Principal, Private IG (New Deals – Origination)

Athene; New York (NY); On-site; USD 270,000 - 330,000; Full time

Job summary

Athene is seeking an Investment Professional in New York to lead the origination and structuring of complex private investment grade transactions. This role requires a high level of analytical skill and creativity in financing, along with experience in managing portfolios and relationships with key stakeholders.

The candidate should have a minimum of 8 years in finance, especially in private placements or debt advisory and must be eager to embrace AI solutions in investment workflows. Competitive salary with a thorough understanding of regulatory concerns is provided.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of relevant work experience in finance, private placements, or restructuring.
• Buy‑side experience preferred.
• Established origination network in US/Europe.

Responsibilities

• Lead origination and structuring of private investment grade transactions.
• Conduct credit analysis and present recommendations.
• Manage junior team members and oversee workflows.

Skills

Analytical skills

Covenant negotiation

Portfolio management

Relationship management

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree

CFA or MBA (preferred)

Job description

Position Overview

Investment professional working within Apollo's Private Investment Grade team, part of the Global Investment Grade business, focused on the origination, structuring, underwriting, execution, and ongoing management of illiquid investments across developed markets. The team has a format‑agnostic mandate covering 4(a)(2) private placements, bilateral and club senior secured loans and forward‑flow structures, infrastructure and project finance, and secondary purchases, with the objective of earning excess spread over comparable public investment grade for the additional complexity and illiquidity. The Principal will lead origination, structuring and execution, and portfolio monitoring on transactions for Apollo's funds, insurance balance sheets, and co‑investors. It requires a high level of technical ability, analytical rigor, and creativity in solving complex financing problems, alongside the judgement and presence to operate with minimal oversight. The Principal is also expected to set the standard for the team's investment process and lead its adoption of AI across origination, underwriting, surveillance, and reporting workflows, and to manage and develop junior team members as the platform scales.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead origination, structuring, underwriting, and execution of private investment grade transactions across developed markets and communicate with deal team members and counterparties including Apollo's IG sector analysts, Performing Credit analyst team, High Grade Corporate Solutions, Apterra, ABF, Hybrid Credit, risk, legal, and insurance solutions groups; external advisors (accountants, consultants, industry advisors, investment banks); and counterparties (corporate executives, lenders, agents, investment banks).
• Lead fundamental credit analysis on transactions, providing independent credit opinions on business risk, financial risk, structural risk, and relative value, and present investment recommendations to the Investment Committee.
• Lead structuring, covenant negotiation, and documentation across formats, working alongside internal and external legal counsel to secure terms that appropriately protect the portfolio; negotiate pricing, tenor, amortisation, call protection, security and collateral packages, and financial maintenance covenants tailored to each transaction's risk profile.
• Partner with High Grade Corporate Solutions, Apterra, ABF, and other Apollo origination channels, while independently cultivating bank, agent, sponsor, and direct issuer relationships to expand sourcing across developed markets and identify underpenetrated opportunities across sectors, geographies, and structural formats that complement Apollo's broader origination flow.
• Source opportunities through proactive research, leveraging sector expertise and market insights to identify investment themes before they reach the broader market; represent the firm in market‑facing interactions with banks, agents, issuers, and sponsors.
• Lead portfolio monitoring across assigned holdings, including financial performance tracking, covenant compliance, rating migration, and early identification of credit deterioration; maintain watchlist discipline and drive early escalation of deteriorating credits.
• Lead amendments, waivers, consent requests, and workout or restructuring situations, including active position management decisions (secondary sales, position sizing, capital stack repositioning).
• Coordinate with the IG sector analysts and Performing Credit analyst team on sector coverage, shared issuer views, and relative value across public and private markets; drive shared issuer‑level analysis where credits span public and private markets, contributing to unified credit views across the IG platform.
• Partner across the broader Apollo credit platform on transactions and credits that span multiple products.
• Ensure analytical work and deal recommendations reflect the relevant insurance balance‑sheet constraints across US (NAIC/SVO, RBC, Schedule D) and European (Solvency II, matching adjustment, fundamental spread) mandates; oversee external rating processes and regulatory filings on lead investor positions, including private letter rating documentation.
• Set and enforce analytical standards, credit process rigor, and documentation quality across the team; lead the team's adoption of AI tooling across the workflow, including document review, covenant extraction, comparable transaction analysis, sector and issuer research, and portfolio surveillance.
• Supervise and develop junior team members, providing day‑to‑day guidance on credit work, deal execution, and professional development; contribute to platform‑building efforts, including investment process design, technology and data infrastructure priorities, and thematic research and investor‑facing materials.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 8 years of relevant work experience, which may include private placements, leveraged finance, structured credit, special situations or restructuring, debt advisory, or workouts.
• Buy‑side experience preferred but not required.
• Either (a) established origination network across banks, agents, advisors, and/or direct issuers in the US and/or Europe, or (b) substantive workouts, restructuring, or active position management experience.
• Bachelor's degree with an exceptional record of academic achievement.
• CFA, MBA, and/or ACCA helpful but not required.
• Track record of leading underwriting and execution on complex transactions across corporate sectors and structured, asset‑backed, or infrastructure formats.
• Deep expertise in covenant negotiation, documentation, and structuring across at least one of: private placements, syndicated or club loans.
• Familiarity with insurance balance‑sheet investing (NAIC/SVO, RBC, Solvency II) helpful; willingness to develop the gaps essential.
• Established relationships with banks, agents, sponsors, and/or direct issuers in the relevant markets; exposure to cross‑border transactions a plus.
• Experience managing and developing junior resources in a results‑oriented environment.
• Comfort working in a complex and fast‑moving organization across multiple stakeholders and capital pools; open to and experienced with complex investment structures and capital stacks.
• Demonstrated interest in process improvement and AI‑enabled workflows; willingness to lead, not just observe, that work.
• Strong modelling, analytical, valuation, and problem‑solving skills; strong written and verbal communication suited to IC presentations, credit memos, and external counterparty interactions.
• Must be eager to be part of a flat, collegial, collaborative environment embracing a high level of camaraderie, integrity and respect among peers.

Pay Range

$300,000

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The firm and its affiliates comply with applicable discrimination and equal opportunities legislation in all of its jurisdictions and do not discriminate in employment or recruitment based on race, color, religion, gender, national origin, veteran status, disability, age, citizenship, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.