Vice President, Investment Professional; MBA Graduate

Build winning companies to deliver superior returns to our investors.

Acquire good businesses and partner with management to drive fundamental improvement.

• Partnership
• Passion

• Sourcing
• People
• Evaluation

• Lean, collaborative team, working directly with Partners and senior management
• 6 out of 7 current Partners started as associates or Vice Presidents at Sterling
• Resources Group, comprised of subject matter experts in Human Capital, Operations, Commercial, Strategy, Technology, and M&A, are members of deal teams and help drive improvements at portfolio companies
• Hands on investing model resulting in deep engagement with our portfolio companies

• We believe in long term partnership and collaboration
• Relentless, firm-wide commitment to continuous improvement
• We say "we" more than "I"
• Passionate about building winning businesses

Start Date: Summer 2026 (post-MBA graduation)

About The Sterling Group

Since 1982, The Sterling Group has partnered with management teams to grow and build winning businesses in the industrial sector. Today, Sterling manages over $9 billion in assets under management across two private equity strategies—Middle Market and Lower Middle Market—targeting partnerships with industrial companies of varying sizes.

Over 75% of Sterling’s past partnerships have been with family-owned businesses and corporate carve-outs, where we bring our hands-on operational expertise to unlock growth. Our investor base includes some of the largest and most respected global institutional investors.

Our strategy is predicated on acquiring good businesses that are under-managed or under-performing their potential and that have substantial opportunities for strategic and operational improvements. Through our Seven Levers Methodology—Human Capital, Strategy, Execution, Commercial, Operations, Technology, and M&A—we consistently deliver results across multiple market cycles.

On past realized investments, Sterling has generated a return of 3.0x gross invested capital, with over 70% of that return driven by organic EBITDA growth. We believe our ability to fundamentally improve strategy and operations is what differentiates Sterling and drives value creation for customers, employees, and investors alike.

The Opportunity

The Sterling Group is seeking a highly qualified 2026 MBA graduate to join our growing team of investment professionals as a Vice President. Vice Presidents at Sterling play a key role in the firm’s long-term success and begin what we hope will be a Partner-track career.

You will join a lean, collaborative team working directly with Partners, portfolio company executives, and other key stakeholders across the full investment lifecycle. This includes sourcing and evaluating opportunities, executing transactions, driving strategy and operational improvements, and preparing businesses for successful exits.

A hallmark of Sterling’s program is that Vice Presidents gain direct operating experience by spending one year embedded in a portfolio company. During this time, you will hold a senior management position, reporting directly to the CEO, and lead strategic initiatives such as operational improvements, acquisition integrations, or growth programs. This experience is designed to accelerate your development as both an investor and an operator.

Role Description

As a member of Sterling’s investment team, Vice Presidents are deeply involved in transforming middle market industrial companies. This is a unique opportunity to lead change and contribute to the improvement of entire industries.

Vice Presidents will contribute to and eventually lead efforts across the investment lifecycle, including:

• Developing investment theses and sourcing opportunities
• Leading diligence and execution of acquisitions
• Working with management teams on strategy and value creation initiatives
• Participating in portfolio company boards early in their career
• Supporting exit preparation and execution of successful investments

Vice Presidents are also actively engaged in Sterling’s internal committees, which shape the ongoing…