Job Description
American Operator is seeking a highly motivated and analytical Investment Analyst to support our investment team across the acquisition lifecycle. This role is ideal for a candidate early in their career who is excited about private equity, small-business acquisitions, and hands-on investing. The Analyst will work closely with senior investment professionals to evaluate new opportunities, conduct diligence, build financial models, and support post-investment planning. This role is based in our Austin, TX office.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Support the evaluation of new investment opportunities by reviewing CIMs, broker materials, financial statements, and internal screening memos.
- Perform detailed financial analysis, including reviewing tax returns, P&Ls, balance sheets, cash flow statements, addbacks, and EBITDA trends.
- Build and maintain financial models to support deal evaluation, including valuation analyses, purchase price scenarios, and pro-forma projections.
- Assist with due diligence efforts post-LOI, including data analysis, business quality assessment, and preparation of internal investment memos.
- Help prepare materials for investment committee discussions, internal reviews, and investor updates.
- Participate in operational planning efforts, including supporting Year 1 budgets and post-close initiatives alongside operators and senior team members.
- Maintain deal tracking tools, data rooms, and internal documentation to ensure timely execution across active opportunities.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - 1+ years of experience in investment banking, private equity, consulting, corporate finance, accounting, or a highly analytical role (internship experience welcomed).
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills with a solid understanding of financial statements.
- Proficiency in Excel and comfort building and working with financial models.
- High attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
- Ability to manage multiple workstreams in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing presentations and executive-level memos
- Intellectual curiosity and eagerness to learn the deal process end-to-end.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Exposure to M&A, private equity, search funds, or transaction-oriented environments.
- Familiarity with valuation concepts, LBOs, or pro-forma financial modeling.
- Experience working with small or lower-middle-market businesses.
- Interest in entrepreneurship, operators, and long-term business ownership.
ABOUT THE TEAM American Operator exists because we believe the American Dream is worth protecting, and that small businesses are the backbone of our communities. To do this well, we need a team that reflects the real world: operators, builders, investors, and problem-solvers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
We know that diversity of thought, discipline, and lived experience leads to better decisions and stronger businesses. We're intentional about bringing together people who care deeply about ownership, stewardship, and keeping great companies in capable hands. Our work depends on collaboration, humility, and a shared belief in the value of Main Street.
We're a team shaped by different industries, hometowns, and career paths, and we believe those differences are exactly what prepare us to serve small-business owners and future CEOs across the country.
MISSION-DRIVEN Every company claims to be mission-driven, but our mission is simple, tangible, and urgent: preserve the legacy of America's small businesses and create more pathways to meaningful ownership.
We partner with operators who want to step into leadership, take responsibility for great companies, and continue the work that founders spent decades building. When we succeed, communities keep their employers, families keep their livelihoods, and operators get the chance to build wealth through real ownership.
We work hard because we know what's at stake: generational businesses that deserve to thrive, and talented operators who deserve the chance to lead them. And while we measure our success in deals closed and businesses grown, the real reward is seeing these companies continue to serve their people and their towns, stronger than before.
Where else do you get the opportunity to help someone become a CEO, preserve a founder's life's work, and strengthen a community, all in the same job? That's what makes our work both serious and incredibly fulfilling.
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