Separation Management Office Lead
1 day ago
London
Role: Separation Management Office LeadLevel: Senior ManagerLocation: London (with travel as required)Role OverviewWe are seeking a highly experienced Separation Management Office (SMO) Lead to join our newly established Transformation Office within the Strategy & Consulting division. This individual sits at the intersection of M&A and Enterprise Transformation, driving successful separations across some of the largest global transactions.The SMO Lead will possess a deep understanding of the full M&A lifecycle and will engage directly with C-suite and Board-level stakeholders on both buy-side and sell-side mandates. They will bring hands-on experience across diligence, separation planning, TSA drafting and negotiation, Day 1 and Day 100 readiness, and full SMO delivery leadership. Platform experience in SAP, Oracle and/or Workday is desirable.Key Responsibilities1. Separation Management Office LeadershipLead the SMO on large-scale transactions, providing end-to-end programme governance across all separation workstreamsOwn integrated planning, critical path management, and interdependency tracking across Technology, Data, Finance, HR, Legal, and Commercial workstreamsDefine and manage programme tooling and establish reporting cadences for senior stakeholdersOwn the RAID log, escalation protocols, and risk management framework throughout the separation lifecycleLead Value Management and Definition activities, including benefits realisation tracking and value leakage prevention2. Deal Lead (Small to Mid-Size Transactions)Carry end-to-end accountability for the successful separation of a divesting entity, from signing through to TSA exitAct as the primary client relationship owner, maintaining senior-level trust across both RemainCo and NewCo leadership3. Day 1 & Day 100 ReadinessLead cutover planning, go/no-go governance, and Day 1 readiness tracking across all workstreamsDefine and execute the post-close stabilisation plan through to steady-state operationsManage hypercare period governance and issue resolution to ensure continuity of business operations4. Separation Strategy & BudgetWork with senior leaders on both buy and sell side to develop and cost separation approach options, including assessment of technical architecture alternativesIdentify and quantify stranded costs for RemainCo; develop and track the stranded cost elimination planSupport the development of auditable carve-out P&Ls and standalone cost models for diligence and separation budgeting purposes5. Separation PlanningDevelop the integrated separation plan across all aspects of the deal, with particular specialism in:Technology: application landscape separation, infrastructure decommission, network and identity managementData: data boundary definition, data migration planning and execution, data cleansing and qualityBusiness Readiness: operational cutover, change management, and employee communications6. TSA Drafting & NegotiationLead the development of Technology and Data Transition Service Agreements (TSAs)Provide knowledgeable advice on negotiation approach, cost modelling, and exit planning for TSA workstreamsManage TSA governance post-close, tracking delivery obligations and exit milestones7. Practice Development & Business DevelopmentContribute to the development of the M&A practice through creation of offerings, playbooks, tools, and acceleratorsSupport origination and proposal development, including responding to RFPs and shaping new opportunitiesBuild and maintain senior client relationships, acting as a trusted advisor beyond the immediate transactionMentor and develop junior team members, contributing to a high-performance separation delivery community8. Diligence (Preferred)Lead commercial and/or technical diligence to support clients in the assessment of a target assetProvide rapid assessment of separation complexity, TSA requirements, and standalone cost estimates to inform deal valuationStakeholder LandscapeThe SMO Lead will operate across a complex stakeholder ecosystem, engaging regularly with:C-suite and Board: CDIO, CFO, CEO, on both RemainCo and NewCo sidesPE Sponsors: reporting into deal teams, supporting sponsor-level decision-makingThird-Party Vendors & System Integrators: managing delivery obligations during separationFunctional Workstream Leads: Technology, Finance, HR, Legal, Procurement, CommercialExperience & SkillsEssentialSignificant experience leading separation programmes as an SMO or IMO Lead on large-scale M&A transactionsDemonstrable experience across the full deal lifecycle: diligence, separation planning, TSA management, Day 1 readiness, and post-close stabilisationDeep expertise in technology and data separation, including network, application, and identity workstreamsTrack record of managing stranded costs, carve-out financials, and standalone cost modellingStrong executive presence with the ability to advise and influence C-suite stakeholdersExperience on both buy-side and sell-side mandates across corporate and PE-backed transactionsHighly DesirablePlatform experience in one or more of: SAP S/4HANA, SAP ECC, Oracle ERP, WorkdayExperience across deal types including spin-offs, JV dissolutions, partial divestments, and IPO carve-out readinessExposure to cyber and network separationExperience working with PE sponsors (e.g. Blackstone, KKR, HG Capital) or investment banks in a deal advisory capacityExperience leading NewCo establishment activities, including legal entity design and contract novationDeal Types & ContextsCandidates should ideally bring experience across one or more of the following transaction structures:Corporate divestitures and carve-outsPrivate equity-backed separations and portfolio company transformationSpin-offs and demergersJoint venture dissolutionsPartial divestments and asset salesDual-track processes (IPO / trade sale)IPO carve-out readinessAbout the PracticeAccenture's M&A & Transformation practice advises the world's leading organisations on their most complex and high-stakes transactions. Our Transformation Office brings together deep M&A expertise with enterprise transformation capabilities - combining technology, data, finance, people, and operating model knowledge to deliver separations and integrations that create lasting value.We work with global corporates, sovereign wealth funds, and leading private equity sponsors across every major industry sector. Our team operates at the forefront of AI-enabled transformation, bringing next-generation tools and accelerators to bear on the most complex separation challenges.About AccentureAccenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 791,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. Our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360 value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360 value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities.Visit us at Equal Employment Opportunity Statement We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by applicable law. Our rich diversity makes us more innovative, more competitive, and more creative, which helps us better serve our clients and our communities.SummaryLocation: LondonType: Full time