Analyst – Private Equity

Boston, MA

To apply for this role, submit your resume to info@polarisgrowthfund.com.

Who we are

PGF is a private equity fund dedicated to investing in founder-owned B2B software and technology-enabled services companies. The fund seeks to invest $10-$40 million of equity to acquire majority ownership stakes in growth-oriented technology businesses throughout the US and Canada. In addition to shareholder liquidity, PGF’s equity investments support acquisition and growth capital initiatives at its portfolio companies.

Our collective passion is partnering with, and supporting, the founders and management teams of vertically focused, founder-owned and bootstrapped (i.e. have not raised previous institutional capital) businesses. We believe strongly that our experience, focused strategy, and dedicated resources allow us to be uniquely complementary partners to entrepreneurs. We are believers in the power of market leadership, and have a long track record of working alongside our entrepreneur partners to unlock value by investing in growth, refining strategy, and ultimately achieving leadership. Our portfolio includes category leaders across multiple end markets including government, healthcare, insurance, legal, automotive, and education.

PGF is the dedicated growth buyout fund within Polaris Partners, which was founded in 1996 and manages over $5.5B in committed capital. The broader Polaris platform provides a wealth of resources, network, and experience from which PGF team members and portfolio companies can draw in support of their growth. PGF is currently investing out of its $286M Fund II after successfully raising and deploying its inaugural $175M Fund I. We encourage you to visit www.polarisgrowthfund.com to learn more about our firm and the kinds of companies with which we have been fortunate to partner.

What you’ll do

• Connect with founders / CEOs. By nature, our firm strategy emphasizes a smaller set of close relationships rather than the more traditional, volume-based approach employed by many firms. You will be responsible for establishing dialogue with founders and CEOs on a regular basis, playing a critical role in cultivating the universe of entrepreneurs for whom we may be a potential partner. We have a strong track record of investing in direct-sourced companies and believe strongly that our strategy and approach provide unparalleled exposure and development opportunity on this critical capability for those aspiring to be a career investor.
• Evaluate and analyze investment opportunities. As an extension of our investment team, analysts will contribute to deal execution by reading investment memoranda, analyzing financial and customer data, building financial models, and participating in deal team and investment committee meetings. We believe strongly that our environment, as a small firm employing a concentrated strategy, provides unparalleled exposure and development opportunity on this critical capability for those with an interest in pursuing a career as an investor.
• Support strategic projects with portfolio companies. We are usually the first institutional investors at our companies, which means we are intimately involved inside and out of the board room. Over the course of their time, analysts will help on numerous fronts including financial budgeting and reporting, evaluating and executing add-on acquisitions, and helping to develop strategies for growth.
• Contribute to various daily firm activities. We are a small, collaborative team and as such you will be exposed to all facets of our business. Day to day activities may include chipping in on things like fundraising materials, CRM organization, press releases, organizing team outings, and more. Operating within a group that values team orientation and employs a flat organizational ethos, your contributions will have a tangible impact on our shared growth and success.

What we’re looking for

• Someone who is a self starter, intellectually curious and enjoys the challenge of being exposed to new topics, markets, and challenges on a daily basis. You will find that our group migrates to low-ego, team oriented folks who are eager to learn and contribute.
• Someone who is interested in a career in finance or in the overall deal ecosystem (investment banking, consulting, lending)
• Someone who has completed foundational coursework in the areas of accounting, corporate finance, strategy.

What we offer

• Exposure to private equity in a small, tight-knit firm. PE is a career that is very much an apprenticeship or experiential path, as dealmaking presents nuances and requires a holistic set of skills (finance, strategy, negotiation, people etc) that are difficult to learn or capture in any other way than by doing. We believe we offer an attractive opportunity to jump start a future career in private equity by providing the experience to see and contribute to all aspects of the investing lifecycle.
• A growing organization. Polaris has a long and successful track record and PGF represents a unique opportunity to leverage this successful platform but have room for impact and autonomy that is hard to come by.
• Multiple paths for growth. We provide an opportunity for exceptional Analysts to continue to progress at PGF and have a strong commitment to developing talent from within the organization. To the extent this path is not interesting, we provide an excellent launching pad into the deal ecosystem which could be a role at a portfolio company, investment bank, consulting firm or a path to business school.

PGF is a specialized affiliate fund of Polaris Partners. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer of investment advisory services by Polaris or a solicitation or an offer of interests in any private fund sponsored by Polaris. Any offer of interests in a Polaris fund will be made solely to qualified investors via a private placement memorandum. Certain statements contained herein are based on current expectations with respect to potential PGF investment characteristics and may constitute “forward looking” statements. Actual events or results of PGF may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that all PGF investments will ultimately reflect the characteristics or achieve the initiatives listed.