2-Year Associate, Direct Lending (Summer 2027)
About The Position
The Associate, Direct Lending, will play a central role on Carlyle’s Global Credit team, supporting all aspects of the investment lifecycle. This two-year program is designed for professionals with foundational experience in credit investing or sponsor-backed finance who are looking to deepen their expertise in middle-market direct lending. Associates are embedded within deal teams and contribute meaningfully to underwriting, structuring, and managing a diverse portfolio of credit investments. The position offers exposure to a range of sectors and investment structures, all within a collaborative, high-performing environment where judgment, initiative, and analytical rigor are valued. This role will leverage AI technologies to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and drive execution of key responsibilities with greater efficiency and impact. While AI is a powerful enabler, it does not replace strategic thinking; human insight and judgment will remain essential.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution required
- Degree in finance, economics, accounting, or a related field preferred
- 2 to 3 years of experience in direct lending, leveraged finance, restructuring, credit investing, or M&A
- Prior exposure to sponsor-backed transactions strongly preferred
- Solid financial modeling and valuation skills
- Exceptional analytical capabilities with demonstrated attention to detail
- Ability to manage competing priorities and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment
Nice To Haves
- Familiarity with AI solutions that streamline diligence or deal execution workflows is advantageous
Responsibilities
- Conduct industry research and competitive analysis to support investment decisions
- Build and maintain detailed financial models, including cash flow projections and downside scenarios
- Develop investment memoranda and presentation materials for credit committee review
- Participate in underwriting new transactions, including initial screening, structuring, and term sheet development
- Support legal documentation and transaction execution processes
- Perform ongoing portfolio monitoring, including covenant compliance, performance tracking, and reporting
- Contribute to internal valuation processes and periodic portfolio reviews
- Support investor-related activities such as fundraising, marketing materials, and data requests
- Prepare sector updates and sponsor coverage materials
- Generate benchmarking and comparable analysis to inform credit structuring
- Draft and refine pipeline summaries and meeting notes for internal use
- Extract insights from third-party data sources and summarize trends for deal teams
- Deepening thematic insights across core sectors through collaborative research
- Enhancing credit structuring practices with data-informed refinements
- Strengthening sponsor relationships through proactive engagement and tailored insights
- Driving thought leadership within the direct lending strategy
Benefits
- retirement benefits
- health insurance
- life insurance and disability
- paid time off
- paid holidays
- family planning benefits
- various wellness programs
- annual discretionary incentive program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
