Private Equity Associate - Move in to Private Equity Strategic Finance Consulting

I'm retained by a US leader in Private Equity Consulting, with a specific focus on the office of the CFO, where they are a market leader in the United States.

As part of their global expansion, they are establishing their European HQ in London. We are leading their search for Associates for their Strategic Finance practice.

They are interested in speaking with candidates currently working within Investment Banking or Private Equity, interested in a move to PE Consulting.

THE ORGANIZATION

Our client is a private equity-focused financial and technology consulting firm. Rooted in a heritage of serving the office of the CFO, they work at the intersection of sponsors and management teams to maximize value.

The firm’s services span the entire CFO function – including strategic financial planning and analysis, CFO-related technology, operational and technical accounting, transaction execution, interim leadership, and turnaround & restructuring solutions. In Europe, their focus is Strategic Finance, TES, Transformation, Data & Analytics.

Across all of their services, clients are supported by deep expertise in data & analytics, CFO-specific technology and finance-led transformations. They are headquartered in New York with ten offices around the globe.

There are a lot of firms that play in their space — but our client is unique. They focus only on the Office of the CFO, specialize in private equity, and expand and contract based on the scope of their client’s needs. Through passion, drive, and a perfectionist attitude, they roll up their sleeves to execute the key finance initiatives that transform businesses.

THE STRATEGIC FINANCE PRACTICE

They build leading FP&A capabilities to enable value creation for PE-Backed Companies.

Successful value creation in a PE-backed context is an ongoing process that starts with alignment and includes constant analysis, measurement, and collaboration around performance visibility. Management teams and stakeholders require continuous access to actionable, timely insights to inform superior decision-making, enhance organizational performance and, when necessary, identify course corrections.

Our client's Strategic FP&A Practice helps Finance teams build capabilities to enhance performance visibility, planning activities, data analytics, and business partnering to enable and accelerate value creation.

By combining extensive operational FP&A experience, data and technology skills, and a proprietary engagement model, they develop and implement tools and processes and deliver solutions that meet the rigor and pace required in a PE-backed environment.

PURPOSE: Why does this job exist?

This role exists to support the growth of the firm and its reputation for delivery of the highest quality consulting services to Private Equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. It will maximize our client’s value creation opportunities through fast-paced, execution-oriented delivery of the highest quality outputs, across all stages of the investment lifecycle.

ACCOUNTABILITIES: What are the key deliverables?

• Client engagements that deliver real, measurable value, at pace.
• High levels of client satisfaction.
• Projects delivered on time and to the highest quality.

ACTIVITIES: What does the jobholder have to do?

As an Associate on a lean, cross-functional team, you will work collaboratively with a diverse set of colleagues with backgrounds in Private Equity, Investment Banking, FP&A, Big 4 and Financial Controllers, to identify and rectify issues across a broad range of scenarios.

The following representative engagements are emblematic of the type of work you'll do as an Associate with our Client:

• A financial services company recently emerged from bankruptcy and underwent changes in ownership. You are brought in to:
• Determine data availability and reliability and design a structured process to aggregate relevant data sets that will serve as the foundation of all future reporting.
• Work with the CFO, Sponsor, and Operating team to understand business drivers, verify KPIs, and establish a single source of numerical truth via monthly reporting packages.
• Develop a reporting cadence and automated processes that combine sound data flows and insightful KPIs to generate monthly Board and management reporting packages.
• Train the existing FP&A team to run and own process flows and forecast analysis tools.
• A higher education enterprise that scaled up through a series of acquisitions requires a budget plan, better forecasting tools, and insightful analytics to guide decision making. You are brought in to:
• Complete a diagnostic deep dive to identify anecdotes, root causes, and key corrective themes in the existing budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Coordinate comprehensive budget plan and process in partnership with FP&A, sales, operations, and senior leadership teams.
• Build out and maintain 13-week cash flow forecasts by coordinating with the relevant departments within the company.
• Leverage PowerQuery and PowerPivot for structuring, analyzing, and modeling data within Excel.
• Following the acquisition of three stand-alone businesses, a PE Sponsor has identified the need to consolidate operations and establish a singular finance function. You are brought in to:
• Design a singular finance function that can serve all three businesses; including headcount, budget, and specific roles and responsibilities for each member of the team.
• Assist in developing highly detailed, week-by-week training plans for each team member.
• Select and implement a robust ERP solution which meets the needs of the newly combined business.
• Build analytical tools, create template reporting.

CULTURE: What are the values and ‘norms’ surrounding the job?

• We have an absolute focus on delivering value creation for our clients.
• We are entrepreneurial. We think like owners.
• We are practitioners, not theorists. We get things done.
• We are high energy, enthusiastic and resilient.
• We are passionate, we are positive.
• We are collaborators.
• We challenge established thought and take risks, making bold decisions.
• We are coaches and are coachable.
• We partner with authenticity, bringing transparency and humility.
• We pivot and persevere.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance or economics.
• Minimum 3 years+ experience at a top tier private equity firm, investment bank and/or consulting firm.
• Strong quantitative skills, highly organized, and pay extreme attention to detail.
• Strong ability to leverage Excel to manage, simplify, analyze and present large and complex datasets.
• Strong financial modeling and corporate valuation skills.
• Prior experience preparing reports, presentations and memos in a clear, succinct, and comprehensive manner.
• Demonstrated good judgement, take initiative and seek guidance when needed.
• Strong drive and motivation and adhere to the highest professional standards in working with clients and colleagues.

WHY US?

This is a great opportunity to join a rapidly growing PE backed, PE advisory business during the first phase of our expansion into Europe.

This role represents a rare opportunity for an entrepreneurial builder to join a firm with a clear, differentiated culture, whilst combining firm building with consulting for some of the world’s most prestigious Private Equity sponsors and their portfolio companies.

This is a great opportunity to fast track your career with a global leader expanding in a new region, where career development trajectory is directly linked to capability and performance, rather than time in role.