Capital Markets Associate

Merit General Contractors, LLC; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Merit General Contractors, LLC is seeking an Associate to underwrite, evaluate, execute, and monitor real estate investment opportunities across markets and product types. You will support acquisitions, developments, financing activities, and capital raising while driving investment decision making.

The role requires strong financial modeling, deep real estate knowledge, and the ability to manage multiple workstreams in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Real Estate, Economics, Accounting, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in real estate acquisitions, investments, development, private equity, investment banking, or capital markets.
• Advanced financial modeling and underwriting capabilities.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Experience supporting asset management, investor reporting, and refinancing or recapitalization transactions.
• Proficient in Excel and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial underwriting for acquisitions, developments, recapitalizations, dispositions, joint ventures, and structured investments.
• Build and maintain sophisticated financial models across industrial, office, mixed-use, and land investments.
• Analyze investment returns, cash flows, sensitivities, capital structures, financing alternatives, IRRs, and equity multiples.
• Support debt placement, equity raising, recapitalizations, and refinancing initiatives.
• Prepare investment committee materials and present analyses to senior leadership.
• Maintain due diligence checklists, data rooms, and transaction documentation.

Skills

Advanced financial modeling

Real estate investment analysis

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Independent working

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Real Estate, Economics, Accounting, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

DCF modeling

Job description

Reports To: Senior Vice President, Capital Markets

Position Overview

The Associate will play a hands‑on role in underwriting, evaluating, executing, and monitoring real estate investment opportunities across targeted markets and product types. Working directly with the Senior Vice President, the Associate will support acquisitions, developments, financing activities, asset management initiatives, and capital raising efforts while serving as a key contributor to investment decision‑making and transaction execution.

This role requires a highly analytical professional with strong financial modeling capabilities, deep real estate investment knowledge, and the ability to independently manage multiple workstreams in a fast‑paced environment. The Associate will take ownership of underwriting and diligence efforts while collaborating closely with internal teams, lenders, investors, brokers, and operating partners.

The position offers meaningful exposure to the capital markets process, including direct interaction with lenders, sourcing and cultivating new lending relationships, preparing and presenting debt financing opportunities, and helping procure construction financing, re‑financings, and other debt solutions for the firm’s investment and development pipeline. The Associate will also participate in equity capital raising initiatives and investor presentations, gaining experience across the full capital stack.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Analysis & Underwriting

• Lead financial underwriting for acquisitions, developments, recapitalizations, dispositions, joint ventures, and structured investment opportunities.
• Build, maintain, and enhance sophisticated financial models across industrial, office, mixed‑use, and land investments.
• Analyze investment returns, cash flows, sensitivities, capital structures, financing alternatives, IRRs, equity multiples, and risk‑adjusted returns.
• Evaluate investment opportunities across primary, secondary, and tertiary markets nationwide.
• Review underwriting assumptions, market projections, operating forecasts, and development budgets.

Acquisitions & Investment Execution

• Support the sourcing, evaluation, structuring, and execution of new investment opportunities.
• Develop investment recommendations and present findings to senior management.
• Assist in negotiating purchase agreements, joint venture structures, and financing terms.
• Coordinate transactions from initial evaluation through closing.
• Build and maintain relationships with brokers, owners, lenders, and industry participants to support sourcing initiatives.
• Review leases, operating statements, rent rolls, market studies, third‑party reports, development budgets, and financing documents.
• Coordinate internal and external diligence teams, including legal counsel, consultants, lenders, and operating partners.
• Maintain diligence checklists, virtual data rooms, and transaction documentation.

Capital Markets & Financing

• Support debt placement, equity raising, recapitalizations, and refinancing initiatives.
• Source and cultivate relationships with banks, debt funds, life companies, and other capital providers.
• Prepare and present debt financing packages for acquisition, development, and refinancing opportunities.
• Analyze financing alternatives and evaluate lender proposals and term sheets.
• Assist in developing financing strategies that optimize risk‑adjusted investment returns.
• Track debt market conditions, capital flows, and financing trends impacting investment activity.
• Monitor asset and portfolio performance against underwriting assumptions, business plans, and return objectives.
• Maintain property‑level forecasts, valuation models, and hold/sell analyses throughout the investment lifecycle.
• Analyze variances between actual results and underwriting projections, including NOI, leasing performance, development budgets, and cash flow metrics.
• Support investor reporting by preparing performance updates, return analyses, and business plan progress summaries.
• Assist with refinancing, recapitalization, and disposition analyses to maximize asset and portfolio performance.

Market Research & Investment Strategy

• Maintain a thorough understanding of real estate market fundamentals, capital markets trends, and macroeconomic drivers.
• Conduct market research and competitive analysis across targeted markets and investment sectors.
• Identify emerging investment themes, opportunities, and potential risks.
• Contribute analytical insights supporting the firm’s investment strategy and growth initiatives.

Investor & Investment Committee Materials

• Prepare investment committee memoranda, acquisition summaries, and executive presentations.
• Develop investor‑facing materials, including deal books, financing packages, debt presentations, and equity offering materials.
• Participate in investor meetings, capital raise initiatives, and presentations to prospective equity partners.
• Support the preparation of materials for institutional investors, family offices, and strategic capital partners.
• Present analyses and recommendations clearly and concisely to senior leadership.

Pipeline & Relationship Management

• Maintain and manage the firm’s investment pipeline, tracking active opportunities and transaction status.
• Coordinate with brokers, lenders, owners, investors, and industry professionals to support sourcing efforts.
• Maintain lender and capital partner relationship databases.
• Monitor market activity and maintain databases of prospective opportunities and capital relationships.
• Provide regular pipeline reporting and transaction updates to senior leadership.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Real Estate, Economics, Accounting, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of experience in real estate acquisitions, investments, development, private equity, investment banking, or capital markets.
• Demonstrated experience underwriting industrial, office, mixed‑use, and land investments across a variety of capital structures and business plans.
• Strong understanding of real estate valuation methodologies, capital structures, and financing markets.
• Experience analyzing NOI, cash flow projections, development returns, capital expenditures, debt sizing, IRRs, equity multiples, and waterfall distributions.
• Experience supporting asset management initiatives, investor reporting, and refinancing or recapitalization transactions.
• Experience supporting complex transaction execution from sourcing through closing.
• Advanced financial modeling and underwriting capabilities.
• Expert proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and critical‑thinking skills.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision while managing competing priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into actionable investment recommendations.
• Collaborative team player with a proactive, ownership‑oriented mindset.
• High degree of professionalism, discretion, and accountability.