Associate, Private Equity & Principal Investors; PEPI - Restructuring & Special Situations

Job Description

As an Associate within Kearney's Private Equity & Principal Investors (PEPI) practice, you will be a core contributor to a growing team specializing in restructuring, turnaround, distressed transformation, and special situations. We partner with private equity sponsors, private credit investors, lenders, Fortune 500 companies, and management teams to help organizations navigate periods of financial and operational distress.

• Structuring and conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses
• Supporting restructuring, turnaround, distressed transformation, and special situations engagements
• Advising private equity sponsors, private credit investors, lenders, Fortune 500 companies, and management teams through restructuring and operational turnaround initiatives
• Supporting Fortune 500 special situations and credit-informed transformation engagements
• Contributing to middle‑market restructuring and distressed advisory engagements
• Synthesizing findings into clear, concise storylines and client‑ready materials
• Supporting business development efforts, including proposal development and client presentations
• Working collaboratively with team members and client stakeholders in a fast‑paced environment

• Experienced:
  An MBA (preferred) and 4–7 years of professional experience, ideally within restructuring consulting, turnaround advisory, special situations, private credit, or a top‑tier management consulting firm.
• Restructuring‑focused:
  Demonstrated experience supporting restructuring, turnaround, distressed transformation, special situations, or private credit engagements.
• Financially astute:
  Strong understanding of financial statements, liquidity management, cash flow improvement, enterprise value drivers, and operational performance metrics.
• Analytically rigorous:
  Strong quantitative and problem‑solving skills with the ability to synthesize complex information into actionable insights.
• Collaborative:
  You thrive working across multidisciplinary teams while building trusted relationships with clients and colleagues.
• Structured thinker:
  Able to navigate ambiguity, solve complex business challenges, and develop practical, data‑driven recommendations.
• Academically accomplished:
  Undergraduate degree required; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
• Professional certifications preferred: CIRA, CDBV, CTP, CFA, CPA, or other restructuring, turnaround, insolvency, or financial advisory credentials.
• Location flexible:
  Located near or willing to relocate to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington D.C., or another Kearney office location.

Every day, our people work to make an impact for our clients, communities, and colleagues. We provide a competitive remuneration package and comprehensive benefits and perks, including:

• Structured and on‑the‑job learning and development opportunities
• Generous retirement/pension savings contributions
• Comprehensive medical insurance for employees and their families
• Personalized opportunities including talent mobility, flexible work programs, and externships to help you chart a unique career journey

Base salary range: $188,000 – $194,000 for candidates with an MBA. Candidates without an MBA will be considered for the role with a base salary of $157,000. Under exceptional circumstances, candidates without an MBA may be considered for a base salary of $188,000. Salaries are determined by a wide variety of factors including education, experience, office location, knowledge, and skills. In addition to salary, individuals may be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus.

Our full suite of benefits includes paid time off, paid sick time off, 401(k) match and profit sharing, medical, dental and vision coverage, healthcare concierge, backup child/adult care, annual employer HSA contribution, home office stipend, subsidized Wellhub and annual wellness program, and leaves of absence as needed.

Kearney prides itself on providing a culture that allows employees to bring their best selves to work every day. We aim to build diverse capabilities to help our clients solve their most mission‑critical problems.

Kearney is an equal opportunity employer; we recruit, hire, train, promote, develop, and provide other conditions of employment without regard to a person's gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, veteran status, genetic information or any other differences consistent with applicable laws. This includes providing reasonable accommodation for disabilities and religious beliefs and practices.

Members of communities historically underrepresented in consulting are encouraged to apply.