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Department: Senior Leadership
Location: Worsley
Description
About Network Plus
Network Plus is one of the UK’s leading utility and infrastructure services groups. We deliver the essential, repeatable and non-discretionary works that keep the country’s critical networks running — across the water and power sectors and the wider infrastructure market.
We have grown rapidly, both organically and through acquisition, by acquiring capability and capacity in complementary, high-growth segments and cross-selling into our market-leading client relationships. In July 2026, Network Plus reached an agreement to receive investment from Warburg Pincus, one of the world’s most experienced growth investors, backing an ambitious next phase of growth in which M&A will play a central role.
Why we’re hiring
M&A has been — and will remain — a core enabler of our strategy and a central part of the Network Plus equity story. Over recent years we have completed and integrated six acquisitions, each adding new capability, deepening client access or extending our geographic footprint, while we continued to grow the core business.
With Warburg Pincus’s support we expect a step-change in the pace and scale of M&A. We are strengthening the team with a hands-on M&A Manager who can carry a real share of the load across the deal lifecycle — helping us run a more programmatic pipeline of bolt-on acquisitions, alongside larger and more transformational opportunities.
Our M&A track record
A proven, repeatable approach to buy-and-build — six completed acquisitions that have expanded what we do, who we do it for, and where:
- Capability — new service lines including overhead lines, traffic management, de-vegetation, and fencing & security.
- Clients & coverage — entry into new regulated utility and national infrastructure supply chains, and deeper penetration of existing clients.
- Most recently — Claret Civil Engineering (October 2025), extending our wastewater and network-enhancement offering and opening the Anglian Water supply chain.
- A proven integration playbook — consistently realising value after completion through shared support services, procurement and supply-chain synergies, and cross-sell into the Network Plus client base.
- We have a strong, near-term actionable bolt-on pipeline — and, with our new ownership, the ambition and financial firepower to accelerate.
The role
As M&A Manager you will be a key member of a small, high-impact team, working directly with the Head of M&A and Markets and with regular exposure to our CEO, CFO, Chief Strategy Officer and our private-equity investors. You will take genuine ownership across the full deal lifecycle — from originating and assessing targets, through due diligence and execution, to supporting integration and value capture.
This is a deliberately broad role for someone who wants to do deals end-to-end in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment — not sit within a single workstream.
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Key Responsibilities
Origination & pipeline
- Identify, research and prioritise acquisition targets in our core water and power markets and in complementary cross-sector services, using market mapping and analysis of client contract and framework awards.
- Maintain and develop the target pipeline, tracking opportunities through the M&A funnel against Network Plus’s ideal target profile.
- Build and nurture relationships with target owners, management teams and intermediaries — often through direct, off-market approaches developed over time.
Evaluation & assessment
- Assess targets against our three-level framework: strategic fit (complementary capability, new or deeper client access, profit-pool capture of outsourced activity, or an ancillary service we can cross-sell), sector priority, and target-level parameters.
- Test each opportunity against our ideal profile — high levels of repeatable and visible (ideally framework) revenue, alignment with our operating model, a credible path to a 10%+ EBITDA margin, and meaningful deal economics.
- Build and maintain financial models, valuations and returns analysis to support offers and investment cases.
- Prepare investment papers, board materials and approval documents for the senior leadership team and investors.
Execution
- Project-manage transactions end-to-end — from indicative offer and heads of terms through to completion.
- Co-ordinate and challenge due diligence across financial, commercial, legal, HSEQ, tax and IT workstreams, managing external advisers and holding deals to timetable.
- Support the negotiation of key commercial terms and transaction documents alongside our advisers.
Integration & value capture
- Work with operational and central teams to design and deliver clear integration plans.
- Track and help realise synergies — procurement and supply-chain, insourcing of outsourced back-office activity (HR, finance, payroll), IT and cyber migration, and cross-sell into the Network Plus client base.
- Capture lessons learned to keep sharpening the integration playbook.
Markets & strategy
- Contribute to sector strategy and market intelligence across water, power and adjacent infrastructure markets — maintaining a live view of regulatory drivers (e.g. AMP8, RIIO, SEMD) and competitor activity.
What success looks like in the first 12 months
- Fully conversant with Network Plus’s strategy, sectors, clients and target profile.
- Owning a live, well-qualified target pipeline and running individual deals with increasing independence.
- Trusted by the Head of M&A, the senior leadership team and advisers to manage workstreams and complex diligence to time and quality.
- Making a tangible contribution to at least one completed transaction and its integration.
Experience and Qualifications
Essential
- Strong M&A, corporate finance or transaction experience — for example from a corporate development / in-house M&A team, private equity, corporate finance advisory (Big 4 or boutique), transaction services, or investment banking.
- Excellent financial modelling, valuation and analytical skills, with the commercial judgement to see what genuinely drives value.
- A proven ability to manage transactions and diligence workstreams — juggling multiple advisers and deadlines without losing the detail.
- Highly organised and self-directed, comfortable owning your workload in a lean team.
- Strong relationship and communication skills — credible with target owners, advisers and senior stakeholders alike.
- Commercially astute, hands-on, and comfortable with ambiguity and pace.
- Right to work in the UK and willingness to travel across the UK to targets, sites and advisers.
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Desirable
- Experience in, or a genuine interest in, utilities, infrastructure, construction, engineering or essential services.
- Exposure to a private-equity-backed, buy-and-build environment.
- Experience of post-merger integration and synergy delivery.
- A relevant qualification (ACA, ACCA, CFA, MBA or equivalent) — valued, but aptitude and track record matter most.
How we work — the Network Plus way
We are ambitious and highly organised, but we move fast and stay pragmatic: when the right opportunity appears, we back ourselves to act — we have secured deals in a matter of weeks. We are relationship-led, low-ego and collaborative, and we take integration as seriously as the deal itself. You will be given real responsibility early, and the support to grow with a business that is scaling quickly.
What we offer
- A rare opportunity to do end-to-end deals with real ownership, at pace, in a growing, PE-backed group.
- Direct exposure to the CEO, CFO, Chief Strategy Officer and Warburg Pincus.
- Competitive base salary and bonus
- Wider package — Pension, holiday, and Network Plus benefits
- Hybrid working — based at our Worsley (Greater Manchester) head office, with UK travel as deals require.
Location & travel
Head office: Chaddock Lane, Worsley, Greater Manchester, M28 1XW. Hybrid working, with regular UK travel to targets, sites and advisers.
Salary and Benefits
We offer a competitive salary based on experience along with a full benefits package.
Network Plus is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or any other applicable characteristics protected by law.
We are Armed Forces-friendly. We welcome applications from ex-Armed Forces personnel, reservists, armed forces veterans, cadet instructors and military spouses/partners.
We understand that privacy and the security of your personal information is extremely important. By applying for this role, you agree to the terms of our privacy policy.
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