Assistant Director, Advisor Equity Partnerships

northwesternmutual; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 131,000 - 196,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee is seeking a seasoned investment professional to support the sourcing, evaluation, and management of minority equity investments in independent wealth management firms. You will analyze opportunities, develop investment recommendations, and lead financial underwriting and valuation activities.

You will coordinate transaction execution, monitor portfolio performance, and provide insightful reporting to senior leadership, while collaborating with Legal, Risk,

Qualifications

• 5+ years in private equity, corporate development, or related roles.
• Or 3+ years in management consulting or investment banking with leadership in analyses.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or related field.
• MBA or CFA designation is a plus.
• Ability to build and interpret financial and valuation models.
• Strong analytical and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with wealth management or financial services business models preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develops investment recommendations through qualitative and quantitative analyses.
• Builds and maintains financial models for underwriting and valuation.
• Evaluates advisor firms and opportunities via financial analysis and diligence.
• Leads day-to-day transaction execution with Legal, Risk, Finance, Tax, and others.
• Monitors portfolio performance and reporting for senior leadership.
• Researches industry trends to inform investment decisions.

Skills

Analytical Thinking

Cross-Functional Planning

Industry Knowledge

Program Management

Financial Modeling

Investment Analysis

Communication Skills

Stakeholder Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or related field

MBA or CFA designation or progress toward CFA a plus

Job description

About the Job

Supports the sourcing, evaluation, execution, and ongoing management of minority equity investments in independent wealth management firms. As a member of the Advisor Equity Partnerships team, the individual will analyze investment opportunities, develop investment recommendations, lead financial underwriting and valuation activities, coordinate transaction execution, and support portfolio management and reporting.

The role requires a blend of financial acumen, investment judgment, project management, and executive communication skills. The individual will work closely with internal and external stakeholders to evaluate opportunities, execute transactions, and support the continued growth of Northwestern Mutual's advisor equity investment platform.

What You'll Do

• Develops investment recommendations for prospective equity investments through qualitative and quantitative analyses, including written and oral presentations to senior business leaders.
• Builds and maintains financial models to support underwriting, valuation, structuring, and investment return analyses.
• Evaluates advisor firms and investment opportunities through financial analysis, diligence, and assessment of growth, profitability, ownership, and succession considerations.
• Leads day-to-day transaction execution activities, coordinating cross-functional diligence efforts across Legal, Risk, Compliance, Finance, Accounting, Tax, and other key stakeholders.
• Supports negotiation, structuring, and documentation of investment transactions.
• Monitors portfolio company performance, investment returns, and key operating metrics, and supports portfolio reporting for senior leadership.
• Researches industry trends and market activity to develop insights that support investment decisions and overall program strategy.
• Helps refine investment processes, underwriting methodologies, valuation frameworks, and reporting capabilities to support the scalability of the equity investment platform.
• Establishes and maintains strong working relationships with advisor firm owners, industry participants, senior leadership, and internal business partners.

What You'll Bring to the Role

• 5+ years of experience in private equity, corporate development, transaction advisory, valuation, strategic finance, or other investment-oriented roles
• OR 3+ years of experience in management consulting or investment banking with demonstrated success leading complex analyses and developing recommendations for senior executives or business owners.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field
• MBA, CFA designation or progress toward CFA a plus
• Demonstrated ability to independently build, maintain, and interpret financial and valuation models.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate investment opportunities and interpret complex financial and business information.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly to senior leaders and business owners.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong project management, organizational, and relationship management skills.
• High degree of personal initiative, intellectual curiosity, and ownership.
• Familiarity with wealth management, financial services, or professional services business models preferred.

Skills You Have

• Analytical Thinking - Organizes and compares various aspects of a situation to comprehend and identify key or underlying complex issues through the use of quantitative data and analysis; leverages strong business acumen, problem solving, and interpersonal skills to think critically about situations from multiple perspectives and consistently seeks ways to improve processes.
• Cross Functional Partnering & Planning - Facilitates collaboration, communication, coordination, and planning with individuals and teams from different functions within the organization, and who have different areas of expertise, to achieve common goals.
• Industry Knowledge - Demonstrates extensive knowledge of common practices, regulatory considerations, market trends and the competitive landscape within a particular industry / sector to better understand and address unique client requirements, challenges, and context.
• Program Management - Oversees and is responsible for the realization of larger workstream goals and manages activities that span across the program. Understands technical aspects of the program, defines scope, develops schedules, and manages resourcing, risks, and dependencies to deliver successful outcomes.

Compensation Range:

• Pay Range - Start: $130,800.00
• Pay Range - End: $196,200.00

Geographic Specific Pay Structure:

• Structure 110: $143,920.00 USD - $215,880.00 USD
• Structure 115: $150,400.00 USD - $225,600.00 USD

We believe in fairness and transparency. It's why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, includin