Director, Corporate Development & Strategy

Celanese is seeking a Director, Corporate Development & Strategy to serve as a deal captain. This is a high-visibility, high-accountability role at the core of Celanese's inorganic growth agenda, built for a self-directed operator who can own complex transactions from origination to close without needing step-by-step direction.

You will not be handed a playbook. You will bring one. The right candidate has genuine M&A depth, strong financial instincts, and the organizational savvy to drive multiple workstreams simultaneously across Legal, Finance, Tax, Operations, and external advisors. You pick up the ball and run.

Responsibilities:

Deal Execution & Transaction Management

• Own M&A, joint venture, strategic partnership, and divestiture transactions end-to-end from thesis development through due diligence, negotiation, and close
• Lead cross-functional deal teams as the single point of accountability for process, timeline, and deliverables — without requiring escalation on day-to-day decisions
• Structure complex transactions including term sheets, LOIs, and purchase agreements; manage data rooms and workstream interdependencies with autonomy and precision
• Anticipate deal risks proactively and develop mitigation strategies; manage external advisors including investment banks, legal counsel, and consultants with discipline and direction
• Maintain deal momentum across multiple concurrent transactions, knowing when to push and when to pause

Financial Analysis & Valuation

• Build and pressure-test complex financial models including DCF, accretion/dilution, and scenario analyses to evaluate deal economics
• Develop and defend business cases, investment committee materials, and board-level presentations with credibility and clarity
• Apply deep understanding of corporate finance to structure deals that maximize value and align with Celanese's capital allocation priorities
• Partner with Treasury and FP&A to evaluate financing structures, balance sheet implications, and integration financial plans

Strategic Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as a credible, executive-level partner to internal senior leaders and external counterparties including C-suite executives, founders, and investment bankers
• Represent BSD in cross-functional leadership forums; communicate deal status, risks, and recommendations with authority
• Develop and maintain a pipeline of inorganic opportunities aligned to Celanese's portfolio and growth strategy
• Mentor junior team members and model the standard for what excellent, autonomous deal execution looks like

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred
• Experience: 10 years in M&A, corporate development, investment banking, or private equity with a demonstrated track record of closing deals
• Deal ownership: Proven ability to run a full transaction process independently — you've been the one accountable for getting it done
• Finance fluency: Deep command of financial modeling, valuation methodologies, and transaction structuring
• Executive presence: Polished communicator who can hold a room with senior leaders and external counterparties alike
• Drive: High initiative, low ego. Thrives in ambiguity, moves with urgency, and doesn't wait to be told twice
• Industry: Experience in industrials, specialty chemicals, materials, or adjacent B2B sectors a strong plus

Celanese is a global leader in chemistry, producing specialty material solutions used across most major industries and consumer applications. Our businesses use our chemistry, technology and commercial expertise to create value for our customers, employees and shareholders. We support sustainability by responsibly managing the materials we create and growing our portfolio of sustainable products to meet customer and societal demand. We strive to make a positive impact in our communities and to foster inclusivity across our teams. Celanese Corporation employs more than 11,000 employees worldwide with 2024 net sales of $10.3 billion. For more information about Celanese Corporation and its product offerings, visit www.celanese.com.