Transaction Execution Associate

Company Overview

There’s a better way to work in finance—and more specifically, a better way to unlock value potential in private equity-backed portfolio companies. Working at the intersection of sponsors and management teams across every stage of the investment lifecycle, our team provides hands-on, execution-oriented support to elevate the office of the CFO.

So, what does it mean to work at Accordion? It means joining 1,400+ finance & technology experts in a high-growth, agile, and entrepreneurial environment while changing the way portfolio companies drive value. It also means making your mark on Accordion’s future—by embracing a culture rooted in collaboration and a firm-wide commitment to building something great, together. Accordion is headquartered in New York City with 10 offices around the globe.

Transaction Execution Services

At Accordion, we focus on the full spectrum of M&A execution: from financial modeling, valuation and analytical support to serving in a bolt-on corporate development capacity. From quarterbacking current deals to developing playbooks and best practices for a robust acquisition strategy, from the fund level to the portfolio level, from platforms to add-ons to carve outs, “no job is too small, no fee is too big.”

In addition to analyzing the financial and operational data, we help quantify current and future value creation opportunities, enabling investors to easily understand the trapped value within the business.

Role Overview

This role will be based in our NYC, Chicago, or Dallas office locations and is a hybrid role with the flexibility to work remotely 2 days a week. Ideal candidates should be local to the desired location. This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.

What You’ll Do:

As an Associate on a lean, cross-functional team, you will work collaboratively with a diverse set of colleagues to assist clients in a variety of transaction-related projects focused on helping to prepare companies for a sale and support them throughout the deal process (working alongside CFOs and other executives). You will:

• Work with company management, private equity deal and operating teams, investment bankers, and other third parties to support the development of an equity story and other go-to-market materials.
• Utilize both excel and business intelligence tools (PowerBI, Power Query, Power Pivot, Tableau, etc.) to develop a variety of granular financial, operational, and business segment analysis (profitability, trending, etc.).
• Analyze, quantify, and validate deal-related assumptions including synergies, add-backs, and pro-forma financials.
• Manage and/or support the development and population of an investor-ready data room.
• Work with CFOs and their teams, respond to due diligence and other deal related questions from either financial (private equity) or strategic (corporate) buyers.
• Travel to client site as needed.

Corporate Development Activities

You will also be assisting private equity firms and their portfolio companies on a variety of corporate development activities, such as:

• Project manage the end-to-end process for add-on acquisitions.
• Perform a variety of due diligence activities.
• Develop financial analysis including deal, merger, and synergy models.
• Prepare deal memorandum and other documents for key stakeholders.
• Execute merger integration planning and post-merger execution services.

Representative Engagements

Sell-Side Readiness:

A PE-owned SaaS company required sale preparation and related transaction support. Accordion has been engaged to take a leadership role alongside the CFO in the sell-side process by preparing key analytical deliverables.

Corporate Development Support:

A private equity firm has been making a series of add-on acquisitions across their portfolio. The deal teams are stretched, and they look to Accordion for outsourced corporate development leadership to manage portfolio company add-on acquisition deal processes and support financial analysis and associated presentations.

Ideal Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, or economics; Master’s degree (MBA, Master's in Finance, etc.) is preferred.
• Minimum 4 years of experience at a top-tier private equity firm, investment bank, consulting firm, or within a corporate development group.
• Strong quantitative skills, exceptional organizational skills, and a keen eye for detail.
• Strong ability to leverage Excel to manage, simplify, analyze, and present large and complex datasets.
• Exceptional financial modeling and data analysis skills.
• Relevant experience to prepare reports, presentations, and memos in a clear, succinct, and comprehensive manner.
• Ability to demonstrate good judgement, take initiative, and seek guidance when needed.

Personal Attributes:

• Excited to be part of a growing team, with a focus on driving future growth.
• Passionate about delivering exceptional client service.
• Knowledgeable about the relationship between Private Equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, particularly within the office of the CFO.
• A self-starter with a strong work ethic.

Salary: $130,000 to $160,000 + benefits + bonus. Actual compensation packages within that range are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate.