Associate, Diligence Practice

Associate, Diligence Practice - Hybrid London office 2 days

This is an opportunity to join a well-established financial services institution which has recently secured significant funding from a large global and publicly held financial services firm. The business has over 900 employees globally, and this newly created position will partner and support the private equity and advisory services division primarily in the due diligence space.

• Candidates who are comfortable speaking Spanish, Dutch, French, German or Italian will get bonus points.
• Location: London, UK (2-3 days hybrid)

This Associate will join HDS' Specialty Finance team in London. The role is best suited for a recently ACA-qualified candidate from audit, assurance or transaction services who wants to move into the interesting and varied world of lender diligence, collateral analysis and portfolio review work.

Unlike a traditional audit role, the work focuses on how lending businesses originate, service, monitor and report on portfolios of receivables, loans and leases. Engagements involve analysing transaction data, testing controls and documentation, understanding credit and collections processes, and preparing clear reports for banks, private credit funds, institutional investors and securitisation participants as part of their pre-close credit decisioning and ongoing monitoring processes.

Requirements

• Over 3 years of audit, assurance or relevant accounting experience.
• Recently ACA qualified or exam-qualified.
• Strong Excel, financial analysis and reconciliation skills.
• Strong written communication skills and attention to detail.

Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities simultaneously, with strong organizational and time-management skills.

• Interest in credit, lending, financial services and transaction-based analysis.
• Specialty finance, securitisation or field exam experience is not required, but curiosity about these areas is important.

Typical Specialty Finance exposure

• Consumer, equipment finance, vehicle finance, healthcare finance and leasing platforms.
• Factoring and receivables finance businesses.
• Trade receivable and loan / lease securitisation structures.
• Borrowing base, collateral monitoring and ongoing lender review assignments.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyse receivable, loan and lease portfolio performance using client data and lender reporting.
• Reconcile source systems, servicer reports, borrowing bases and financial statements.
• Perform sample-based testing of customer files, payment histories, supporting documents and transaction reporting.
• Participate in management interviews covering underwriting, servicing, collections, reporting and operational processes.
• Assist in drafting lender-facing reports that summarise key findings, exceptions, observations and recommendations.
• Develop knowledge of asset-based lending, structured finance, securitisation and specialty finance collateral.

Working Model and Travel

This role will primarily support European Specialty Finance engagements, with opportunities to collaborate with the US team on cross-border or global assignments.

• Hybrid working model, with 2 days in the London office on non-travel weeks as the expected maximum.
• Travel is expected for approximately 10-15%, typically to borrower locations within Europe.
• The Specialty Finance group operates as one integrated team across geographies, so candidates should be comfortable working with colleagues and clients in different time zones.