Operations Analyst, EMEA - Corporate Finance (M&A)

Business Unit

Corporate Finance

Industry

Mergers & Acquisitions

Overview

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE: HLI) is a leading global investment bank recognized for delivering independent strategic and financial advice to corporations, financial sponsors, and governments. With deep industry expertise, broad international reach, and a partnership approach rooted in trust, the firm provides innovative, integrated solutions across mergers and acquisitions, capital solutions, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. Its transaction volumes provide differentiated, data-driven perspectives that help clients achieve their most critical goals.

Corporate Finance

The Houlihan Lokey Corporate Finance business provides expertise in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, activist shareholder and takeover defense, and related advisory services for a broad range of clients. The team also engineers and executes financing solutions essential for growth and success, with access to financing in public and alternative capital markets through the issuance of debt, equity, or hybrid securities. In EMEA, the business works with a wide spectrum of companies, from middle-market privately owned enterprises to large multinational organizations, supported by offices across the region and deep industry knowledge.

Role Overview

Houlihan Lokey is seeking a highly organised and proactive Operations Analyst to join the Corporate Finance team. Reporting to the SVP – CF Operations EMEA, you will support the COO – Corporate Finance, Europe, driving key strategic initiatives across European offices. This is a newly created, hands-on role partnering directly with bankers on people-related matters and delivering tangible impact across the business.

As a central point of contact, you will support the team across performance and compensation cycles, talent development, and pipeline management for strategic recruitment. The ideal candidate will have a background in M&A or investment banking to understand the demands of a high-performance culture, and will be able to shape a new role, contribute to global initiatives, and take ownership of critical projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Execution: Support operational due diligence and integration for acquisitions. Assist in onboarding new teams and aligning them with the corporate structure.
• Performance Management & Compensation: Help manage performance reviews and compensation calibration. Prepare data models and analyse performance metrics to support salary and bonus allocation.
• Talent Development & Training: Support end-to-end logistics and coordination for M&A training programmes. Coordinate with external M&A training providers, manage cohort schedules, and ensure flawless execution of on-site training events.
• People Operations: Partner with HR to manage sensitive employee matters with complete discretion and ensure alignment with relevant legislation and corporate guidelines.
• Strategic Planning & Pipelines: Maintain team capacity trackers, assist in identifying staffing needs, and oversee campus and lateral recruitment by monitoring the candidate pipeline.
• Global Collaboration: Liaise with Co-Heads of Corporate Finance in the US, as well as Industry Group Heads, on high-level strategic business planning.
• Ad-Hoc Projects: Support the COO and team on ad hoc projects and administrative requests.

Qualifications & Candidate Profile

• Experience: 1–3 years of experience in an investment bank, financial services firm, or fast-paced corporate environment.
• M&A Background: Previous experience working in or closely supporting an M&A, Corporate Finance, or investment banking team is highly preferred.
• Analytical Skills: Strong Excel capabilities and comfort analysing large datasets.
• Accuracy: High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Communication & Stakeholder Management: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to tailor messaging for senior stakeholders. Proven ability to build strong working relationships with senior stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions.
• Resilience & Adaptability: Ability to work and adapt quickly under pressure in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment, with comfort handling tight deadlines, short turnarounds, and implementing process changes with minimal supervision.
• Discretion & Professionalism: Proven ability to handle highly sensitive, confidential data with complete discretion.
• Education: 2:1 Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience from a top university.