2027 M&A Associate - Consumer, Minneapolis

Harris Williams seeks to hire a first-year Associate to join the Consumer team in the Minneapolis, MN office. The firm will not provide sponsorship for employment visas or participate in STEM OPT for this position.

About the Role

Harris Williams offers a collegial environment where every individual has the opportunity to make an impact. As an Associate, you will have high exposure to clients and senior bankers, with your ideas and perspectives valued. You will drive work forward in partnership with analysts, seeing the full lifecycle of multiple client engagements to develop into a well-rounded, trusted advisor.

This role is part of the dynamic M&A and private capital advisory segment of investment banking, where your work will directly shape the trajectory of clients. The firm boasts an industry-leading pitch win rate and a collaborative culture that unlocks value in both businesses and individuals.

Professional Development

Your growth is a top priority at Harris Williams. New associates begin with a robust training program at the Richmond headquarters, designed to build relationships, provide baseline M&A knowledge, and prepare you for your first client engagement. This is the start of an extensive, structured learning experience.

Leaders at Harris Williams are deeply invested in your career—83% of managing directors were promoted from within the firm.

Compensation and Benefits

• Highly competitive base salary: $175,000
• Incentive eligibility based on company, business, and individual performance
• Pension plan
• 401(k) matching
• Comprehensive benefits including:
  • Medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage (with Health Savings Account option)
  • Employee and dependent life insurance
  • Short- and long-term disability protection
  • Stock purchase plan
  • Dependent care reimbursement account
  • Back-up child/elder care
  • Adoption, surrogacy, and doula reimbursement
  • Educational assistance (including select fully paid programs)
  • Wellness program with financial incentives
• Paid time off:
  • Maternity and/or parental leave
  • Up to 11 paid holidays annually
  • 9 occasional absence days annually
  • 15 to 25 vacation days annually, based on career level and years of service

What We Look For

Harris Williams seeks motivated individuals who thrive on challenge, demonstrated through academic performance and prior work experience. While no specific academic concentration is required, the following skills are desired:

• Learning agility: Curious and proactive in learning, applying new information, and incorporating feedback to develop quickly.
• Communication: Able to articulate ideas clearly and tailor messaging, tone, and detail for diverse audiences, both verbally and in writing.
• Problem solving and data analysis: Skilled at identifying trends in complex data sets (using tools like Capital IQ and FactSet) and articulating their impact.
• Excel and PowerPoint: Proficient in Excel formulas, data validation, tables, and conditional formatting, and able to create clear, client-ready materials in PowerPoint.
• Accounting and finance: Working understanding of income statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets, with a willingness to deepen expertise in accounting, valuation, and financial modeling.
• AI literacy: Comfortable using and directing AI tools to improve output while maintaining ownership of quality, accuracy, and judgment.

Core Competencies

Associates who thrive at Harris Williams demonstrate the following seven core competencies:

• Ownership: Drive work forward and own outcomes from start to finish, advancing tasks with accountability for results.
• Collaboration and Relationships: Build trusted relationships across deal teams and firm colleagues, prioritizing collective success and modeling a "One Firm" culture.
• Communication: Articulate ideas clearly and confidently to all audiences, including clients and C-suite executives.
• Execution Excellence: Deliver accurate, high-quality, client-ready work products that reflect sound deal judgment and attention to detail.
• Growth Mindset: Continuously seek feedback, mentorship, and opportunities to deepen industry, market, and technical knowledge.
• Planning and Organization: Manage workstreams and deadlines to ensure consistent, on-time execution without sacrificing quality.
• Strategy: Translate data and analysis into actionable insights and clear recommendations that contribute to deal strategy and client decisions.

Requirements

• Ability to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.
• This is an "on-call," in-office role requiring responsiveness to emails and calls, in-person attendance at deal team meetings, and willingness to work long hours.
• Typically requires a university/college degree (Master’s preferred) with 5+ years of industry-relevant experience. In lieu of a degree, a comparable combination of education, certifications, and experience (including military service) may be considered.
• No specific certifications or licenses are required for this role.

Candidates will be considered on a rolling basis. The application window is expected to close on October 2, 2026, and may reopen on January 4, 2027, if unfilled. For questions, contact Sara Moir at smoir@harriswilliams.com.