• Professional qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA or CFA.
• Experience in the education or professional services sectors
• Cross-border transaction experience, particularly within Europe.
• Additional European languages, such as German, Portuguese or Spanish.

• Competitive salary and annual bonus
• Company Pension with 5% Employer contribution. The employer contribution increases with a step change % of 1% increase every 3 years to a max of 10%.
• 25 days a year annual leave, increasing an additional day after 3 years of service and again by an additional day after 10 years service - to a total of 27 days per annum.
• Additional leave, half day office close on the 24th Dec and the 31st December.
• Private healthcare
• Life Assurance
• Electric Car Scheme
• Great team spirit in the office and comfortable office environment
• Employee Assistance Programme - available 24/7 phone line

The Darwin Education Group is an equal opportunities employer and values diversity. We assess all applications on the basis of skills and experience, without discrimination on grounds of age, sex, gender identity or reassignment, sexual orientation, race, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or any other protected characteristic. If you need any adjustments at any stage of the process, please let us know.