Associate

Kansas City (onsite)

Full-time: Flexible with start dates throughout 2024

About Five Elms

• Five Elms is a leading private equity firm, investing in world-class B2B software companies.

• We are investing out of our $780 million fifth fund and have $2.4 billion in assets under management; we typically invest $5 – 75 million in each company. Post investment, we actively support management teams in accelerating revenue growth, building out the senior leadership team and further cementing their position as industry leaders.

• Founded in 2006, we’ve grown to 60 employees and invest globally out of our Kansas City headquarters and Lisbon, Portugal office. Portfolio company investments range from Paris to Sydney, Arkansas to Toronto, and Los Angeles to New York.

• Our highest performing investments continue to be those with strong company cultures and products that customers love.

Funding growth-stage businesses is challenging work

Five Elms is searching for an Associate with ties to the Midwest and the desire to live and build a career in Kansas City. We offer a unique opportunity analyzing and making investment decisions on hundreds fast growing software businesses globally each year. As an Associate, you are expected to think critically, work comfortably with entrepreneurs and senior-level executives, manage the diligence and closing process, and support companies post-close with limited guidance and oversight. Associates play a key role in the development of our Analysts by providing training, mentorship, and management of their work. This is not a 100% heads down financial modeling role. While you will be expected to analyze unstructured data to define key operating metrics and build a detailed operating model, you will also be expected to speak with customers and industry experts to build theses around market opportunities, and build relationships with C-level executives. Our associates are responsible for both deal origination and deal execution, so an ability to engage with entrepreneurs while representing Five Elms will be key in your success. Deal origination is the lifeblood of our organization and allows us to stand out in a crowded market. Sourcing new investment opportunities will be a crucial function of the role.

Is Five Elms right for you?

You have the right experience. You are a top performer with 2 years of investment banking or direct investing experience.

You are highly motivated. Outstanding academic credentials, relevant work experiences, high attention to detail, emotional intelligence, and interesting experiences are table stakes. You will be a part of a competitive environment, so you can learn and evolve your thinking.

You are a great communicator. You are articulate with strong writing, interpersonal, and phone skills. You generate activity, facilitate effective meetings, and communicate findings and recommendations in a succinct and actionable format. Strong business writing is fundamental.

You thrive in an entrepreneurial environment:

• You are highly curious and a natural problem solver; new experiences drive you.

• You have a proven ability to thrive in unstructured situations where there is no clear flight plan to reach the destination.

• You maintain a growth mindset and a bias toward action that will be the cornerstone of your success.

You like to win as a team, lack entitlement, and have fun:

• You have a superior work ethic. Long hours are expected when you are committed to your work and the team we are building.

• You like to win while operating with the highest levels of integrity, ethics, and trust.

• You will quickly appreciate that it is the people that make Five Elms a special to work.