Investment Banking Analyst – Debt Advisory

Baird; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k match

Profit sharing

PTO

Protected weekends

Job summary

Baird in Chicago is seeking a debt advisory analyst to join a high-growth team. You’ll support financing and restructuring transactions with rigorous financial analyses, marketing documents, and models; collaborate with senior bankers and clients to inform deal decisions.

You’ll gain exposure to debt markets, learn credit mechanics, and work on cross-functional teams using AI tools and Power BI to produce data-driven client materials.

Qualifications

• Strong work ethic, intellectual curiosity, demonstrated leadership ability, attention to detail, ability to work in teams and a commitment to excellence.
• Credit experience including the proven ability to assist in execution of all aspects of leveraged financings across multiple transaction types (LBOs, recapitalizations, refinancings, add‑on acquisitions and special situations)
• Candidates must also display a professional demeanor and an ability to learn in a fast‑paced, challenging environment
• Prior leveraged finance, debt advisory, direct lending, restructuring or M&A experience preferred
• 1-3 years of prior experience
• Experience with AI tools such as Rogo, CoPilot, and auxi is preferred
• Familiarity with data visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or similar

Responsibilities

• Play an integral role on investment banking teams, providing analytical support on financing and restructuring transactions
• Assist in preparing various financial analyses to evaluate transaction alternatives, developing marketing documents and financial models and administering marketing and due diligence processes
• Assist senior bankers in business development efforts with prospective corporate and PE clients
• Develop your skills through broad exposure to clients, investors and Baird bankers
• Use AI tools like Rogo and auxi to streamline the creation of pitch books and models, and employ data visualization software like Power BI to generate data-driven insights and reports for client materials

Skills

Analytical rigor

Team collaboration

Commercial acumen

Leadership potential

Attention to detail

Credit market knowledge

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Rogo

CoPilot

auxi

Job description

High-profile deals, major growth, the right people behind you. Grow far at Baird.

Baird offers a different kind of start to a career in investment banking, built on high-performing teams and a culture that supports your growth. Here, you’ll build skills through real transactions, close collaboration with peers and mentors, and a culture focused on shared success.

About Debt Advisory (DA):

We deliver a broad range of highly customized debt solutions across the capital structure, ranging from debt financing to capital structure advisory services for institutional clients in the United States and Europe. Our debt advisory services include growth financings, acquisition financings, dividend recapitalizations, refinancings, stressed financings, debt exchanges, out-of-court restructurings as well as Chapter 11 transactions. Our deep sector expertise enables us to optimally position companies within a sector, advise clients through complex situations and deliver solutions that support our clients’ long-term strategic objectives. We possess strong relationships with an extensive and diverse list of lenders and investors, including banks, private credit funds, private equity funds, hedge funds, family offices and alternative capital providers, creating competitive processes that optimize outcomes.

What You’ll Do

Learn by doing and be trusted with meaningful work from the jump

• Play an integral role on investment banking teams, providing analytical support on financing and restructuring transactions
• Assist in preparing various financial analyses to evaluate transaction alternatives, developing marketing documents and financial models and administering marketing and due diligence processes
• Assist senior bankers in business development efforts with prospective corporate and PE clients
• Develop your skills through broad exposure to clients, investors and Baird bankers
• Use AI tools like Rogo and auxi to streamline the creation of pitch books and models, and employ data visualization software like Power BI to generate data-driven insights and reports for client materials

What You’ll Gain

The kind of environment that turns early talent into lasting careers

• Exposure to a wide breadth of debt-oriented transactions, ranging from growth financings to restructurings
• Direct exposure to senior members of the Debt Advisory team
• Achieve professional development through lean deal teams which provide greater responsibility and daily interaction with senior bankers / investment professionals
• Unique culture that values diverse backgrounds and perspectives while emphasizing teamwork and a strong sense of partnership
• You will gain an expert understanding of the drivers of credit quality, mechanics of credit agreements and credit market dynamics, including its participants
• You will develop as a debt expert across Baird’s breadth of industry verticals with leading companies across their respective sub-verticals

What It Takes

We’re looking for people who want to go far, and go together

• Strong work ethic, intellectual curiosity, demonstrated leadership ability, attention to detail, ability to work in teams and a commitment to excellence
• Credit experience including the proven ability to assist in execution of all aspects of leveraged financings across multiple transaction types (LBOs, recapitalizations, refinancings, add‑on acquisitions and special situations)
• Candidates must also display a professional demeanor and an ability to learn in a fast‑paced, challenging environment
• Prior leveraged finance, debt advisory, direct lending, restructuring or M&A experience preferred
• 1-3 years of prior experience
• Experience with AI tools such as Rogo, CoPilot, and auxi is preferred
• Familiarity with data visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or similar

Compensation and Benefits:

• $110,000 - $125,000 annual salary with bonus potential

• Compensation and bonus are commensurate with experience, performance and/or GIB profitability

• In addition to a strong culture that is focused on health and well‑being, our organization offers competitive total compensation packages and comprehensive benefits including: protected Friday night and Saturdays, periodic sabbaticals during career, shareholder opportunities, mandatory paid time off (PTO) and robust 401k match and profit‑sharing contribution

Note to External Recruiters / Search Firms:

Baird does not accept unsolicited resumes and will not compensate for any placement resulting from such submissions. Any unsolicited resumes received will not be treated as valid applications.

Baird is not currently hiring individuals for this position who now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status.

Baird is committed to diversity and provides employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, citizenship, national origin, age, disability, military service, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other status protected by law.