M&A Senior Manager

Job description

WE POWER PEOPLE’S PROGRESS. At Preply, we’re all about creating life-changing learning experiences. We help people discover the magic of the perfect tutor, craft a personalised learning journey, and stay motivated to keep growing. Our approach is human-led, tech-enabled - and it’s creating real impact. We’ve just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D, accelerating our vision to transform education through human-led, AI-enhanced learning. Today, 100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries - and we’re only getting started. As a category-defining company, we’re shaping what the future of learning looks like at global scale. Every Preply lesson sparks change, fuels ambition, and drives progress that matters. Joining Preply means helping define the future of education at global scale, and building something that truly matters for millions of people, every day. At Preply, we’re all about creating life-changing learning experiences. We help people discover the magic of the perfect tutor, craft a personalised learning journey, and stay motivated to keep growing. Our approach is human-led, tech-enabled - and it’s creating real impact. We’ve just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D, accelerating our vision to transform education through human-led, AI-enhanced learning. Today, 100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries - and we’re only getting started. As a category-defining company, we’re shaping what the future of learning looks like at global scale. Every Preply lesson sparks change, fuels ambition, and drives progress that matters. Joining Preply means helping define the future of education at global scale, and building something that truly matters for millions of people, every day. MEET THE TEAM! You'll be joining Preply's Strategy chapter — a small, high-impact team working directly with the COO and senior leadership. As our first dedicated M&A Senior Manager, you'll build and own our deal pipeline from scratch, partnering closely with Finance, Legal, and Product to evaluate and execute acquisition opportunities that shape Preply's growth trajectory. WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING: - Define Preply’s M&A strategy and investment thesis — setting criteria for target types, deal size, and strategic fit across Preply’s growth priorities - Build and manage Preply's acquisition pipeline — identifying strategic targets, developing investment theses, and driving processes from initial screening through to close - Lead financial modelling and valuation work across deal processes: DCF, accretion/dilution, LBO, and P&L impact analysis - Conduct end-to-end due diligence across financial, commercial, legal, and operational dimensions, coordinating external advisors where needed - Project-manage cross-functional workstreams (Finance, Legal, Product, HR) throughout deal execution and integration planning - Develop board-ready strategic recommendations and executive presentations on M&A opportunities WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED: - 7–10 years of M&A experience in-house at a tech company or in investment banking/PE — with clear ownership of deal execution, not just advisory support - Expert-level Excel (or equivalent) and financial modelling skills: you've built complex valuation models from scratch and can defend every assumption - A proven track record of working on acquisitions end-to-end, from deal origination through to close; post-merger integration experience is a plus - Strong P&L literacy and analytical rigour; ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments - Exceptional stakeholder management skills — you translate complex analyses into clear, executive-level narratives - Ideally with prior experience in EdTech, SaaS, or high-growth tech WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT AT PREPLY: - An open, collaborative, dynamic and diverse culture; - A generous monthly allowance for lessons on Preply.com http://preply.com, Learning & Development budget and time off for your self-development; - A competitive financial package with equity, leave allowance and health insurance; - Not in Barcelona? We offer an attractive relocation package to join us in our Preply Barcelona Hub - Access to free mental health support platforms; - Access to Gympass-partnered wellness and gym centers throughout Spain to promote and support well-being and physical health; - The opportunity to unlock the potential of learners and tutors through language learning and teaching in 175 countries (and counting!). OUR PRINCIPLES - Care to change the world - We are passionate about our work and care deeply about its impact to be life changing. - We do it for learners - For both Preply and tutors, learners are why we do what we do. Every day we focus on empowering tutors to deliver an exceptional learning experience. - Keep perfecting - To create an outstanding customer experience, we focus on simplicity, smoothness, and enjoyment, continually perfecting it as every detail matters. - Now is the time - In a fast-paced world, it matters how quickly we act. Now is the time to make great things happen. - Disciplined execution - What makes us disciplined is the excellence in our execution. We set clear goals, focus on what matters, and utilize our resources efficiently. - Dive deep - We leverage business acumen and curiosity to investigate disparities between numbers and stories, unlocking meaningful insights to guide our decisions. - Growth mindset - We proactively seek growth opportunities and believe today's best performance becomes tomorrow's starting point. We humbly embrace feedback and learn from setbacks. - Raise the bar - We raise our performance standards continuously, alongside each new hire and promotion. We build diverse and high-performing teams that can make a real difference. - Challenge, disagree and commit - We value open and candid communication, even when we don’t fully agree. We speak our minds, challenge when necessary, and fully commit to decisions once made. - One Preply - We prioritize collaboration, inclusion, and the success of our team over personal ambitions. Together, we support and celebrate each other's progress. DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION Preply.com http://Preply.com is committed to creating an inclusive environment where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive. We believe that the presence of different opinions and viewpoints is a key ingredient for our success as a multicultural Ed-Tech company. That means that Preply will consider all applications for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or veteran status.