Head of Mergers & Acquisitions

Head of Mergers & Acquisitions

UCB – Union Chimique Belge

Brussels or Anderlecht, Belgium

We are looking for a Head of Mergers and Acquisitions who is visionary, influential, and strategically driven to join us in our Business Development, Mergers and Acquisitions & Alliance Management team, based in our UCB office in Brussels, Belgium.

About the role:

You will shape and lead UCB’s external growth agenda, ensuring each merger and acquisition opportunity advances our long‑term strategic ambition. You will define the external pathways that strengthen UCB’s portfolio and drive sustainable value. As a senior advisor to executive leadership, you will oversee the full lifecycle of transactions – from initial opportunity framing to closing and integration handover – ensuring decisions reflect strategic insight and disciplined evaluation. You will operate at both strategic and operational levels, stepping in directly when needed to move work forward.

Who you’ll work with:

You will be working in a team that directly influences the future direction of UCB. You will lead cross-functional deal teams and partner closely with Finance, Legal, Tax, Strategy, Research and Development, Commercial, Human Resources and Information Technology stakeholders. You will combine strategic leadership with a hands‑on approach in close collaboration with transaction teams, ensuring alignment, clarity of purpose, and a consistent standard of excellence across all activities.

What you’ll do:

• Provide enterprise-level leadership for the full lifecycle of merger and acquisition activities, ensuring strong direction, governance and decision quality;
• Shape and maintain a forward-looking portfolio of external opportunities aligned with UCB’s strategic priorities and long-term value ambitions;
• Guide cross-functional leaders through rigorous evaluation, due diligence and value creation planning;
• Lead external discussions with partners and advisors, representing UCB with credibility, clarity and strategic intent;
• Deliver high-quality materials and recommendations for senior leadership and governance committees;
• Build capability and excellence across the transaction team through mentoring, guidance and senior-level oversight.

Interested? For this role we’re looking for the following education, experience and skills:

• Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree; an advanced business qualification is desirable;
• Extensive experience leading complex transactions within international environments and senior-level decision forums;
• Exceptional strategic thinking capability with strong judgement under pressure;
• Proven ability to inspire, align and influence diverse senior stakeholders across functions;
• Strong communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to navigate sensitive, high-stakes discussions;
• High integrity, discretion and a commitment to maintaining the highest professional standards.