Associate, Transaction Advisory Services

Associate - Transaction Advisory Services

About Palm Tree
Palm Tree is a modern M&A value creation firm that integrates financial consulting, operational consulting, and investment banking services. Founded in 2010, Palm Tree specializes in supporting private equity firms, business operators, and management teams through strategic events such as mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, recapitalizations, restructurings, and performance improvement initiatives. The firm's unique model combines the expertise of private equity, Big-4 accounting, and investment banking, delivering actionable solutions tailored to the challenges of middle-market businesses.

Position Overview
The Associate role at Palm Tree is a critical position supporting financial due diligence, transaction advisory, and value-creation engagements. Associates typically bring 4-6 years of relevant experience and play a hands-on role in building models, analyzing data, preparing client deliverables, and supporting senior team members across M&A, private equity, and operational engagements.

Associates in Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) take on increasing responsibility for Quality of Earnings (QoE), working capital analyses, financial modeling, and preparation of financial due diligence deliverables. They also participate in client discussions, assist in structuring insights, and contribute to the development of junior team members.

Responsibilities
Client Engagement

• Support day-to-day execution of financial due diligence engagements, including QoE analyses, working capital assessments, and other transaction-related work streams.
• Build and refine financial models such as QoE schedules, working capital bridges, cash flow analyses, and dashboards.
• Assist in developing client deliverables including QoE reports, financial reviews, management presentations, and supporting schedules.
• Perform detailed analyses across income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, KPIs, and operational data to identify trends and transactional insights.
• Participate in client calls and meetings, supporting senior team members in financial discovery and diligence processes.
• Provide analytical support for adjustments, deal structure considerations, and working capital targets.

Team Contributions

• Manage and mentor junior team members, reviewing their analyses and supporting their development.
• Provide timely updates to senior team members; maintain proactive communication on engagement status.
• Collaborate with colleagues across engagements, sharing best practices and supporting internal training.

Strategic and Operational Support

• Assist in business development efforts including proposal preparation, pitch materials, and relationship support.
• Contribute to process improvement, talent acquisition initiatives, and other firm-building activities.

Qualifications
Education/Credentials

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field.
• CPA preferred; CFA or postgraduate degrees (MAC/MBA) beneficial but not required.

Experience

• 4+ years of relevant professional experience in financial due diligence, transaction advisory, audit/assurance, investment banking, private equity, or related financial consulting.
• Experience completing or contributing to QoE analyses and working capital reviews.
• Demonstrated ability to manage junior team members and produce high-quality analytical work.

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong financial modeling and analytical capabilities.
• Experience with BI tools or data-visualization platforms is a plus.

Soft Skills

• Detail-oriented with strong critical-thinking skills.
• Ability to thrive under pressure in fast-paced M&A environments.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Highly organized with strong project management capabilities.
• Proactive, motivated, and collaborative team mindset.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary of $100k-$150k, plus performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with match, and unlimited PTO.
• Hybrid work model with access to offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and other strategic markets.
• Career advancement opportunities in Palm Tree's merit-based, entrepreneurial environment.

What to Expect When Applying

Whether this is your first time applying to Palm Tree or you've connected with us before, you are welcome to use this portal to submit an updated résumé, cover letter, or other materials. Our recruiting team will thoughtfully incorporate your most recent information into your existing application profile. And yes-we do read cover letters. In fact, the cover letter is a great place to demonstrate why you're qualified for a position, even if you do not meet all requirements.

Application Confirmation
After submitting your application, you will receive an email confirming that we've received your materials.

Initial Review
Once your application has been reviewed and added to our active candidate database, you will receive a second…