Private Equity Associate

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated finance professional with 3+ years of corporate finance or financial consulting experience to join a successful Private Equity (PE) firm. This will be an Associate level hire into the PE firm's long-term leadership development program.

Our Private Equity (PE) client is seeking an Associate to drive value creation initiatives across a traditional manufacturing business. Working closely with the CFO and other members of the Senior Leadership Team, this individual will evaluate and implement initiatives to maximize productivity, profitability, and cash flow. This role requires strong quantitative and analytical skills, high emotional intelligence, and effective communication. The ideal candidate is curious, persistent, and gritty—ready to roll up their sleeves and help create a lasting impact across the company.
The Associate will be ideally based out of the Western Washington area. There is no home office to work out of so the position will be remotely based for the PE firm. However, this position will require several hours of driving (physical travel) to the portfolio business corporate office on a weekly basis for in-person meetings, collaboration, hands-on work, etc.

Associate Project Examples:

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S&OP Process Optimization:
Working with the finance team and external consultants, the Associate will oversee the enhancement of forecast accuracy, aligning supply and demand planning, and improving decision-making through data-driven insights and stakeholder collaboration.

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Working Capital Optimization:
The Associate will work with cross-functional teams to drive working capital optimization, identifying opportunities to improve cash flow through enhanced inventory management, receivables/payables strategies, and long-term planning alignment.

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M&A Diligence:
The Associate will support due diligence efforts for potential M&A opportunities, assessing strategic fit, financial performance, operational synergies, and cultural alignment to inform executive decision-making and mitigate acquisition risks.

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ROI Analysis for Capital Expenditures:
Supporting the Senior Leadership Team, the Associate will leverage financial modeling capabilities to conduct ROI analysis for capital expenditure proposals, evaluating financial viability, payback periods, and strategic alignment to support data-driven investment decisions and maximize long-term value.

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Product Pricing Analysis:
The Associate will evaluate market trends and internal cost structures to identify opportunities for competitive product pricing, enhancing margin performance while maintaining market positioning and customer value perception.

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Enhance Planning Processes:
The Associate will collaborate with the finance, operations, and commercial teams to enhance the businesses long-term planning processes, aligning strategic goals with market dynamics and operational capabilities to drive improved forecasting, resource allocation, and business agility.

Ideal Candidate Background

• The team is open to candidates from varying backgrounds, though ideally, this individual will have 3+ years of professional experience. Ideally experience in: Corporate Leadership Development Programs, Management Consulting, Investment Banking, and Big-4 Public Accounting Firms. Expertise working in/for manufacturing businesses is preferred.
• Analytical Expertise: Strong financial acumen and ability to build robust models for performance tracking and decision-making.
• Strategic Thinking: Proactive in identifying operational and structural synergies to drive value in a merged environment.
• High EQ & Communication Skills: Comfortable collaborating with cross-functional teams, from plant-level management to C-suite executives.
• Tenacity & Grit: Willing to dive into complex problems, persist in facing challenges, and drive initiatives to completion.
• Curiosity & Adaptability: Eager to learn about diverse processes, willing to innovate, and flexible in adopting new methods to achieve integration goals.

Additional Information:

• Target base salary range of $130k to $160k (depending on experience level
• Annual cash bonus target of 50%
• Weekly travel required (candidate is required to live locally in Western Washington)
• Excellent benefits
• PTO/Vacation days
• 401k plan with employer match