IG Special Situations Desk Analyst (Director)

Laz Partners; New York (NY); On-site; USD 250,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global investment bank in New York seeks a Director-level US Investment Grade Special Situations Desk Analyst to enhance their credit trading team. This senior role emphasizes an event-driven approach, analyzing special situations such as M&A activity and regulatory shocks. Candidates should have a strong background in credit markets, especially within hedge funds, with proven abilities to challenge consensus thinking and generate actionable trade ideas. Competitive candidates will have a track record of P&L contributions and success in dynamic credit environments.

Qualifications

• Director-level experience within credit markets.
• Demonstrated ability to assess complex credit situations.
• Preference for candidates with hedge fund experience.
• Generalist profile with the ability to move across sectors rather than a narrow coverage identity.
• Proven track record analysing M&A, regulatory shifts, capital structure changes, and rating-driven dislocations.
• Clear evidence of P&L contribution or idea generation tied to tangible performance outcomes.
• Senior-level decision-making capability, intellectual curiosity, and willingness to challenge consensus views.

Responsibilities

• Analyse and generate trade ideas across US IG focusing on special situations.
• Identify and assess idiosyncratic catalysts.
• Produce actionable recommendations with clear P&L orientation.
• Step into credits opportunistically, ramping up quickly on names that become “live” due to new developments.
• Produce actionable recommendations with clear P&L orientation, even if not formally seated as a risk‑taking PM.
• Work closely with junior analysts who will support rapid fundamental analysis and background research when situations emerge.
• Contribute to reshaping the broader IG Credit Desk Analyst model toward a more dynamic, tactical, and differentiated approach.

Skills

Independent assessment of complex credit situations

Generating monetizable ideas

Ability to move fluidly across sectors

Senior-level decision-making capability

Independent assessment

Hedge fund experience

Generalist across sectors

Job description

We have exclusively partnered with a leading global investment bank looking to hire a Director-level US Investment Grade (IG) Special Situations Desk Analyst to join their credit trading team in New York.

This is a newly created, senior mandate designed to embed an event-driven, special situations mindset within the US IG platform. The role will not follow a traditional sector coverage model. Instead, the successful candidate will operate as a flexible, situations-focused investor, identifying and monetising idiosyncratic, event-driven opportunities across the US investment grade universe.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyse and generate trade ideas across US IG focusing on special situations and event-driven opportunities.
• Identify and assess idiosyncratic catalysts, including:
  • M&A activity
  • Regulatory or political shocks
  • Rating transition risk
• Act as a situations-focused investor rather than a long-term, static sector analyst.
• Step into credits opportunistically, ramping up quickly on names that become “live” due to new developments.
• Produce actionable recommendations with clear P&L orientation, even if not formally seated as a risk‑taking PM.
• Work closely with junior analysts who will support rapid fundamental analysis and background research when situations emerge.
• Contribute to reshaping the broader IG Credit Desk Analyst model toward a more dynamic, tactical, and differentiated approach.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Director-level experience within credit markets; this is not a junior or associate-level position.
• Demonstrated ability to independently assess complex credit situations and generate monetizable ideas.
• Strong preference for candidates with hedge fund experience, particularly within event-driven, relative value, or special situations credit strategies.
• Generalist profile with the ability to move fluidly across sectors rather than a narrow coverage identity.
• Proven track record analysing M&A, regulatory shifts, capital structure changes, and rating-driven dislocations within credit markets.
• Clear evidence of P&L contribution or idea generation tied to tangible performance outcomes.
• Senior-level decision-making capability, intellectual curiosity, and willingness to challenge consensus views.