Senior Associate, Direct Lending

National Life Group; New York (NY); On-site; USD 161,250 - 236,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible and customizable benefits starting day one

Job summary

National Life Group is seeking a Senior Associate, Direct Lending to join their Private Credit team. This role involves evaluating and managing private credit investments with a focus on credit analysis, financial modeling, and due diligence.

Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in Finance or a related field and at least two years of experience in private credit or investment banking. The position requires expertise in credit markets and strong analytical skills.

The position is onsite and offers a competitive salary range of $161,250 - $236,500 USD along with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum two years of experience in private credit, private equity, investment banking, or similar financial services role.
• Experience performing credit analysis and transaction execution.
• Strong understanding of credit markets and capital structures.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive credit analysis and due diligence.
• Develop and maintain complex financial models.
• Prepare investment memoranda for the Investment Transaction Committee.
• Evaluate and underwrite private credit investment opportunities.
• Monitor portfolio performance and covenant compliance.

Skills

Credit analysis

Financial modeling

Due diligence

Communication skills

Proficiency in Excel

Education

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

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

Job description

The Senior Associate, Direct Lending is an essential member of the Private Credit team at National Life Group, responsible for evaluating, executing, and managing private credit investments across sponsor‑backed, non‑sponsor‑backed, and secondary market opportunities. The role performs in‑depth credit analysis, financial modeling, due diligence, transaction execution, and portfolio monitoring while partnering with internal stakeholders and external investment partners.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive credit analysis, including financial statement review, credit risk assessment, liquidity analysis, capital structure evaluation, and due diligence.
• Develop and maintain complex financial models, including cash flow analysis, covenant compliance, and stress‑testing.
• Prepare investment memoranda, financial models, and supporting analyses for the Investment Transaction Committee.
• Evaluate, underwrite, and execute private credit investment opportunities in collaboration with internal teams and external partners.
• Build and maintain relationships with borrowers, investment partners, legal counsel, and other stakeholders.
• Evaluate secondary private‑credit market opportunities, including portfolio acquisitions and single‑name investments.
• Review transaction documentation, including term sheets, credit agreements, and related legal documents in partnership with internal and external counsel.
• Monitor portfolio performance, covenant compliance, financial results, and identify portfolio optimization opportunities.
• Participate in strategic initiatives and special projects supporting the growth of the Private Credit platform.
• Take ownership of assigned workstreams, proactively identifying opportunities, risks, and solutions.
• All other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience in private credit, private equity, investment banking, or a similar financial services role.
• Experience performing credit analysis, financial modeling, due diligence, and transaction execution.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Strong understanding of credit markets, capital structures, debt instruments, and investment analysis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, organizational, and time‑management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA and/or CFA designation.
• Experience working with private credit funds, investment banks, or financial institutions on direct investments.
• Exposure to secondary private credit market investing.
• Experience reviewing legal documentation related to private credit transactions.
• Experience collaborating with external investment partners and managing joint investment processes.

Compensation

Salary Pay Range: $161,250 - $236,500 USD.

Base pay range is based on prior experience, education, and market factors. Total compensation may include a full range of benefits and discretionary incentive programs.

Benefits

• Benefits start day one and are flexible and customizable to your and your family’s specific needs.

Work Schedule

The position is onsite with an expectation of being in the office four (4) days per week during core days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we do not offer visa sponsorship for this position.