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Senior Associate M&A

Somewhere


Job Location:

Cape Town - South Africa

Monthly Salary: Not provided by the employer
Posted: 25 June 2026 (30+ days ago)
Application Deadline: 22 September 2026
Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Manager Financial Due Diligence / Transaction Advisory (M&A)
Quality of Earnings Focus

Position Overview
Our client is seeking an experienced Manager to lead and execute Financial Due Diligence / Transaction Advisory engagements with a strong emphasis on Quality of Earnings (QoE) and transaction execution.

This role is designed for a proven transaction professional who can own client relationships lead teams and drive deal outcomesnot someone looking for a narrow technical role or a bureaucratic management track.

As a Manager you will serve as a day-to-day engagement leader guiding associates and senior associates interacting directly with private equity firms founders CFOs attorneys and bankers and delivering clear decision-useful insights that influence transactions.

This is a hands-on leadership role within a fast-growing entrepreneurial firm where Managers are expected to think like advisors not reviewers.

Firm Overview
Their mission is simple: treat clients the way we want to be treated and deliver the highest-quality work product efficiently. We thrive under pressure and turn numbers into narrative.
Our client is one of the fastest-growing U.S. CPA firms specializing in Buy-side and sell-side M&A financial tax due diligence and Transaction accounting services

We serve as trusted advisors to private equity firms strategic buyers founders intermediaries lenders and attorneys. They are a family-owned dynamic firm where individual performance perspective and leadership materially influence the firms trajectory. We are intentionally building a platform for future partners not career middle management.

What Youll Actually Do
This is a true transaction advisory leadership role with responsibility for execution judgment and client trust.

You will:
  • Lead and manage due diligence engagements from planning through delivery
  • Oversee and review buy-side and sell-side Quality of Earnings (QoE) analyses
  • Evaluate and challenge:
  • EBITDA normalization
  • Revenue recognition and sustainability
  • Cost structure and margin drivers
  • Cash flow working capital and debt-like items
  • Perform and review complex financial analyses including:
  • Historical financial statements
  • Forecasts and projections
  • KPIs and operational metrics
  • Industry and company-specific trends
  • Identify financial operational and deal-related risks and help clients understand transaction implications
  • Prepare and present clear investor-ready diligence reports
  • Lead client meetings and presentations translating complex accounting into actionable insights
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to clients throughout the transaction lifecycle
  • Manage mentor and develop associates and senior associates
  • Contribute to business development including proposals pitches and expanding client relationships
  • Stay current on industry trends GAAP developments and best practices in transaction advisory
Who This Role Is For (Must-Haves)
We are highly selective at the Manager level.

You should have:
  • 5 years of experience in Transaction Advisory / Financial Due Diligence
  • Experience in a top accounting or advisory firm strongly preferred
  • Significant experience leading QoE engagements not just supporting them
  • Deep understanding of:
    • U.S. GAAP
    • Transaction-driven financial analysis
    • Working capital mechanics and cash flow
  • CPA license (required)
  • Advanced Excel skills and comfort reviewing complex models
  • Strong client-facing communication skillswritten and verbal
  • Demonstrated ability to lead teams manage deadlines and exercise judgment
  • A mindset oriented toward problem-solving not checklist compliance
Preferred (Nice-to-Haves)
  • Masters degree in Accounting or an MBA (with accounting background)
  • Experience across multiple industries
  • Prior exposure to private equity-backed transactions
  • Sell-side diligence experience
    • Comfort supporting deal negotiations and structuring discussions
    • Business development experience or interest in building a practice
What This Is Not
To be clear:
  • Not an audit or accounting advisory role
  • Not a Big 4style TAS position with excessive internal layers
  • Not a purely technical or back-office role
  • Not a place where Managers are shielded from clients
The Ideal Manager Mindset
The successful candidate:
  • Thinks like an advisor and deal professional not just an accountant
  • Enjoys complexity and ambiguity
  • Is comfortable making judgment calls under pressure
  • Can balance technical excellence with practicality
  • Leads by example and invests in team development
  • Thrives in a fast-paced unconventional entrepreneurial environment
  • Has the ambition to grow into senior leadership or partnership
Why Join them
Strong Managers often leave large firms because:
  • Client relationships are controlled by partners
  • Advancement is slow and political
  • Their role becomes review-heavy instead of advisory-focused
  • Innovation and flexibility are limited

Our client is intentionally different.
At this firm Managers:
  • Own client relationships and engagement outcomes
  • Play a visible role in live M&A transactions
  • Influence firm strategy and growth
  • Are evaluated on impact and leadership not tenure
  • Operate in a culture that values quality efficiency and trust
  • Have a real path to partnership not a theoretical one