2027 M&A Associate - Consumer, Minneapolis

Harris Williams•Minneapolis, MN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Harris Williams is hiring a first-year Associate to join its Consumer team in the Minneapolis, Minnesota office. Associates drive work forward in partnership with analysts and receive substantial exposure to clients and senior bankers. The role offers experience across the lifecycle of multiple client engagements in M&A and private capital advisory, with the opportunity to develop into a trusted advisor. Associates lead multiple workstreams while maintaining a high standard of quality. They contribute to deal strategy and client recommendations by turning data and analysis into actionable insights. The position is an on-call, in-office role requiring prompt responses to emails and calls, in-person deal-team meetings, and a willingness to work long hours. Harris Williams does not provide employment visa sponsorship or participate in STEM OPT for this position. The firm provides initial training at its Richmond headquarters and an ongoing structured professional development program. Compensation includes a stated base salary of $175,000, with incentive eligibility based on company, business, and/or individual performance. The posting also describes pension and 401(k) matching among the compensation and benefits offerings.

Requirements

Ability to work in the United States without sponsorship.
Master's degree, as listed under Education.
SIE and FINRA Series 63 and 79 licenses are required and may be obtained within 120 days after hire.
Demonstrated academic performance and prior work experience.
Learning agility, including curiosity, proactive learning, and the ability to apply feedback.
Clear verbal and written communication skills, adapted to the audience.
Ability to identify trends in complex data and explain their impact.
Understanding of Excel formulas, data validation, tables, and conditional formatting, and ability to create clear client-ready PowerPoint materials.
Working understanding of how the income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet connect.
Comfort using and directing AI tools while retaining ownership of quality, accuracy, and judgment.
Ability to work in an on-call, in-office role, respond quickly to communications, attend in-person deal-team meetings, and work long hours.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with analytical tools such as Capital IQ and FactSet.
Willingness to deepen accounting, valuation, and financial modeling expertise over time.
Experience or demonstrated strengths in analytical thinking, business acumen, leadership, marketing strategy and positioning, market research, selling, and teamwork.

Responsibilities

Drive work forward in partnership with analysts and take ownership of work and outcomes from start to finish.
Lead multiple workstreams and manage deadlines while maintaining accuracy and quality.
Build trusted relationships across deal teams and firm colleagues, contributing to the firm's collective success.
Communicate clearly and confidently in internal discussions and in client and C-suite settings.
Deliver accurate, high-quality, client-ready work products with attention to detail and sound deal judgment.
Translate data and analysis into actionable insights and a point of view that informs deal strategy and client recommendations.
Respond quickly to emails and calls and attend deal-team meetings in person.
Complete required SIE and FINRA Series 63 and 79 licenses within 120 days after hire if not already obtained.