Full-time | Permanent | Milan, Italy About Shop Circle Shop Circle is an AI-native technology holding company that acquires and scales mission-critical B2B software, modernising it for the AI era. Shop Circle focuses on software powering the physical world, serving 200,000+ companies worldwide and enabling them to work smarter, scale faster, and stay ahead. Shop Circle is backed by leading global institutional investors. The Role We are looking for a high-calibre Investment Associate to join the M&A execution team in Milan on a full-time, permanent basis. Candidates based abroad who are willing to relocate to Milan are welcome to apply. You will work closely with senior investment professionals across the full M&A lifecycle, from sourcing and evaluation to execution and post-acquisition value creation. This is a hands-on role with direct exposure to live transactions across Europe and North America, offering significant responsibility and ownership from day one. What You'll Do Evaluate and execute technology acquisitions across multiple geographies Screen inbound and proprietary opportunities against our investment framework to decide which targets the team should focus on Lead financial modelling, valuation analyses, and investment return assessments Conduct and coordinate due diligence across financial, tax, tech/AI, legal, and commercial workstreams, with internal stakeholders and external advisors Prepare investment memos and materials for internal investment committees and the Board Support and play an active role in negotiations of transaction structures, SPAs, and related documentation alongside Legal Work closely with Finance, Product, Legal, and Value Creation teams pre- and post-acquisition Contribute to origination efforts, including market mapping and target screening What We're Looking For 3 to 6 years of full-time experience in M&A, investment banking, private equity, or corporate development. Sell-side execution experience is a strong plus Software, technology, or SaaS sector experience is a strong plus; alternatively, a demonstrable interest in technology, software, and AI is essential Strong financial modelling, valuation, and analytical skills Proven ability to manage complex workstreams independently and deliver under tight timelines High attention to detail with a strong sense of ownership and accountability Excellent communication skills and ability to interact with senior stakeholders Based in Milan, or willing to relocate from abroad Fluency in English. Italian is a strong plus. Additional European languages (French, Spanish, or German) are a plus What You'll Get Direct exposure to end-to-end M&A transactions in a high-volume, high-velocity acquisition environment Significant responsibility and autonomy from day one The opportunity to help shape one of the most active AI-powered software acquisition platforms globally Close working relationship with the CEO, CFO, COO, and other senior stakeholders Competitive compensation aligned with experience, plus long-term career progression opportunities Ready to Take the Next Step? If you are intellectually curious, execution-driven, and eager to operate at the centre of a fast-scaling software group, we would love to hear from you. Apply now and help build the next generation of enterprise software infrastructure.