Senior Analyst/Associate Underwriter Portfolio Manager-Sponsor

First Citizens Bank • New York, NY

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

First Citizens Sponsor Finance provides cash flow and asset-based senior debt for private equity-backed transactions in the middle market and lower middle market throughout the United States. The Senior Analyst/Associate Underwriter Portfolio Manager-Sponsor plays an active role in underwriting, executing, and managing the portfolio of sponsor-backed leveraged finance transactions. The position requires strong financial analysis, credit underwriting, and communication skills, and close collaboration with private equity sponsors, company management teams, internal credit partners, and other bank product groups throughout the deal lifecycle. This is a hybrid role, with work regularly taking place inside and outside a company office.

The role's responsibilities are divided between underwriting (70%) and portfolio management (30%). Senior Analyst and Associate levels have different minimum education and experience requirements and base-pay ranges.

Requirements

• Senior Analyst level: Bachelor's degree and at least 1 year of experience in credit analysis, underwriting, or risk management; alternatively, a high school diploma or GED and at least 5 years of that experience.
• Associate level: Bachelor's degree and at least 2 years of experience, or high school diploma or GED/equivalent and at least 6 years of experience, in credit analysis, underwriting, or risk management.
• Strong financial modeling, analytical, and credit skills, including the ability to assess financial performance, capital structures, cash flow lending, leverage, debt repayment capacity, financial covenants, and downside scenarios.
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Senior Analyst level: Ability to work effectively in a lean deal-team environment.
• Associate level: Ability to independently assess transaction structures, company and industry risks, debt capacity, covenants, and downside scenarios, and independently manage multiple transaction and portfolio priorities.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics, business, or a related field.
• Completion of a formal credit training program; desired but not required.
• Senior Analyst level: One or more years of experience in commercial banking, leveraged finance, private credit, investment banking, transaction advisory, or a related credit role.
• Senior Analyst level: Experience in financial analysis, credit underwriting, or portfolio management, with exposure to leveraged loans and private equity-backed transactions.
• Associate level: Two or more years of experience in commercial banking, leveraged finance, private credit, investment banking, transaction advisory, or a related credit role.
• Associate level: Experience underwriting and managing leveraged loans or private equity-backed transactions involving middle-market companies.
• Associate level: Strong written and verbal communication, organizational, and project-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform detailed financial, operational, industry, and credit analysis for new leveraged finance opportunities involving private equity-backed companies.
• Build and review financial models assessing historical and projected performance, cash flow, leverage, liquidity, debt repayment capacity, covenant compliance, and downside scenarios.
• Analyze transaction structures, sponsor support, industry dynamics, and key credit risks and mitigants; prepare underwriting memoranda, credit approval packages, and internal presentation materials.
• Support due diligence, structuring, legal documentation, funding, and closing in coordination with sponsors, management teams, legal counsel, lenders, and third-party providers.
• Monitor an assigned portfolio of sponsor-backed borrowers, including financial performance, liquidity, covenant compliance, and performance against underwriting expectations.
• Prepare annual reviews, amendments, waivers, add-on financing requests, and other portfolio-related credit approvals.
• Identify emerging risks, recommend appropriate mitigants or action plans, and maintain accurate risk ratings, financial spreads, covenant information, and monitoring records.
• Maintain complete credit files and ensure ongoing compliance with credit approvals, bank policies, and internal and external review requirements.

Benefits

• Competitive, thoughtfully designed benefits program.
• Total compensation may include variable incentives, bonuses, benefits, and/or other awards, as outlined in the offer of employment.

What This Job Offers

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