2027 M&A Associate, Richmond

Harris Williams • Richmond, VA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Harris Williams is hiring first-year associates for its Richmond office in the Business Services; Energy, Power & Infrastructure; Industrials; and Transportation & Logistics / Aerospace, Defense & Government Services groups. Associates drive workstreams 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, with the goal of developing well-rounded, trusted M&A advisors.

The position is based in the office and is described as on-call. Associates are expected to respond quickly to emails and calls, attend deal team meetings in person, and be willing to work long hours. New associates attend an initial training program at the Richmond headquarters, followed by structured professional development.

Candidates must be able to work in the United States without sponsorship. The firm does not provide employment visa sponsorship or participate in STEM OPT for this position. Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter combined into one PDF, indicate preferred industry groups, and complete a Suited profile. SIE and FINRA Series 63 and 79 licenses are required and may be obtained within 120 days after hire.

Requirements

• Ability to work in the United States without employment sponsorship.
• Learning agility, curiosity, initiative in learning, and ability to apply new information and feedback.
• Clear verbal and written communication, with the ability to adapt messages to the audience.
• Ability to analyze complex data, identify trends, and explain their impact; familiarity with tools such as Capital IQ and FactSet is referenced.
• Understanding of Excel formulas, data validation, tables, and conditional formatting, and ability to create clear, client-ready PowerPoint materials.
• Working understanding of the connections among the income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet, and willingness to deepen accounting, valuation, and financial modeling expertise.
• Comfort using and directing AI tools while retaining ownership of output quality, accuracy, and judgment.
• Ability to lead multiple workstreams while maintaining quality, planning, organization, and attention to detail.
• Master's degree listed under education qualifications.
• SIE and FINRA Series 63 and 79 licenses required; they may be obtained within 120 days post-hire.

Nice To Haves

• No specific academic concentration is required; academic performance and prior work experience demonstrate motivation for challenge.
• Skills in analytical thinking, business acumen, customer experience management, customer relationship management, effective communications, leadership, marketing strategy and positioning, market research, selling, and teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple workstreams and drive work forward in partnership with analysts.
• Own tasks and outcomes from start to finish, maintaining accountability for quality.
• Build trusted relationships across deal teams and with firm colleagues, and contribute to the One Firm culture.
• Communicate clearly and confidently in internal discussions and client and C-suite settings.
• Deliver accurate, high-quality, client-ready work products with attention to detail and sound deal judgment.
• Manage workstreams and deadlines to deliver consistent, timely execution without sacrificing quality.
• Translate data and analysis into actionable insight and a clear point of view that contributes to deal strategy and client recommendations.
• Respond quickly to emails and calls, attend deal team meetings in person, and be willing to work long hours.

Benefits

• Highly competitive compensation and performance-bonus eligibility.
• Pension.
• 401(k) matching.
• The posting also includes a separate PNC benefits section listing medical and prescription coverage, dental and vision options, life insurance, disability protection, 401(k) match, pension, stock purchase plans, dependent-care reimbursement, backup child and elder care, adoption, surrogacy and doula reimbursement, educational assistance, wellness incentives, parental leave, paid holidays, occasional absence days, and vacation. This section appears unrelated to the Harris Williams role.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level