Strategic Finance Associate

Gateway Fiber•O'Fallon, MO

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Gateway Fiber is a growing fiber infrastructure and internet service provider that develops, owns, and operates fiber networks serving residential customers, small and medium-sized businesses, schools, and libraries across the United States. The Strategic Finance Associate supports the company’s M&A activity and financial and strategic planning, including business case and capital scenario planning, annual forecasting and budgeting, and operational and board reporting. The role owns aspects of M&A diligence and management of Gateway’s financial model, a key tool for financial and strategic planning. It requires analytical work and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, as well as autonomy in supporting senior leadership and investment stakeholders, including Gateway’s equity sponsor, CBRE Investment Management. The associate supports acquisition analysis and corporate development, maintains and develops financial models, prepares analyses and materials for management and board decisions, and contributes to performance and KPI reporting. Additional work includes evaluating organic growth opportunities, supporting pre- and post-merger integration planning, participating in long-range planning, and handling ad hoc projects for Gateway’s CFO, CEO, and VP of Finance.

Requirements

2–4 years of experience in private equity (ideally infrastructure), infrastructure-related investment banking, transaction services, consulting, or relevant commercial roles in sectors such as data centers, cell towers, utilities, or real estate.
Strong academic record and a bachelor’s degree.
Strong qualitative and quantitative analytical skills, including financial modeling, valuation, and due diligence.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Strong team collaboration and time management abilities.
Resourceful and persistent, with the ability to quickly absorb and synthesize information.
Highly proficient in Excel.
Advanced skills in Word and PowerPoint.
Ambitious self-starter with a positive attitude and willingness to roll up their sleeves in an entrepreneurial environment.

Nice To Haves

MBA designation.
CFA or CPA professional designation.

Responsibilities

Build acquisition models and valuation analyses, including $/passing, $/subscriber, revenue and EBITDA multiples, DCF/IRR, and accretion/dilution.
Maintain valuation comparables and transaction precedent databases.
Support IOIs/LOIs, diligence, management presentations, and investment committee and Board materials.
Evaluate acquisition opportunities against the economics of organically constructing an equivalent network.
Support maintenance of Gateway’s corporate financial model and scenario analysis, including income statement, cash flow, balance sheet, subscriber/passings, capex, debt, and equity funding schedules.
Prepare and present materials for business case analysis, forecasting scenarios, and investment committee discussions; assist with strategic materials for senior management and board-level discussions.
Build sensitivities around penetration, ARPU, churn, construction costs, build pace, timing, leverage, and financing assumptions.
Participate in financial planning, strategy development, review of management reporting, and relevant management meetings.
Develop scenario analyses for management decisions and Board discussions.
Prepare detailed business case analyses and decision recommendations, including thesis components, merits, risks, market and industry trends, track record evaluations, competitor assessments, and supporting research.
Analyze performance against budget, forecast, and prior periods.
Develop market-level and consolidated reporting on revenue, EBITDA, capex, passings, subscribers, penetration, churn, and ARPU.
Identify operational drivers behind performance variances.
Manage recurring management dashboards and KPI reporting.
Evaluate organic growth opportunities.
Assist with potential pre- and post-merger integration planning.
Participate in FP&A’s ongoing long-range planning.
Complete ad hoc projects for Gateway’s CFO, CEO, and VP of Finance.