Director, Mergers and Acquisitions

Air Products•Allentown, PA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Air Products is seeking a Mergers & Acquisitions Director to join our global Corporate M&A team. This position is based on-site at our global headquarters in Allentown, PA. Travel requirements are ~25% domestic and global. Air Products is a world-leading industrial gases company with a proud history of innovation, operational excellence, and an unwavering commitment to safety and environmental stewardship. With more than 23,000 employees operating in over 50 countries, Air Products supplies essential industrial gases, technologies, and applications expertise to customers across a wide range of industries—including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food. Joining Air Products as Director, Mergers and Acquisitions means stepping into a high-impact, globally active team that leads and owns end-to-end transaction execution in support of the company’s strategic growth. The M&A team has a track record of completing deals globally, with a wide variety of deal types—including acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and strategic technology investments. This is a hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves environment where you will partner closely with business leaders and cross-functional teams from NDAs through closing and integration. The diversity and complexity of transactions at Air Products offer exceptional opportunities for professional growth and development, as well as the chance to make a direct impact on the company’s future. Air Products has recently sharpened its strategic focus on its core industrial gases business, positioning itself as a global leader in sustainability and innovation. Acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures are a key part of the company’s strategy, and in this role, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the portfolio and supporting business executives on transactions that fit this vision. Candidates will find an environment that values expertise, collaboration, and the opportunity to contribute right away—with clear potential for advancement within the team. If you are an experienced M&A professional seeking to work on meaningful, global projects in a company with a strong track record and ambitious growth plans, Air Products offers a compelling next step in your career. As Director, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), you will partner with business executives to lead the development and execution of a variety of M&A projects (e.g., acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, etc.) to support Air Products’ strategic objectives. The position is within the Corporate Development, Strategy, and M&A team, with an emphasis on transactions in the Americas business segment and our global equipment businesses, and reporting directly to the Vice President, Corporate Development, Strategy, and M&A. In this role, you will be responsible for identifying and developing opportunities and leading transaction execution across the entire deal life cycle, partnering with business leaders and cross-functional teams for the successful execution of M&A projects. You will also help organize and drive continuous improvement of the global M&A work process, articulate the process to key partners, and develop tools and capabilities to maintain an efficient and effective M&A execution process. This role requires a high level of expertise to ensure appropriate transaction execution and risk management as well as maturity to interact with internal and external executives and effectively manage large cross-functional transaction teams. Depending on business requirements, the role may have direct reports while also working closely with other members of the global M&A team as necessary. To be successful in this role, you will manage the transaction details with a willingness to personally get the job done, while still being able to see the big picture and strategic implications of transactions.

Requirements

At least 15 years of working experience, ideally with 10+ years of experience in Global M&A, preferably in a corporate setting in manufacturing, chemicals, or other industrial segment
Bachelors degree in a business, finance, economics or engineering related field required
Demonstrated track record leading acquisition transactions through all stages (including sourcing, LOI, due diligence, valuation, contract negotiation, signing/closing, and integration)
Demonstrated track record developing and leading divestiture transactions through all stages including preparation, carveout development, buyer engagement, due diligence, contract negotiation, and separation planning and execution
Familiarity with key topics in M&A contract law and ability to lead negotiation of M&A contracts (NDA, LOI, purchase agreement) in collaboration with legal team; experience working with legal and other resources to obtain anti-trust clearance for M&A transactions
Project management skills necessary to manage M&A transactions in a structured and efficient manner
Strong financial acumen including M&A valuation approaches and familiarity with key financial elements in transactions including working capital, tax impacts, and accounting treatment
Ability to lead multiple projects with competing priorities and demanding timelines
Self-motivated, deadline driven and process oriented. Able to work under minimal supervision and capable of identifying issues and proposing and implementing solutions
High degree of pragmatism and achievement orientation, and the ability to get things done in a positive way
Flexible and effective communication skills to engage all levels of the organization
Competencies
Strategic Orientation
Ability to identify the long-term needs of the business and how to translate them into short-term actionable plans with all strategic implications understood and managed
Dynamically assess key challenges and opportunities as the external environment evolves
Possessing the curiosity and ability to help and advance the business conversation regarding transaction opportunities
Collaboration and Influencing
Able to foster good collaboration across the whole organization and build a culture of collaboration and joint efforts in the organization via constructive dialogue and an inclusive atmosphere with everyone around you
Capable of influencing with integrity and achieving success by building trust and delivering on commitments
Living a collaborative work style and team-building mind-set with excellent project management skills and demonstrating intercultural sensitivity and flexibility
Team Matrix Leadership
Strong interpersonal people development skills highlighted by the ability to coach, mentor, and retain employees to work towards delivering business results
An effective leader and great teammate who proactively collaborates with corporate and functional managers to attain business and project objectives
Result Orientation
The candidate needs to be a high-energy, results-oriented professional with the ability to drive the agenda and deliver on the objectives from a qualitative, quantitative and time-line standpoint
Someone with a track record of working successfully through others
Ability to instill a sense of speed and urgency into the business and seeks to sustain momentum
Personal Characteristics
Must be a self-motivated person who empowers and inspires high performance teams
Must have strong collaboration and influencing skills to effectively work with the senior management team and other functions in both local and global scale
Act with integrity in all ways and at all times, remaining honest, transparent, and respectful in all relationships

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in investment banking, Big 4 transaction advisory services, or top tier management consulting firm is a plus
MBA degree is preferred

Responsibilities

Lead and drive all aspects of M&A transactions working closely with business leaders and cross functional teams to organize and execute transactions
Partner with business leaders to identify and develop actionable transactions that fit our business strategy
Act as the primary interface with counterparties to develop opportunities, organize due diligence, and negotiate key parameters while coordinating and collaborating with business unit and functional stakeholders
Lead the due diligence process with cross-functional teams (including commercial, operations, engineering, human resources, finance, information technology, EHS, legal, procurement, etc) to complete efficient and effective due diligence of targets
Ensure preparation of concise, accurate due diligence reports and lead development of plans to mitigate identified risks
Collaborate with financial and accounting teams for valuation, working capital, and other transaction related financial matters
Develop negotiation strategy and gain alignment with business as to overall negotiation approach; lead negotiation with counter parties in collaboration with business, law, and functional specialist where needed
Support business unit in development and implementation of integration plan
Develop, maintain, and continuously improve M&A playbook tools and processes to maintain a robust M&A execution model
Lead and manage within a matrix environment and foster collaboration, working effectively in both regional and functional environments