Senior Associate, Credit

American Operator is looking for a Senior Associate to lead credit underwriting and portfolio monitoring for small-business acquisitions. In this role, you will play a key part in advancing our mission to revive the American Dream by acquiring and growing strong small businesses alongside talented operators and mission-driven investors. Approximately 70% of your time will be spent underwriting new acquisitions, with the remaining 30% dedicated to monitoring the performance of our growing portfolio.

This role will be based at our Austin, TX office and will report to the CEO.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work closely with the Acquisitions team on assessment of new opportunities
• Run point on credit underwriting, working in close collaboration with our acquisitions and investments team to complete due diligence
• Lead the preparation and presentation of credit memorandums to Mainshares' Credit Committee
• Monitor asset performance on a monthly basis, reviewing covenant compliance, meeting with the relevant owner success manager(s), and keeping our reporting & loan tape current
• Perform quarterly portfolio reviews including analyzing historical and projected performance, risk assessments, and covenant compliance calculations
• Partner with senior leadership on capital allocation and deployment pace

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably with a major in finance, accounting, economics or related financial discipline
• 5+ years of industry experience, with at least 2 spent in a credit investing role at a bank or non-bank lender
• Experience structuring and evaluating investments across credit and structured equity
• Strong Excel modeling and written skills

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in a direct lending capacity to lower middle market sponsors.

ABOUT THE TEAM

American Operator exists because we believe the American Dream is worth protecting, and that small businesses are the backbone of our communities. To do this well, we need a team that reflects the real world: operators, builders, investors, and problem-solvers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

We know that diversity of thought, discipline, and lived experience leads to better decisions and stronger businesses. We're intentional about bringing together people who care deeply about ownership, stewardship, and keeping great companies in capable hands. Our work depends on collaboration, humility, and a shared belief in the value of Main Street.

We're a team shaped by different industries, hometowns, and career paths, and we believe those differences are exactly what prepare us to serve small-business owners and future CEOs across the country.

MISSION-DRIVEN

Every company claims to be mission-driven, but our mission is simple, tangible, and urgent: preserve the legacy of America's small businesses and create more pathways to meaningful ownership.

We partner with operators who want to step into leadership, take responsibility for great companies, and continue the work that founders spent decades building. When we succeed, communities keep their employers, families keep their livelihoods, and operators get the chance to build wealth through real ownership.

We work hard because we know what's at stake: generational businesses that deserve to thrive, and talented operators who deserve the chance to lead them. And while we measure our success in deals closed and businesses grown, the real reward is seeing these companies continue to serve their people and their towns, stronger than before.

Where else do you get the opportunity to help someone become a CEO, preserve a founder's life's work, and strengthen a community, all in the same job? That's what makes our work both serious and incredibly fulfilling.