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Investment Banking Full-Time Analyst 2026 - Leveraged Finance Group

William Blair

110k - 110k USD/year

Office

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Full Time

Solutions for Today’s Challenges. Vision for Tomorrow’s Opportunities.

Join William Blair, the Premier Global Partnership.

William Blair has delivered trusted advice for nine decades, and we continue to deepen our expertise and relationships across regions, asset classes, and markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

We are committed to our people and culture, values, clients, and local communities.

What sets us apart is that we are an independent partnership, with employees who have unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet clients’ evolving needs amid dynamic market conditions and varying industries.

We strive to attract the most qualified, passionate candidates who specialize in investment banking, investment management, private wealth management, and a variety of other business functions.

We work tirelessly to create an inclusive culture and take pride in fostering employees’ professional and personal growth. We empower our people to bring their best thinking each day so we can deliver the tailored, thoughtful work and problem-solving abilities that our clients expect.

Equally, we are proud of our long-term partnerships with the communities in which we live and work, a legacy we inherited from our founder.

We invite you to learn about how we are seeking excellence in everything we do and empowering our clients’ success with passion, creativity, and rigor. For more information, visit williamblair.com.

Execute in-depth analyses to support new business development, transaction execution and the delivery of investment banking products and services to clients and prospects. Perform research and financial modeling, apply core valuation methods, and complete due diligence activities at the direction of the Investment Banking team lead. Work closely with client staff to advance projects, gathering necessary information, describing financial modeling methodology, and presenting results directly related to scope of analysis. Provide training and mentorship to summer interns and less experienced Analysts.

About William Blair’s Leveraged Finance Group:

Our Leveraged Finance Group is a team of dedicated debt advisory bankers focused on delivering an optimal financing outcome for each client’s specific situation. We provide conflict-free advisory and arrangement services for middle-market companies across a wide range of industries and transaction types, along with trusted, objective advice on how best to structure debt issues, and are skilled at negotiating key terms of debt agreements, often working in conjunction with our private equity placement professionals to provide single-source solutions for our clients' capital requirements. Whether the objective is to finance an acquisition, refinance an existing facility, support growth with additional capital, or provide liquidity to existing shareholders, our team leverages a broad lender network to deliver the best financing solution available in the market. These relationships, along with our group’s extensive experience and proprietary 360° view of the leveraged finance market, allow us to provide our clients with a full menu of product options.

Responsibilities include but may not be limited to:

  • Perform extensive financial/valuation analyses to value debt and equity for mergers, acquisitions and capital raising transactions. Form varied approaches to analyses once fundamental base of approach is set.
  • Work alongside managing directors, directors, and vice presidents in ECM Origination and across sector coverage groups
  • Originate and execute equity and equity-linked offerings across William Blair’s client coverage universe
  • Build financial models to value potential and actual clients and/or industries. Execute core valuation methods, such as comparable companies, precedents and discounted cash flow. Effectively synthesize information to convey complex financial modeling outcomes.
  • Support ECM Origination and sector coverage groups in preparing commitment committee, filing, and selling memorandums, and investor targeting materials.
  • Perform due diligence, research, analysis and documentation of potential and live transactions. Identify potential deal issues and properly escalate concerns to team members.
  • Draft management presentations to highlight financial analysis and research results.
  • Work alongside Equity Syndicate, Institutional Sales & Trading, and Research during offering execution process to coordinate feedback on deal messaging, company peers, and the capital markets broadly.
  • Compile and prepare appropriate marketing materials detailing the perspective and recommendation on the capital markets and highlighting William Blair’s equity and distribution platform.
  • Assist in the development, production and delivery of proposals and presentations to clients and prospects. Draft marketing materials, emphasizing the advantages of William Blair and its investment banking methods/approach.
  • Participate in client meetings and drafting sessions.
  • Research industries or sectors, as identified by senior bankers, to target certain clients or industries. Evaluate and improve BIC content. Leverage learnings across deals.
  • Seek opportunities to streamline processes and propose solutions to complete tasks more efficiently.
  • Support client relationship development by developing a detailed understanding of client needs and challenges, providing professional and responsive service and anticipating client information needs.
  • Develop an understanding of macro factors related to client industry, investment banking products and potential implications.
  • Mentor summer interns and invest in teaching subsequent classes of analysts, imparting best practices.
  • Ensure all activities are in compliance with applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
  • Additional responsibilities as requested.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree required with an anticipated graduation date between December 2025 and June 2026
  • Internship or prior work experience in financial services industry preferred
  • Proven track record in university studies required
  • SIE Exam, prior to beginning employment, and Series 79 and Series 63 within 90 days of employment
  • Detail oriented with strong analytical abilities
  • Excellent mathematical, writing, verbal and computer skills
  • Ability to adapt to new tasks with little notice
  • Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
  • Strong desire to win
  • Developing increasingly sound judgement
  • Thorough understanding of accounting and finance
  • Commitment to satisfying internal and external customers
  • Travel required: approximately 5%

A reasonable estimate of the current base salary range at time of posting is below. Base salary does not include other forms of compensation or benefits. Actual base salary within the specified range is based on several factors, including but not limited to applicant's skills, prior relevant experience, specific degrees and certifications, job responsibilities, market considerations and, if applicable, the location of the position.

This role is eligible for either a discretionary annual bonus (based on company, business unit and individual performance) and/or commission-based incentives.

Our featured benefit offerings include medical, dental and vision coverage, employer paid short & long-term disability and life insurance, 401(k), profit sharing, paid time off, Maven family & fertility benefit, parental leave (including adoption, surrogacy, and foster placement), as well as other voluntary benefits.  

Salary Range$110,000$110,000 USD

 

William Blair is an equal opportunity employer. It complies with all laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in employment practice because of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, marital status, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, unfavorable discharge from the military service or on the basis of a physical or mental disability that is unrelated to the employee's ability to perform the duties of the job applied for. EOE m/f/d/v

Be aware of hiring scams: William Blair has clear processes and guidelines with regards to recruiting. We do not request personal financial information in connection with an employment application nor does William Blair extend any employment offers without first conducting an interview through one of its registered offices. William Blair does not use instant messaging services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or iMessage as part of the recruiting or interviewing process.

Note to External Recruiters / Search Firms: William Blair does not accept unsolicited resumes and will not pay for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. Any unsolicited resumes received will not be considered as a valid submission.

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Investment Banking Full-Time Analyst 2026 - Leveraged Finance Group

Office

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Full Time

110k - 110k USD/year

August 4, 2025

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William Blair

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