Senior Manager – HR M&A Transactions

What You’ll Do

As a Senior Manager in HR M&A Transactions, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering complex, people‑focused M&A and restructuring engagements. You will act as a trusted advisor to clients while providing strong leadership across delivery teams.

Deliver complex HR M&A engagements

• 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 maximise deal value.
• Lead the preparation of high‑quality RFP responses and client proposals, ensuring timely, professional and compelling submissions.
• Ensure full compliance with EY’s Quality and Risk Management (QRM) requirements, from client acceptance through to programme close.
• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with clients and multi‑disciplinary EY delivery teams.
• Uphold EY’s quality, risk and commercial standards across all engagements.
• Contribute to strengthening EY’s reputation as a trusted advisor in HR M&A and people‑led transformation.

Lead and develop teams

• Act as a coach and mentor within the HR M&A team, recognising individual strengths and areas for development.
• Drive continuous capability development, drawing on your SMR experience and practical insight.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive and high‑performing team culture.
• Role‑model EY values, quality and client service excellence.
• Support the ongoing growth of the practice by building strong day‑to‑day relationships with clients and internal EY stakeholders, becoming a trusted “go‑to” advisor.

Drive insight and value for clients

• Support the sales process by contributing to the development of client propositions, presentations and collateral.
• Play an active role in go‑to‑market initiatives, providing subject‑matter expertise and insight.
• Contribute to the development of EY tools, methodologies and points of view.
• Develop clear, evidence‑based perspectives on People issues across both M&A and restructuring.
• Translate complex data, regulatory requirements and operational detail into clear, concise and actionable insights for clients.
• Operate as an SMR across the M&A lifecycle, with strong knowledge across key HR disciplines including organisational design and effectiveness, employee and industrial relations, benefits, communications and change management.
• Support sector development, representing the M&A People proposition and building collaborative cross‑functional relationships across EY.

What You Bring

We are seeking a Senior Manager with strong delivery credentials and emerging commercial leadership:

• Extensive experience across HR M&A, HR transformation, restructuring and people consulting.
• Proven ability to lead complex HR workstreams in both domestic and international contexts, working with diverse EY and client teams.
• Strong focus on the employee proposition, with a clear understanding of key risks, best practices and delivery within agreed time, cost and risk parameters.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with confidence engaging senior client leadership.
• Strong analytical capability combined with clear, structured communication and high‑impact presentation skills.

Desirable:

• Experience across both buy‑side and sell‑side transactions, as well as organisational restructuring.
• Professional HR qualifications (e.g. CIPD) or a relevant degree.
• Experience working in large, global or highly regulated environments.

Who Thrives Here

This role is well suited to someone who is:

• Comfortable owning delivery and being accountable for outcomes.
• Confident operating in ambiguity and under tight timelines.
• Proven in providing calm, structured and professional leadership in complex programmes.
• Highly detail‑oriented, particularly across client delivery, programme management and QRM.
• Passionate about people, deals and transformation.
• Ambitious, motivated and committed to progressing their career within EY.