Associate

Cobalt Recruitment; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cobalt Recruitment in New York seeks an Associate to join the Portfolio Management team, reporting to the Sr Director. You will build complex investment and fund-level models, support investment decision-making, and provide insights to optimize portfolio performance across real estate vehicles.

Collaborating with Asset Management, FP&A, Accounting, and Aquisitions, you will prepare leadership-ready analyses and investor-facing presentations, applying quantitative methods and BI tools to drive

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; FP&A background beneficial.
• 3–6 years in investment banking or private equity; real estate exposure preferred.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills; portfolio construction knowledge.
• Proficiency with databases and Excel-based modelling; present reviews in PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of SQL, Python, Tableau a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain complex investment and fund-level models for leadership reporting.
• Participate in investor portfolio reviews; analyze investment strategies.
• Analyze and optimize portfolio performance, revenue/expense policies, cap structure.
• Prepare financial performance packages with variance analyses.
• Collaborate with Asset Management and FP&A on reporting, forecasting, budgeting.
• Partner with Acquisitions to forecast fund sources and uses.
• Apply statistical tools and optimization methods to allocate assets.
• Provide analytical support on transactions and portfolio initiatives.
• Assess economic impact of revenue, expenses, and cost of capital in SFR space.
• Contribute to scalable infrastructure using BI tools to improve decisions.

Skills

Portfolio management

Financial modelling

Data analysis

Excel modelling

SQL

Python

Tableau

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

FP&A background

Tools

Excel-based modelling

PowerPoint

SQL

Python

Tableau

Job description

A high-growth Real Estate investment and management firm is looking to add an Associate to their Portfolio Management team. In this prominent and fast-paced role, the Associate will work and report directly into the Sr Director, Portfolio Management in supporting investment decision-making, portfolio optimization, and financial performance analysis across the firm’s investment vehicles. This position will partner closely with cross-functional teams—Asset Management, FP&A, Accounting, and Acquisitions—to deliver actionable insights, guide strategic decisions, and ensure alignment with the company’s broader business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and enhance complex investment and fund-level models to support leadership reporting and investor-facing presentations
• Participate in investor portfolio reviews, providing insights into each investment strategy’s fundamental profile
• Analyze and optimize portfolio performance, composition, revenue and expense policies, capital structure, and exit opportunities
• Prepare financial performance packages, including operational variance analyses (actuals vs. estimates, portfolio vs. platform, platform vs. peers)
• Collaborate with Asset Management and FP&A teams to support investment decision-making, financial reporting, forecasting, and budgeting
• Partner with the Acquisitions team to forecast fund sources and uses, driving portfolio composition strategy
• Apply statistical and mathematical tools, probability theory, and optimization methods to effectively allocate assets
• Provide analytical support on transaction execution and portfolio-level initiatives
• Assess the economic impact of revenue, expenses, and cost of capital within the SFR space, identifying fund- and asset-specific issues and opportunities
• Contribute to building scalable infrastructure by leveraging technology and business intelligence tools to improve decision-making

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, with a background in FP&A highly beneficial
• 3-6 years in investment banking, private equity or similar. Exposure to real estate and property management highly preferred
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills are a pre-requisite with an understanding of portfolio construction
• Highly proficient with databases and with Excel based modelling. Able to quickly model, chart, and present performance reviews in PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of programming and common data visualization tools such as SQL, Python, Tableau is a plus.
• Able to read and understand financial statements, and to interpret and understand term sheets and legal disclosure (i.e., transaction documents, loan agreements)
• Highly organized and accurate, with excellent attention to detail
• Strong verbal, quantitative, and written communication. Confident in interacting professionally with institutional investors

Demonstrate ability to:

• Interpret data and present thoughtful analysis and insight to investors and management
• Develop expertise across a broad spectrum of issues
• Translate strategy into execution
• Collaborate across organizations and manage stakeholders
• Work effectively on multiple projects and under tight time constraints