Senior Operations Private Equity Associate

The Firm

MiddleGround Capital (“MiddleGround”) MiddleGround Capital is a private equity firm headquartered in Lexington, KY, that invests in B2B companies in the industrial and specialty distribution sectors in the lower middle market in North America. We are differentiated as true operators who have experience working in and managing businesses that range from the lower middle market to Fortune 500 companies. Check out our LinkedIn and learn why we’ve been voted one of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky for multiple years in a row!

For more information, please visit www.middlegroundcapital.com

Job Description

The Senior Associate position supports the Operations team and is based out of the office in Lexington, KY and is required to travel extensively to MGC portfolio company sites (approximately 30%). The Senior Associate supports the Operating Team in the firm by preparing and analyzing financial plans, forecasts, and reports for the various portfolio companies. The Senior Operations Associate completes discrete analysis during diligence and post-acquisition in all areas of the business as directed. The Senior Associate reports to the Vice President, and/or Director of Operations depending on the respective assignment(s).

Job Responsibilities

• Works with Investment Team and Operating Team to complete discrete analytical processes to identify and quantify the various initiatives in the Value Creation Plan (VCP).
• VCP: Working Capital, Capex, Other Cash Initiatives, Hourly headcount reduction, SG&A reductions, Operational cost reduction, Supply chain savings, Distribution savings, Synergies, freight, healthcare, etc.,
• Coordinates with 3rd party diligence providers on various initiatives in the VCP.
• Creates and maintains the Master Value Creation Plan tracking file and works with the Associate(s) on the Investment Team to incorporate the results into the Investment Model.
• Coordinates with the Operations Management Team to confirm assumptions in the Investment Model.
• Financial Report Standardization, including Daily Liquidity, Financial Flash, Reporting Package, 13 Week Cash Forecast Report, Soft Close setup and support as needed

Position Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, or other relevant field of study
• Extensive experience reviewing company financials & financial statements (daily liquidity, quarterly cash flow, footnotes, variance analysis & other similar tasks)

Nice to Have

• 3-5+ years’ experience working at a Big 4 Accounting firm (or large regional finance firm), Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, EY
• Public accounting experience focused on restructuring finance
• Experience completing due diligence