Investment Associate

Company: Private Equity Firm – Confidential

Location: Northern VA

Work Arrangement: Full-time, in-office

Compensation: Base Salary $140-150K+ DoE; 50%+ bonus;
Participation in long-term incentive/carry programs.

Company Outline:

Employer is a fast-growing Private Equity Firm focused on acquiring and building high-quality operating businesses. Employer invests with a long-term horizon, prioritizing sustainable growth, disciplined value creation, and stewardship focused on three primary cornerstones with their business:
Management, Financial and Economic Quality.

The Private Equity Associate will support all aspects of the investment lifecycle, including deal sourcing, transaction execution, financial modeling, due diligence, and portfolio company monitoring. This is a full-time, in-office role requiring daily presence in the Firm’s Washington, DC / Northern Virginia office. The position is designed for a candidate seeking hands‑on experience in a lean, execution‑focused private equity environment.

• Build and maintain detailed financial models, including three‑statement models, cash flow analyses, LBO models, and sensitivity analyses.
• Perform valuation analyses using comparable companies, precedent transactions, DCF, and LBO methodologies.
• Prepare investment memoranda, investment committee materials, and internal presentations.
• Support due diligence efforts across financial, operational, legal, tax, and commercial work streams.
• Review CIMs, management presentations, data rooms, and third‑party diligence reports.

• Conduct industry, market, and company research to identify attractive investment opportunities.
• Screen inbound opportunities and prepare concise investment summaries.
• Support outreach to intermediaries, management teams, and business owners.
• Maintain CRM systems and track deal pipeline activity.
• Monitor portfolio company performance relative to budget and investment thesis.
• Assist with KPI tracking, monthly reporting, and variance analysis.
• Support add‑on acquisition analysis and post‑close integration initiatives.
• Assist in the preparation of board materials and portfolio review presentations.

• Contribute to internal research, sector theses, and strategic initiatives.
• Support investor reporting, fundraising materials, and ad‑hoc analytical projects.

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, accounting, engineering, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 1 year of relevant experience in private equity, investment banking, transaction advisory, management consulting, or corporate development, combined with 2‑4 years of total transaction‑related experience (Associate‑level) with lower‑middle‑market or control‑oriented investments.
• Strong financial modeling and accounting proficiency and exposure to debt financing structures and credit analysis.
• High attention to detail and sound analytical judgment, strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint and experience with data visualization and analysis tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, or advanced Excel/Power Query), Python (pandas) and/or SQL for automation, data cleaning, and analytics.