Private Equity Senior Associate
5 months ago
Austin
Job DescriptionCSC Generation is the AI-native holding company re-engineering omni-channel retail. We acquire iconic brands and transform them with Genesis—our operating platform unifying a Data Fabric, Automation Engine, proprietary tools, and shared services—to modernize operations, elevate customer experience, and expand margins. With $1B+ in revenue across 13 brands, our portfolio includes Sur La Table, Backcountry, One Kings Lane, and more—premier home and outdoor banners that double as real-world innovation hubs. CSC Generation continues to grow through M&A, revitalizing companies with strong brand recognition and loyal customers. Reports to: Director of Corporate Development Location: Austin, TX (Hybrid); Salt Lake City, UT (Hybrid - 3x/week in-office); Los Angeles, CA (Hybrid); Toronto, ON (Hybrid) About the Role CSC Generation continues to grow through M&A, acquiring and revitalizing consumer and retail brands with strong recognition and loyal customers. The Investments team needs a senior individual contributor who can own critical workstreams across sourcing, diligence, execution, and portfolio value creation. As Private Equity Senior Associate, you will evaluate and execute acquisitions spanning carve-outs, distressed, and special situations while partnering with functional leaders across merchandising, supply chain, digital, finance, and data/AI to drive post-acquisition performance. Within your first six months, you will have led workstreams on live deals, contributed to investment committee materials, and helped launch value-creation roadmaps for newly acquired brands. This is a lean team. You will own a lot, move fast, and make decisions with full end-to-end responsibility. What You'll DoInvestment Analysis & Evaluation • Screen inbound and proprietary opportunities across consumer, retail, ecommerce, and related sectors., • Build and refine LBO and returns models, including sensitivity analysis by channel, store fleet, and digital KPIs., • Lead market and competitive research to size opportunities and benchmark category performance., • Develop sector theses (e.g., omnichannel retail, outdoor & sporting goods, home, specialty consumer) and maintain target lists.Diligence & Transaction Execution, • Own day-to-day workstreams on live deals: data requests, model builds, Q&A, and coordination with internal teams and external advisors., • Analyze historical and projected financial performance, working capital, unit economics, and store/SKU productivity., • Partner with CSC's functional leaders (merchandising, supply chain, digital, finance, data/AI) to run operational and technology due diligence., • Draft investment committee materials: investment thesis, value-creation plan, risks/mitigants, and exit scenarios., • Support negotiation of key business terms, including structure, earn-outs, and go-forward management incentives.Portfolio Value Creation & Monitoring, • Help launch 100-day plans and multi-year value-creation roadmaps for newly acquired brands., • Track portfolio performance through dashboards and monthly reviews; flag variances and assist operators in course correction., • Support initiatives such as pricing and promotion optimization, channel mix improvements, merchandising strategy, store fleet rationalization, and SG&A efficiency., • Work with CSC's AI and analytics teams to embed automation and data-driven decision-making into portfolio operations.Firm Building & Leadership, • Mentor and develop deal team members on modeling, research, and communication., • Contribute to internal tools, playbooks, and templates that enhance the investment and operating approach.Required Qualifications, • 4–7 years of total professional experience, including 2+ years in investment banking, management consulting, or restructuring/special situations advisory and 2+ years in private equity, special situations, or principal investing., • Advanced financial modeling skills: full LBOs, operating models, returns analysis, and debt sizing., • Strong command of accounting, cash flows, and capital structures; comfortable evaluating lender viewpoints., • Ability to turn incomplete or messy data into clear insights and recommendations., • Meaningful experience running workstreams on live deals (diligence, QofE, legal docs, financing, or integration planning)., • Strong communication skills with the ability to work directly with senior executives and advisors., • High proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint., • Comfort operating in lean teams with high ownership and ambiguity., • Willingness to travel to portfolio companies and partners as needed.Preferred Qualifications, • Experience with consumer, retail, ecommerce, or multi-unit businesses., • Exposure to distressed/special situations, corporate carve-outs, or complex integrations., • MBA., • Cross-Functional Impact: Your work spans sourcing, diligence, execution, and portfolio operations—touching every function from merchandising and supply chain to data/AI across multiple brands., • AI-First Skill Building: Get hands-on with advanced AI and automation tools embedded into portfolio operations, building a modern skill set at the intersection of investing, operations, and technology., • End-to-End Ownership: Own full workstreams on live deals and value-creation initiatives from thesis development through execution and post-acquisition performance tracking., • Competitive Benefits (US): Paid time off policies, 401(k) match, medical/dental/vision and a variety of supplemental policies, and employee discounts across our portfolio of brands., • Competitive Benefits (Canada): Paid time off policies, RRSP match, medical, dental, and vision coverage, a variety of supplemental benefit options, and employee discounts across our portfolio of brands.Interview Process, • Recruiter Screen - A 30-minute conversation with our recruiting team to align on the role, your background, and what you are looking for., • Hiring Manager Interview - Conversation with the Head of Investments focused on your deal experience, analytical approach, and investment judgment., • Case / Modeling Exercise - A take-home challenge to understand how you approach financial analysis, problem structuring, and execution., • Leadership Interviews - Deep-dive conversations with CSC senior leadership focused on your experience, operational thinking, and portfolio mindset., • In-Person Interview - We'd like to meet you at our Austin office. Details and logistics will be arranged with your recruiter., • Reference Checks - Conducted in parallel with the final stages where possible.