Senior Associate, Ankura Capital Advisors

Practice Overview

Ankura Capital Advisors is a growing M&A advisory practice partnering with family-owned, founder-led, and PE-backed companies across the full deal lifecycle: sell-side and buy-side processes, capital raises, carve-outs, and special situations. We operate with the analytical rigor of a larger platform and the ownership model of a firm where your work actually matters.

We're looking for a Senior Associate who is strong at the craft and ready for more: more visibility, more ownership, and a genuine role in building something.

Role Overview

Why ACA, and Why Now

If you're good at what you do but looking for more responsibility, client exposure, and ownership, this hybrid, New York based role was written for you.

At ACA, Senior Associates work directly with Managing Directors and play a leading role in executing live transactions from start to finish. You'll work closely with clients, buyers, investors, lenders, and advisors while helping shape the growth of the practice itself.

We're open on background. If you've developed strong transaction skills in investment banking, private equity, corporate development, transaction advisory, or restructuring and want to be closer to the deal, we'd like to talk.

The AI Expectation

Ankura is an AI-first firm. Microsoft Copilot is embedded across the organization, and ACA is actively building AI into how deals get executed. We're looking for someone who already uses AI as part of their workflow, not as an occasional productivity tool. You should have a track record of leveraging AI to improve research, diligence, financial analysis, or client deliverables, and a point of view on where it adds value and where it doesn't.

The right person won't just adopt our workflows. They'll help build them.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day M&A execution (sell-side, buy-side, carve-outs, special situations) under MD direction
• Build and oversee financial and valuation analyses, including integrated operating models, transaction models, DCFs, LBOs, trading and transaction comps, and scenario analyses.
• Coordinate business, financial, and operational due diligence; manage data room workflows, trackers, and Q&A
• Prepare and refine client-facing materials, including teasers, CIMs, management presentations, board materials, and investment committee memoranda
• Leverage AI tools to enhance research, diligence, benchmarking, and content development while helping shape firmwide AI workflows
• Support business development efforts, including buyer and target identification, sponsor coverage, and new business initiatives
• Develop and maintain relationships with clients, prospective clients, investors, lenders, and professional advisors

Qualifications

Required

• 2-4+ years of transaction-oriented experience with hands-on M&A exposure, including investment banking, private equity, transaction advisory/financial due diligence, valuation, corporate development, or restructuring advisory
• Demonstrated ability to leverage AI tools to improve research, analysis, diligence, or content development through workflow creation and process improvement
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage directly with management teams, clients, and transaction counterparties.
• Advanced financial modeling, valuation, and analytical skills
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint; familiarity with Capital IQ, FactSet, or PitchBook
• High degree of integrity, maturity, and sound professional judgment
• Highly self-motivated, detail-oriented, and comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial environment.
• Bachelor's degree
• SIE, Series 79, and Series 63 required at time of hire or within a reasonable period thereafter. We will sponsor candidates who need to obtain them.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.

Preferred, not required

• Restructuring, debt advisory, or leveraged finance experience
• Sector depth in IT Infrastructure, TMT, and/or roll-up strategies
• Experience working in a lean, entrepreneurial advisory or investment environment

• #LI-MJ1
• #LI-Hybrid

Pay and benefits

For individuals assigned and/or hired to work in California, Colorado, New York or other states with relevant pay transparency laws, Ankura is required to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role.

This compensation range is specific to the said markets and considers a broad range of factors including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled.

The range does not include additional benefits outside of salary. At Ankura, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each role. A reasonable estimate of the current base pay range is between $65,000 to $155,000; this range is not a promise of a particular wage.

• Ankura is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability. Equal Employment Opportunity Posters, if you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening, submit an online application, or participate in an interview/assessment, please email or call toll-free. This email and phone number are created exclusively to assist disabled job seekers whose disability prevents them from being able to apply online. Only messages left for this purpose will be returned. Messages left for other purposes, such as following up on an application or technical issues unrelated to a disability, will not receive a response.