Corporate Portfolio Finance Research – Associate Director (NY)

About the role

The role sits at the center of KBRA’s proprietary data ecosystem and focuses on translating complex datasets into credit-oriented insights for investors, issuers, fund managers, bankers, and internal stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop research in collaboration with sector experts, leveraging years of proprietary data, including:
• Corporate research that leverages KBRA’s access to financial statements, lender investment memoranda, and credit agreements for more than 5,300 sponsor-backed middle market companies.
• Fund research derived from rated note feeders, collateralized fund obligations, private equity net asset value loans, and asset-based finance reporting and performance.
• Structured credit research, including analysis of collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and related structured products.
• Develop a deep understanding of the key drivers of credit performance, including how private markets function, risk dynamics, and return generation.
• Collaborate with senior members across the firm on research, database development, and analysis.
• Participate in diligence meetings with fund management teams to understand key themes and risks emerging in private markets.
• Lead the development of thematic, market-facing research pieces that shape external perspectives on private markets.
• Track defaults and recoveries, and research the underlying drivers.
• Write quarterly reports on corporate credit, structured credit, and fund-related topics, as well as intermittent updates based on recent trends or news.
• Develop presentations used internally and for public conferences.

Requirements

• A keen curiosity about private markets and credit with a demonstrated capability and willingness to learn.
• Attention to detail.
• Demonstrated initiative to explore ideas and develop original, defensible, data-driven views that can be synthesized into public papers.
• Strong understanding of either corporate, fund, or structured credit analysis.
• Strong writing skills.
• Familiarity with generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT).
• Coding or programming experience is a plus.
• 4-8+ years of experience in credit, research, banking, journalism, investing, or structured finance.
• A bachelor's degree.

Qualifications

• Salary Range
• The anticipated annual base salary range for this full-time position is $120,000 to $150,000. Offer amounts are determined by factors such as experience, skills, geography, and other job-related factors.
• Benefits
• A hybrid work schedule (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays in the office)
• Competitive benefits and paid time off
• Paid family and disability leave
• 401(k) plan, including employer match (100% vested)
• Employee referral bonus program

Skills

• Strong understanding of either corporate, fund, or structured credit analysis.
• Strong writing skills.
• Familiarity with generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT).
• Coding or programming experience is a plus.

Benefits

• A hybrid work schedule (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays in the office)
• Competitive benefits and paid time off
• Paid family and disability leave
• 401(k) plan, including employer match (100% vested)
• Employee referral bonus program