Kurt Salmon Associates’ Private Equity and Strategy Practice is a San Francisco–based team providing strategic, data-driven consulting services to leading private equity funds and corporate clients in the consumer products and retail industry. For private equity clients, our services span the investment lifecycle, including strategic due diligence, strategy development and operational improvement during the portfolio ownership period and exit optimization as the investment nears its end. We have worked for seven of the top 10 private equity funds in the country and have participated in many of the recent M&A deals in the retail, consumer products and foodservice industries. We also work with leading retailers and consumer products manufacturers on a wide range of strategic issues, including growth opportunities, store productivity, marketing efficacy and competitive response. Our success is based on deep analytical rigor, innovative methodologies, unmatched industry expertise and broad cross-functional capabilities.
Position Overview
The Private Equity manager position is a highly challenging professional position that requires exceptional analytical, interpersonal and creative-thinking skills. Managers work closely with partners on client engagements and are exposed to many different business functions and issues.
Broadly, managers lead project teams through the execution of the work plans by providing direction, facilitating the gathering of quantitative market and financial data analysis to define, refine and test hypotheses and synthesize information into meaningful conclusions. Managers are also responsible for working alongside their teams to execute analyses and other delivery tasks, as necessary. Lastly, managers will coach and mentor Kurt Salmon consulting staff, develop and maintain relationships with clients and contribute to practice development activities such as recruiting, retention and training.
In addition to these broad consulting skills, the Private Equity team requires deep quantitative and analytical skills and the ability to work independently to complete such tasks as market and competitive assessment; consumer insights and customer assessment; and financial modeling for evaluation of M&A targets, divestitures, investments and performance drivers analysis.
Key challenges of the position include the ability to:
- Quickly identify key issues based on limited data
- Lead teams that gather, manipulate and synthesize large amounts of primary and secondary (both qualitative and quantitative) data
- Work under pressure and tight deadlines
- Work with various functional experts across multiple organizations
- Communicate findings in well-structured, clearly articulated presentations
Candidates should clearly demonstrate abilities in the following areas: formulation and testing of hypotheses, analytical rigor, leadership and initiative, teamwork and communication and desire to learn and excel.
Candidate Qualifications
- We are looking for candidates with five to seven years of significant relevant work experience (investment banking, management consulting or private equity; senior consultant or manager experience at other top consulting firms is a plus)
- Knowledge of and experience in the retail and consumer products industry strongly preferred
- MBA/graduate degree from a top-tier program preferred
- Highly structured, hypothesis-driven thought process
- Extensive experience in rapidly developing and executing rigorous quantitative analyses and working with large data sets
- Demonstrated abilities to effectively coach and mentor colleagues with varying experience and skill levels
- Familiarity with a variety of consumer and secondary research tools
- Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills, preference for Access/SQL experience
- Demonstrated knowledge and interest in Kurt Salmon and our practice
- Candidates must have the ability to work in the United States without any legal work restrictions.
Location and Travel
This position is open in our San Francisco office. Client work is conducted both in Kurt Salmon offices and at client sites on occasions—depending on the specific engagement and client needs.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, please complete our online application.