Associate Director, Private Credit & Direct Lending

KBRA; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule (Tue/Wed/Thu in-<

Job summary

KBRA, a leading credit rating agency, seeks an Associate/Associate Director to join the Corporate Credit Funds team in Chicago. You will assist in rating processes, analyze portfolios, and collaborate with seasoned KBRA experts to evaluate corporate credit and private lending structures.

The role emphasizes cash flow analysis, collateral quality, and portfolio performance. Candidates should have 2–4 years in corporate/private credit and strong Excel/modeling skills; a hybrid schedule is offered

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Economics or Math related fields.
• 2–4 years of work experience in corporate credit analysis, private credit, direct lending, fund investing, CLO analysis, or structured finance.
• Proficiency in Excel; experience with financial modeling and cash flow analysis preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the new issuance rating process, including evaluation of transaction capital structures, legal protections, collateral quality, portfolio composition, asset performance, and cash flow dynamics.
• Assist in the analysis of portfolios of corporate loans, bonds, and other credit instruments, including middle market and sponsor-backed exposures.
• Participate in due diligence meetings with asset managers, direct lenders, arrangers, and issuers to assess underwriting standards, portfolio management practices, risk management frameworks, and performance history.
• Contribute to the preparation of rating memoranda and new issuance reports.
• Support ongoing monitoring and surveillance of outstanding transactions, tracking portfolio performance, credit migration, and concentration trends.
• Maintain transaction databases and analytical tools.
• Collaborate with KBRA experts across structured credit, corporate finance, financial institutions, and ABS to evaluate cross-sector and hybrid portfolio transactions.
• Contribute to credit research and publications related to corporate portfolio finance, direct lending, and structured credit markets.

Skills

Excel

Financial modeling

Written communication

Verbal communication

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Business/Economics/Math

Job description

KBRA, a leading credit rating agency, seeks an Associate/Associate Director to join the Corporate Credit Funds team in Chicago. You will assist in rating processes, analyze portfolios, and collaborate with seasoned KBRA experts to evaluate corporate credit and private lending structures.

The role emphasizes cash flow analysis, collateral quality, and portfolio performance. Candidates should have 2–4 years in corporate/private credit and strong Excel/modeling skills; a hybrid schedule is offered