The Diligence Manager Opportunity:
Splash 4 Partners (“S4P”) is looking for a Diligence Manager to join its consulting and diligence advisory firm. This role is an integral part of the engagement team and requires strong project management skills in addition to critical thinking about business models, drivers of competition, and the underlying fundamentals of valuing a business. On a project, the Diligence Manager is responsible for managing all secondary research and data analytics workflows. This includes conducting secondary research on targeted industries, quantitative analysis that informs market sizing and growth estimates, KPI and financial trend analysis to gain visibility into future business performance, and working closely with engagement team members in a managerial capacity to distill key insights into actionable client recommendations and reports. The opportunity is a great fit for those with a passion for quantitative analysis, problem solving, and contributing to the investment diligence process.
S4P works with private equity firms, middle market executives, and specialty lenders to help make informed investment decisions, develop and execute growth strategies, identify acquisition targets, and enter new markets. Our core service offerings are focused on industry due diligence and competitive analysis, understanding the voice of the customer / factors influencing customer purchasing decisions, quantify addressable and penetrated market sizes, company visibility and financial forecasting, and growth strategy planning. We encourage those with consulting, industry diligence, investment banking, corporate development, private equity, equity research, transaction advisory services / quality of earnings services, and similar backgrounds to apply.
Our team works closely to deliver high-touch services and actionable results to clients. The firm operates with a flat hierarchy, giving team members the ability to own sections of each project and further their professional development. We operate under a principal of responsibility and ownership of one’s work. The Diligence Manager will collaborate with all members of the Splash 4 team but will work closely with and report to the VP – Project Lead. The Diligence Manager will also work closely with a small team of diligence analysts for whom he/she is primarily responsible to manage and develop. The ideal candidate will be curious, self-motivated, derive satisfaction in doing an assignment with precision, and be driven to do the next assignment better. For more about the firm, use your research skills and let us know what you find and why you want to work at Splash 4 Partners.
The Diligence Manager will be based out of Richmond, Virginia (note: S4P is currently working from home with plans to be back in more traditional office space sometime in 2022). Firm engagements range from deep dive industry studies to long-term strategy creation for organizations. The Diligence Manager will be responsible for managing the in-depth secondary research workflows, which is typically the first step of critical information gathering that gets the fly wheel spinning for all other project workflows. As more information is learned during the project, the Diligence Manager will be responsible for guiding the diligence analysts in which areas of secondary research need a deeper dive. The Diligence Manager is also primarily responsible for the data collection and analysis functions on a project. Examples include building the total addressable and penetrated market sizes from the bottoms up, evaluating historical financial and operational KPIs, analyzing customer databases to segment based on certain attributes or purchasing tendencies, processing and evaluating survey results, and creating financial forecasts with sensitivities. Working with the Project Lead, the diligence analysts, and the primary research team, the Diligence Manager plays an integral role in synthesizing key findings and recommendations and ultimately report production to be delivered to clients. This role will be client facing and requires both strong project management and client management skills. There are long-term opportunities for both professional and personal development within existing and complimentary service lines as we continue to grow.
Experience & Skills (What you bring to the table):
A minimum of 5 – 7+ years of relevant experience
Project management and staff management experience; ability to develop less experienced team members as a player-coach (show by example, mentor)
Deep knowledge of business models and competitive forces
Strong business acumen and ability to prioritize; strong logic and reasoning skills
Ability to synthesize large amounts of in-depth secondary research with brevity and clarity
Enjoys solving quantitative puzzles and able to triangulate the answer when data is incomplete or incongruous; knows where to go looking for hard-to-find data in creative ways
Ability to think about a problem, industry, or company at both the macro-level and the micro-level; ability to think strategically and tactically
Analytically and quantitatively inclined, including having the ability to analyze large data sets, sanity check analyses, and architect and build forecast models (advanced Excel and Power BI skills required, experience with other data analysis and/or visualization programs a plus)
Strong business writing and editing skills
An appreciation for process and an ability to benevolently mange people to follow the process
Pays close attention to detail
Calm under pressure
Takes ownership of assignments big and small
Ability to manage multiple simultaneous workflow streams and/or projects
Takes pride in work, constantly looks to improve their craft, and absorbs feedback
Ability to communicate effectively (in writing, via phone, and in person) with a wide variety of individuals
Team-centric approach
Curious by nature; deep thinker on business models is a plus
Responsibilities (What you will be doing):
Manage a team (secondary research and analytics) of 1 – 2 analysts per project within a broader project team of four to six people under tight deadlines (average 2 – 4-week projects)
Support the Project Lead in creating project scopes
Manage the secondary research and analytics functions; this has elements of both managing analysts doing some of the work and you also doing some of the work
Take a lead role in production of client deliverables; synthesize research flows into impactful ‘so what’ insights and client recommendations
Actively participate in client read-out discussions
Work closely with the primary research team to collaborate and share information; work to close information gaps
Architect and build data and forecast models; mentor and oversee diligence analysts in building these skill sets to empower them to do more of this function over time
Oversee analysts on secondary research and perform some targeted secondary research on your own; be an avid consumer of information pertaining the projects throughout the project (information gathering is an iterative process)
Take the lead on creating and editing client deliverables / report production of PowerPoint decks
Cultivate a culture of open feedback, dialogue, and development
Mentor and train analysts
And more
How to Apply (Instructions on how to impress):
Email us your resume and cover letter to rgrosshandler@splash4partners. Cover letters should be their own separate document from the resume. The cover letter should highlight who you are, why you are interested in working at S4P, and what makes you uniquely qualified. In the body of the email, please answer one odd and one even question from the list below with extreme brevity.
If you were given seven minutes to teach me something, what would it be?
What is the best piece of career advice you try to live by and why?
What is at the top of your learner’s bucket list and why?
Watch the links below. Pick one that resonates with you and share how you can relate to it. If none of these speak to you, pick one of your own and share the link and why it speaks to you and how you can relate.
a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUqxDUIM7NY
b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsSC2vx7zFQ