Transaction Services Associate Director

About the role...

Following securing investment from US private equity firm Lee Equity Partners earlier this year after two years of successfully partnering with Waterland Private Equity Cooper Parry has just completed its seventh acquisition of its own in this calendar year. The acquisition takes its pro forma turnover above 250m as Cooper Parry works toward a 600m revenue target by 2028. The transactions in 2025 include transformational deals with the leading specialist management adviser

Liberty

Corporate Finance and the mid-market debt advisory firm Fellwood Advisory as well as a number of acquisitions in our fast-growing digital services division.

At CP we have a fully integrated Deals business comprising of Corporate Finance Transaction Services Transaction Tax Debt Advisory and Liberty Corporate Finance. We have over 120 Deals professionals nationally with hubs in the Midlands London Reading Manchester Scotland and Northern Ireland who go to market together serving owner managers private equity owners private equity backed businesses and corporates in all aspects of M&A.

Putting it simply we work with clients to make the buying or selling of businesses feel more straightforward and to maximise the value achieved from the process. Business transactions no matter the size can be a complicated process so we bring refreshingly clear advice thats backed by insightful financial analysis.

Our financial due diligence process involves checking each key financial aspect of a transaction important to our clients. Specifically we identify the key value drivers of performance and profitability identify potential value adjustments provide input to the sale & purchase agreement (SPA) mitigate risks and challenge assumptions about future performance.

We are currently building a Manchester/Leeds based Transaction Services (TS) team as part of our nationally integrated TS practice and are looking for an Associate Director to join us to help build out our ambitious growth plan. This is a unique opportunity for an individual looking to play a significant role in building a successful business covering the North particularly Manchester and Leeds.

We are looking for someone who is great at

• Co-developing our approach scope and objectives with the client understanding key business performance drivers and providing value through insights factual conclusions and advice
• Gathering verifying and assessing information and formulating views and conclusions
• Planning preparing and reviewing outputs from our work including written reports and presentations/meetings with the client ensuring Insightful data analysis and presentation.
• Planning and monitoring the progress of live projects including sharing of potential key issues on a timely basis such as identification of risk for our client or items impacting price
• Establishing yourself as a key client contact
• Project managing teams as well as working together with team members plus forming relationships with other Cooper Parry teams
• Sharing your technical and wider knowledge with the team and providing coaching to others
• Understanding the wider capabilities of Cooper Parry and look for opportunities to broaden the services provided to our clients
• Playing a leading role in the Transaction Services team and business opportunity initiatives as well as taking responsibility for own career development

At Cooper Parry were in it together. All we ask of our people is that they play all in. Youll continuously strive to keep learning whether youre a trainee or a Partner and youll be brave stepping out of your comfort zone to tackle new challenges. Above all be nice. A simple notion but an irreplaceable part of what makes CP CP.

In addition to those core values as a Associate Director you should;

• Have an ACA ACCA or equivalent qualification
• Have at least 4 years of financial due diligence experience (ideally both buy side & sell side due diligence completion accounts and SPA experience) and strong commercial acumen
• Have accomplished report writing experience
• Be a highly effective time manager with the ability to keep calm when under deadlines
• Have strong project management skills and technical knowledge
• Have experience of managing client relationships and negotiations
• Have business development capability. Ideally having already worked with lower mid-market Private Equity houses

Weve been dubbed the rebels of accountancy. Were straight-talking. Never afraid to share our opinions. We put people and relationships before products and services and deliver a streamlined client-focused service free from unnecessary red tape.

Check out our recent achievements:

• Best Companies
  No.1 Accountancy Firm & No.30 Best Large Company to Work For in the UK
• Became B Corp
  Certified in 2023 and were still the UKs largest accountancy B Corp measuring and improving our impact beyond business for a brighter tomorrow
• Achieved 5 awards at the Inspiring Workplace Awards in 2025: winner in the…