Private Client - M&A Advisor

The role The main purpose of this role is to represent St. James’s Place Private Clients as a specialist in business sales and acquisitions, supporting financial advisers in working with high‑net‑worth individuals and business owners. These clients often have a significant proportion of their personal wealth tied up in their businesses and may be planning a full or partial exit, seeking to release capital, improve cashflow, or invest in future growth. This role provides strategic insight to help advisers better understand these needs and deliver effective solutions. This is a senior consultancy position combining expertise in financial planning with a strong understanding of the UK owner-managed business market and corporate finance landscape. You will act as a trusted advisor to colleagues, offering guidance, identifying appropriate strategies, and connecting clients with specialist third-party providers such as corporate finance advisers, lenders, and legal professionals. You will also contribute to thought leadership and help raise the profile of St. James’s Place in the business owner and SME space. What you will be doing Act as a subject matter expert on business sales, acquisitions, and succession planning for UK owner-managed businesses Provide consultancy and guidance on corporate finance considerations, including valuation awareness, deal structuring, and tax implications Work closely with financial advisers to understand client circumstances, goals, and long-term objectives Support the identification of opportunities across business growth, capital raising, cashflow optimisation, succession planning, and exit strategies Translate complex financial and business information into clear, actionable insights Build and maintain strong relationships with external professionals (e.g. corporate finance advisers, accountants, legal specialists) to support client outcomes Facilitate introductions to third-party partners where appropriate Contribute to thought leadership through articles, webinars, and internal knowledge sharing Act as a spokesperson on business owner and SME topics where required Maintain up-to-date knowledge across tax, trusts, and financial planning disciplines (investment, retirement, protection) Represent and promote the Private Client proposition at internal and external events Collaborate with colleagues to enhance capability and deliver strong client outcomes Essential Criteria Strong knowledge of personal and corporate tax, trust planning, and financial planning across investment, retirement, and protection solutions Fellowship status (or actively working towards it) Proven experience supporting high-net-worth clients with complex financial and business planning needs Strong client-facing skills and the ability to build trust and credibility Ability to analyse complex scenarios and develop tailored, practical solutions Experience working in corporate finance, business advisory, or a related field Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts clearly Desirable: Professional qualifications such as ACA, ACCA, CFA, or similar