Associate, Fund Opinions - Multiple Locations

Houlihan Lokey; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Houlihan Lokey in Chicago is seeking an Associate for its Fund Opinions group. This role involves executing client engagements and managing complex valuations. The successful candidate will possess a strong background in finance or economics and 3-4 years of relevant experience.

The position demands analytical capabilities and proficiency in financial modeling, supporting financial decisions and advising clients in a range of sectors. Competitive compensation and benefits package offered.

Qualifications

• 3-4 years of investment banking, valuation, or related experience.
• Strong analytical abilities and financial modeling skills.

Responsibilities

• Analyze historical and projected financial information.
• Perform business and financial due diligence.
• Conduct industry and competitor research.
• Build complex financial models in Excel.
• Prepare client board review presentations.

Skills

Financial modeling

Analytical abilities

Accounting knowledge

Education

Undergraduate degree in finance, accounting, or economics

Job description

Overview

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) is a leading global investment bank recognized for delivering independent strategic and financial advice to corporations, financial sponsors, and governments. With uniquely deep industry expertise, broad international reach, and a partnership approach rooted in trust, the firm provides innovative, integrated solutions across mergers and acquisitions, capital solutions, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. Our unmatched transaction volumes provide differentiated, data-driven perspectives that help our clients achieve their most critical goals. To learn more about Houlihan Lokey, please visit HL.com.

Business Unit

Financial And Valuation Advisory

Industry

Fund Opinions

Overview

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) is a leading global investment bank recognized for delivering independent strategic and financial advice to corporations, financial sponsors, and governments. With uniquely deep industry expertise, broad international reach, and a partnership approach rooted in trust, the firm provides innovative, integrated solutions across mergers and acquisitions, capital solutions, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. Our unmatched transaction volumes provide differentiated, data-driven perspectives that help our clients achieve their most critical goals. To learn more about Houlihan Lokey, please visit HL.com.

Financial and Valuation Advisory

Over the past 50+ years, Houlihan Lokey has established one of the largest worldwide financial and valuation advisory practices. Our transaction expertise and leadership in the field of valuation inspire confidence in the financial executives, boards of directors, special committees, investors, and business owners we serve. In 2025, LSEG ranked us the No. 1 global M&A fairness opinion advisor over the past 25 years. Our stability, integrity, technical leadership, and global capabilities make us a trusted advisor for clients worldwide, across a wide range of services, including the Transaction Opinions, Transaction Advisory Services, Corporate Valuation Advisory Services, Portfolio Valuation and Fund Advisory Services, Real Estate Valuation and Advisory Services, and Dispute Resolution Consulting practices.

Job Purpose

Our dedicated Fund Opinions (FO) group works with financial sponsors across a range of transactions including Continuation Vehicles, cross-fund transactions and portfolio company mergers. The team reviews the client’s transaction, analyses the applicable investment(s) and delivers fairness opinions and related valuation advisory services to assist its client’s transaction approval process and investor communications. The group’s clients include leading private equity, credit, venture capital, infrastructure and hedge funds.

The open position is for an Associate in the New York or Chicago office who will be dedicated to executing client engagements as well as growing Houlihan Lokey’s Fund Opinions practice. As an Associate, you will join a team that focuses on complex analytics, financial models and valuation across a wide range of industries and asset classes. The group frequently partners with other internal teams, including industry coverage groups and asset class specialists, to deliver fairness and valuation opinions as well as other advisory services to our clients.

Responsibilities

• Analyze and explain historical and projected financial information
• Perform business and financial due diligence
• Conduct industry, competitor, and sub-sector research
• Perform complex valuation projects utilizing methods including comparable company analysis, precedent transactions, and discounted cash flow analysis
• Build complex financial models in Excel to assess cash flows of a company and/or value specific securities
• Prepare client/internal board review PowerPoint presentations supporting advice and opinions
• Proactively manage, mentor and develop Analysts by providing ongoing coaching, technical guidance, performance feedback and professional development support
• Assist and support officers with the execution of business development initiatives
• Support officers with maintaining relationships with current and prospective clients

Basic Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree in finance, accounting, economics or a related field
• 3-4 years of investment banking, valuation or related experience
• Strong accounting, finance, financial modeling and analytical abilities

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to lead projects and client meetings
• Experience supervising analysts on client engagements
• Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Intellectual curiosity and a results-driven professional
• A very strong work ethic, organizational skills and ability to multi-task in a deadline-driven environment
• Ability to work independently and a good team player

Compensation And Benefits

Houlihan Lokey is committed to providing its employees with an exciting career opportunity and competitive total compensation package, which may include other components such as discretionary incentive compensation. The firm’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the possible salary range for this role at the time of posting is:

$150,000 - $170,000

Actual salary at the time of hire may vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant qualifications, skills, and experience, as well as the service line and location where this position may be filled.

Houlihan Lokey provides a competitive benefits package. Our current benefits offerings can be found here:

2026 Benefits

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.