Experienced Financial Analyst, Portfolio Valuation and Fund Advisory Services (Complex Securiti[...]

Houlihan Lokey; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Houlihan Lokey in Chicago seeks a Financial Analyst to join the Portfolio Valuation & Advisory Services team, focusing on valuing illiquid securities and complex transactions.

You will develop complex models, analyze market data, and deliver client materials while collaborating with a dedicated engagement team on derivative and private equity valuations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or Applied Economics.
• Minimum of one year of work experience at an accounting or valuation firm in a valuation capacity.
• Strong analytical abilities and experience with valuation concepts.

Responsibilities

• Analyze and value derivatives, structured products, loans, private equity, and other illiquid securities.
• Determine valuation assumptions based on historical performance, collateral type, and economic scenarios.
• Utilize accepted valuation models including DCF, guideline company/transactions, and lattice/simulation methods.
• Review and compile financial data from industry reports, remittance data, and Bloomberg.
• Prepare client deliverables and participate in due diligence and presentations to clients.

Skills

Analytical skills

Valuation

Financial modeling

Python

Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting/Business/Applied Economics

Master's degree in quantitative discipline

Tools

Python

Excel

VBA

Bloomberg

CapitalIQ

Fincad

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

Portfolio Valuation

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, Fund Opinions, Transaction Advisory Services, Corporate Valuation Advisory Services, Portfolio Valuation, Real Estate Valuation and Advisory Services, and Dispute Resolution Consulting practices.

Scope

Within our Portfolio Valuation Complex Securities practice, our clients include many of the world’s largest hedge funds, private equity funds, direct lending funds, business development companies, among other asset managers, and we advise them on the valuations of illiquid debt, equity and complex securities in order to meet their investor and regulatory financial reporting requirements. Our market-leading practice has a strong reputation with regulators, auditors, and investors and we rapidly mobilize the right team for the job, drawing on our expertise in a wide variety of asset classes and industries, along with our firm’s real-world transaction experience and market knowledge.

Financial Analysts within our Portfolio Valuation & Advisory Services practice are fully integrated members of our engagement teams. You will work with a dedicated, highly talented staff of professionals who will give you broad exposure to many issues and concerns affecting businesses today. With a focus in Complex Securities, you will work closely with a smaller and specialized team dedicated in utilizing sophisticated models in valuating securities with complex structure.

We offer a unique opportunity to work on a wealth of projects that provide exposure to various financial and valuation advisory challenges, including the valuation of complex businesses, securities, and transaction structures. As a Financial Analyst, you will research and analyze financial markets data, financial statements, industry conditions and developments, acquisitions and divestitures, and various investment attributes of publicly traded and privately held securities. You will also have an opportunity to develop complex financial models, draft client deliverables, participate in presenting analyses and conclusions, interact with clients on active engagements, and participate in the firm’s marketing efforts.

Responsibilities

• Analyzing and valuing various derivatives, structured products, loans, private equity, and other illiquid securities.
• Determining relevant valuation assumptions based on historical performance, collateral type, and economic scenarios.
• Utilizing various accepted financial models, including guideline companies and guideline transactions, discounted cash flows, and Black-Scholes models and extensions, solved with lattice models or simulation analysis, and other such frameworks to derive value indications.
• Performing market research; calibrating proprietary valuation models to incorporate market-based assumptions, including home price appreciation, prepayment rates, and foreclosure timelines.
• Reviewing and compiling published financial information, such as industry research reports, remittance data, and Bloomberg data across a wide range of asset classes.
• Assisting in the preparation of client deliverables including pitch materials and information requests.
• Participating in due diligence meetings/discussions and assisting in responding to auditor questions regarding valuation analyses prepared by Houlihan Lokey.
• Participating in presenting valuation analyses and conclusions internally to review committees, externally to our clients’ senior management and boards of directors, and to fiduciaries.
• Performing financial-statement and other quantitative and qualitative assessments as required.
• Researching and providing initial draft on (a) general economic conditions, (b) industry-specific conditions and trends, and (c) various investment attributes of illiquid securities.
• Assisting with sales and marketing initiatives for prospective and existing clients.
• Performing other ad-hoc research, analytics, and support for the FVA project teams as required.

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum of one year of work experience at an accounting or valuation firm in a valuation capacity.
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or Applied Economics
• Strong analytical abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous working experience in financial reporting valuation, especially complex securities
• Master’s degree in a quantitative discipline (e.g., finance, statistics, mathematics, economics, engineering).
• Strong knowledge of financial instruments, derivative valuation theory, and statistical methods.
• Experience in valuing financial instruments with non-linear payoffs including convertible bonds, warrants, derivatives, earn-outs, and complex capital structures using closed-form solutions, binomial lattices, and Monte Carlo simulations in Python, R, or MATLAB.
• Strong analytical abilities including demonstrated ability to build complex numerical models using coding technics to value varied derivatives.
• Demonstrated history of building and improving models and processes to automate routine calculations using Python and VBA.
• Proficiency in working with large data sets, performing statistical analyses in Python, and presenting results using data visualization tools.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work through complex financial models to determine the key assumptions, implicit caveats and limitations.
• Strong knowledge of Excel, Python and other related tools used to build valuation models.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to prepare reports and presentations to team and clients, including graphic and written sections.
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively with team members.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• An exceptional work ethic and attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple projects and interact with clients and internal management.
• Knowledge of and experience with statistical packages and data sources such as Python, R, VBA, Excel, Microsoft Office, Fincad, CapitalIQ, Refinitiv, and Bloomberg

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:

$75,000 - $120,000

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.