We are supporting a Portugal-based IT consulting firm in identifying and engaging an external M&A advisor to lead its first inorganic growth initiative. The client is seeking to diversify its investment portfolio through the acquisition of an operating company, with a clear preference for targets in the core IT and software sector. The mandate is structured as an exclusive six-month engagement covering the full transaction lifecycle from target screening through deal completion, with exclusivity scoped solely to the target list identified during the engagement. Responsibilities: / Build a structured longlist of potential acquisition targets in the IT and software sector aligned with the client's strategic and financial criteria. / Conduct initial screening and qualification of targets, refining the longlist into a prioritized shortlist for client review. / Establish first contact with target representatives, owners, or shareholders and manage outreach correspondence on the client's behalf. / Organize and coordinate exploratory meetings between the client and target company leadership, including agenda-setting and logistical support. / Lead financial analysis and valuation work on shortlisted targets, applying appropriate methodologies for the IT/software sector. / Provide hands-on advisory support throughout the negotiation process, including indicative offers, term sheets, and SPA discussions. / Coordinate diligence workstreams and liaise with external advisors (legal, tax, technical DD) where required. / Manage the engagement through to signing and closing of the transaction. Requirements: / Possess substantial buy-side M&A execution experience with demonstrable track record of completing transactions end-to-end. / Demonstrate fluency in M&A processes including target screening, valuation, negotiation, and closing on behalf of corporate acquirers. / Show sector exposure to IT services, software, or technology businesses, with the ability to assess target quality on a commercial and operational basis. / Exhibit native or fully professional Portuguese language proficiency to engage directly with the client and Portuguese-speaking target counterparties. / Possess the seniority and credibility to operate independently with the client's principals and represent them externally with target shareholders. / Demonstrate the operational capacity to dedicate sufficient bandwidth to an exclusive six-month engagement. Nice to Have: / Iberian market network spanning founders, owners, and shareholders of small and mid-sized IT services and software businesses. / Prior experience advising first-time acquirers or family-owned corporates on their inaugural M&A transactions. / Working knowledge of the Portuguese IT services landscape, including consolidation dynamics and typical transaction structures. / Prior buy-side mandates of comparable scale (sub-€100M EV) in technology-adjacent sectors. / Existing relationships with local legal, tax, and technical diligence providers in Portugal. Scope of Work: / Exclusive six-month buy-side advisory engagement, with exclusivity applying solely to the target list identified and presented during the engagement. / Origination and screening of target companies in the IT/software sector. / Approach and liaison with target representatives, including coordination of exploratory meetings. / Valuation and financial analysis of shortlisted targets. / Negotiation advisory through term sheet, definitive documentation, and closing. / Personalized, results-oriented engagement model focused on successful transaction completion rather than retainer-only deliverables.