Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike-sharing systems, on-demand transport solutions and a rolling stock leasing company, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably across 11 countries, delivering these services in a better way, every day.

We have strong roots dating back to 1938, an ambitious growth agenda, and a continuously developing relationship with our new shareholder I Squared who acquired Arriva in May 2024.

We have a fantastic opportunity to join our Business Development team at a pivotal time in Arriva’s growth. We are looking for two M&A Analysts to join the Group Mergers and Acquisitions team, either on a permanent basis or through a minimum 12-month secondment.

This role is designed to support the M&A Managers in advancing Arriva’s growth strategy - helping to strengthen our position in existing markets while enabling expansion into new modes, services, and territories through targeted acquisitions.

The role has a flexible working location across our Arriva Business Units, operating on a full-time basis Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week with one hour lunch per day.

Key responsibilities of the role:

M&A Deal Support

Support the end-to-end M&A process, including target identification, due diligence, financial modelling, valuation analysis, and deal structuring.
Assist with project tracking, pipeline management, and the preparation of presentations and reports for senior stakeholders.

Project Management

Support the coordination and execution of M&A project timelines, ensuring effective communication, task tracking, and resource management across teams.
Organise project meetings, maintain documentation, and manage a central repository of materials to ensure smooth project delivery.

Financial Modelling

Assist in the preparation of financial models for various transaction scenarios.
Conduct financial analysis of potential targets and partners, including reviewing financial statements and assessing risk profiles.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to support smooth execution of transactions.
Keep stakeholders informed on project progress, address potential issues, and support responses to senior leadership queries.

Administrative and Reporting Support

Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of ongoing deals, activities, and reports.
Support in the preparation of presentations and documents for internal and external stakeholders.
Assist in the management of the M&A team’s internal reporting and tracking tools.

What we'd like from you!

We’re looking for candidates that have a strategic mindset and strong analytical skills, who are capable of supporting complex M&A projects in a dynamic, cross-functional environment. You should be resourceful, able to generate new ideas, and articulate the strategic and financial rationale behind transactions. Strong financial acumen - including experience in financial modelling and analysis, preferably using Excel - is essential, as is the ability to work both independently and collaboratively to deliver results through others.

The ideal candidate will hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics or a related field, and bring relevant experience in finance-related projects, business analysis, or project management. A solid grounding in project coordination, stakeholder engagement, and report writing is key, along with excellent interpersonal skills and a willingness to learn.

A global outlook, willingness to travel, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment will be vital for success in this role and a proficiency in an additional European language would certainly be advantageous.

Finally, we’re looking for candidates aligned to Arriva’s values: caring passionately, doing the right thing and making a difference.

What we can offer you in addition to a competitive base salary:

True hybrid working – focusing on where you can best deliver for your customers, whilst still allowing for the required work life balance.
A generous pension plan.
Life Assurance plus access to one of the UK’s largest networks of medical professionals (UK based colleagues).
25 days holidays and statutory bank holidays per year (pro rata for mid-year joiners), and opportunity to purchase additional holiday in eligible windows.
Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
Access to discounts and cash back through ‘The Village’ – our Online Reward Gateway.
Eyecare vouchers.
The opportunity to join our Employee Experience Forum – a community of people leading activity and initiatives to enhance Wellbeing, Career Development and Communications within our community in the Corporate Centre.
The opportunity to join a Global Arriva Inclusion Network (GAIN) group- a community of people who are passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion.
Free Arriva bus travel for you and immediate family outside of London – T&C’s apply
And a truly wonderful team to be joining!

Why work for us?

Arriva is a people focused business. In every part of Arriva, our people deliver high standards of customer service and work together to demonstrate kindness, determination, and resilience.

Our values were created by Arriva people. They guide our actions and the way we work, helping to reflect and shape our culture. They focus on caring, integrity and making the difference.

Our people choose to work for us, and to stay with us, because we are a great place to work. At Arriva, we strive to create a culture where we can all be ourselves, where we belong, feel respected and our differences celebrated.

We actively seek out and value difference. We want our business to reflect the wide range of communities in which we operate, so we can serve them even better.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 19th August 2025. Arriva Group reserve the right to close this vacancy early.