Separation Management Office Lead

Role: Separation Management Office Lead

Level: Senior Manager

Location: London (with travel as required)

Role Overview

We 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 Responsibilities

1. Separation Management Office Leadership

• Lead the SMO on large-scale transactions, providing end-to-end programme governance across all separation workstreams
• Own integrated planning, critical path management, and interdependency tracking across Technology, Data, Finance, HR, Legal, and Commercial workstreams
• Define and manage programme tooling and establish reporting cadences for senior stakeholders
• Own the RAID log, escalation protocols, and risk management framework throughout the separation lifecycle
• Lead Value Management and Definition activities, including benefits realisation tracking and value leakage prevention

2. 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 exit
• Act as the primary client relationship owner, maintaining senior-level trust across both RemainCo and NewCo leadership

3. Day 1 & Day 100 Readiness

• Lead cutover planning, go/no-go governance, and Day 1 readiness tracking across all workstreams
• Define and execute the post-close stabilisation plan through to steady-state operations
• Manage hypercare period governance and issue resolution to ensure continuity of business operations

4. Separation Strategy & Budget

• Work with senior leaders on both buy and sell side to develop and cost separation approach options, including assessment of technical architecture alternatives
• Identify and quantify stranded costs for RemainCo; develop and track the stranded cost elimination plan
• Support the development of auditable carve-out P&Ls and standalone cost models for diligence and separation budgeting purposes

5. Separation Planning

• Develop the integrated separation plan across all aspects of the deal, with particular specialism in:

• Technology: application landscape separation, infrastructure decommission, network and identity management
• Data: data boundary definition, data migration planning and execution, data cleansing and quality
• Business Readiness: operational cutover, change management, and employee communications

6. TSA Drafting & Negotiation

• Lead the development of Technology and Data Transition Service Agreements (TSAs)
• Provide knowledgeable advice on negotiation approach, cost modelling, and exit planning for TSA workstreams
• Manage TSA governance post-close, tracking delivery obligations and exit milestones

7. Practice Development & Business Development

• Contribute to the development of the M&A practice through creation of offerings, playbooks, tools, and accelerators
• Support origination and proposal development, including responding to RFPs and shaping new opportunities
• Build and maintain senior client relationships, acting as a trusted advisor beyond the immediate transaction
• Mentor and develop junior team members, contributing to a high-performance separation delivery community

8. Diligence (Preferred)

• Lead commercial and/or technical diligence to support clients in the assessment of a target asset
• Provide rapid assessment of separation complexity, TSA requirements, and standalone cost estimates to inform deal valuation

Stakeholder Landscape

The SMO Lead will operate across a complex stakeholder ecosystem, engaging regularly with:

• C-suite and Board: CDIO, CFO, CEO, on both RemainCo and NewCo sides
• PE Sponsors: reporting into deal teams, supporting sponsor-level decision-making
• Third-Party Vendors & System Integrators: managing delivery obligations during separation
• Functional Workstream Leads: Technology, Finance, HR, Legal, Procurement, Commercial