Private Equity Associate, Investment Research

About the firm

This opportunity is with a Los Angeles-based middle-market private equity firm that focuses on operationally intensive investments, including corporate carve-outs and other complex situations where active value creation is central to returns. The firm has delivered strong results across multiple funds and is currently raising its next flagship vehicle. Its environment is collaborative, office-based, and performance-driven, with a consistent history of advancing people from within.

About the role

The firm is hiring a Private Equity Associate, Investment Research for a newly created position on the investment team. This seat is designed to build a dedicated research capability that is grounded in investment theses rather than live transactions.

The role supports a senior Managing Director who has extensive experience across both private equity and public equity at leading firms in the industry. It is a front-end investing role centered on identifying and evaluating opportunities before they become active deals.

Unlike a traditional associate role on a deal team, this position is built for someone who wants to sharpen judgment on businesses and industries, contribute meaningfully from the start, and develop a deeper investing perspective. It may also appeal to equity research professionals looking for a buy-side path that differs from a conventional hedge fund role.

Responsibilities

• Perform detailed research across industries and sub-sectors to surface attractive verticals, market trends, and consolidation themes.
• Create and update industry maps covering public and private companies, competitive positioning, and potential acquisition targets, including possible carve-out situations.
• Build early-stage financial models, comparable company analyses, and precedent transaction analyses to support initial underwriting work.
• Turn research findings into concise investment memos and thesis materials that inform internal debate and investment committee discussions.
• Track public companies that could separate non-core businesses and develop proactive outreach ideas for corporate development conversations.
• Work closely with the Managing Director on strategic assignments, diligence tasks, and broader investment processes as opportunities advance.

Requirements

• 1 to 3 years of experience in investment banking, equity research, management consulting, credit investing, or another research-heavy role.
• Strong financial modeling and analytical ability, including comfort building models from primary materials such as 10-Ks, 10-Qs, and earnings call transcripts.
• Strong intellectual curiosity and a real interest in understanding how companies and industries operate.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convert complex analysis into clear investment stories.
• Ability to work independently and develop original ideas and research priorities.
• Long-term commitment to a career in private equity investing.
• Strong academic record from a top undergraduate institution.
• Willingness to work full-time from the Los Angeles office.

Additional information

This role is intended for someone who wants to build investing judgment in a research-first environment. The firm emphasizes hands-on learning, thesis development, and direct exposure to senior decision-making.

No separate compensation, perks, duration, application deadline, or vacancy count was provided in the source material.