Lazard

Job Description 

Lazard is one of the world’s leading financial advisory and asset management firms. Our people make the difference. With just over 3,000 employees, our tight-knit community allows for professionals eager to learn and willing to teach to connect and grow together. We believe that diversity, equity, inclusion, and allyship are not just business imperatives — they are central pillars of our employee experience. Our entrepreneurial culture and flat structure allow creative ideas and original concepts to drive our business forward — and for careers to take flight.

Through our financial advisory business, Lazard advises clients around the world on strategic and financial matters including mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, capital structure and capital raising. Our client relationships are built on trust and discretion. As the world’s largest advisory-focused firm, we have exceptional depth of expertise across industry sectors and geographies. We value the rich diversity that comes from blending local perspective with our global network.

Lazard’s Venture & Growth Banking team (“VGB”) raises minority growth capital for some of the most exciting companies across the United States and Europe at the forefront of technological innovation in their respective industries. In the last three years, VGB has raised over $4B of capital for our clients across a multitude of stages and sectors. Lazard’s VGB team has pioneered a novel approach to the private capital fundraising space by combining deep investor coverage and investment banking execution services with an Insights function, providing sector research and analysis on the venture and growth asset class and the dominant themes in the space that interest our investor clients.

The Venture & Growth Banking team is seeking a Vice President to join them in either Los Angeles, CA or Austin, TX. The VP role will include both private placement transaction execution responsibilities as well as leading the North American Insights function, focused on creating research content relevant for investors and private companies. 

We’ll trust you to:

Transaction Execution

• Lead and manage the end-to-end process of private placement transactions
• Be responsible for the day-to-day support of marketing efforts and conducting company and industry analysis on new transaction opportunities
• Maintain and develop strong relationships with financial and strategic investors to gather market intelligence, source capital for private capital raises and for deal origination
• Research, analyze, sensitize, and adapt both internal and client-prepared financial and statistical analysis/ models; evaluate qualitative and quantitative data
• Manage own work and that of juniors; take responsibility for accuracy; quality check finished products with regards to content, consistency and grammar. Responsible for the accuracy of numerical work produced by junior bankers before delivering the final product to senior bankers;
• Build relationships with other sector teams across the Lazard network to ensure close engagement between VGB and the wider bank
• Assist Managing Directors and senior bankers with various reports and analyses

Insights:

• Function as research analyst within Lazard’s North American Venture and Growth Banking group, working in conjunction with the European insights team
• Produce research reports on a bi-quarterly basis
• Produce special reports on an ad-hoc basis focused on sector trends, timely themes or events
• Maintain and develop strong relationships with financial and strategic investors to gather market intelligence, conduct portfolio reviews, source capital for private capital raises and for deal origination
• Remain current on-market developments to help frame pipeline strategies, while developing investment theses for specific industry verticals which can be relayed to investors
• Build relationships with other sector teams across the Lazard network to ensure close engagement between VGB and the wider bank

You’ll need to have:

• A minimum of 7-10 years of experience in investment banking, with a specific focus on private placements and/or capital markets, coupled with a demonstrable interest in growth stage companies and emerging technologies
• Strong project management skills and interpersonal abilities, and a proven ability to develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to communicate articulately and persuasively; ability to turn ideas into concise and comprehensive presentations and reports
• Strong technical and analytical skills, build financial operating models with ease, and conduct detailed analysis of a company’s fundamentals
• Competency at using various technology platforms including Pitchbook, Microsoft Office Suite and DealCloud
• Experience engaging with investors and company management teams, conducting proprietary research and bottom-up fundamental analysis
• Proactive team participant and contributes to firm-wide initiatives - shares information, broadens profile across Lazard groups and regions;
• An entrepreneurial mindset to solving problems, improving our service to clients, and improving our internal processes
• Self-motivation with an ability to manage conflicting priorities and requests

What we offer:

We strive to enhance the total health and well-being of our employees through comprehensive, competitive benefits. Our goal is to offer a highly individualized employee experience that enables you to balance your commitments to career, family, and community. When you work for Lazard, you are working for an organization that cares about your unique talents and passions, and will continue to invest in the development of your career.

We expect the base salary range for this role to be approximately $250,000 - $275,000 USD. Various factors contribute to determining the actual base compensation offered, including but not limited to the applicant’s years of relevant experience, career tenure, qualifications, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and relevant skills for the role. Base salary is one component of Lazard Financial Advisory’s compensation package, which also includes comprehensive benefits and may include incentive compensation.

Does this sound like you?

Apply! We’ll get in touch on the next steps.

Inclusion at Lazard

Lazard is an intellectual capital business focused on delivering the best advice and solutions to clients. Achieving these objectives requires us to identify, develop and retain the best talent. A workforce comprised of people with varied backgrounds and experiences creates a rich diversity of thought that empowers us to challenge conventional wisdom, as diverse perspectives lead to better decisions.

Our appreciation of diversity’s strength is ingrained in our multi-cultural heritage. As a global firm that has grown organically from local roots in different countries, we have a deep tradition of respect for individual differences, which has been core to our success for several decades.

The ongoing cultivation of diversity and an inclusive, equitable culture are essential to our continued growth. We are committed to sustaining an environment in which all employees – regardless of socioeconomic status, race, color, nationality, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical abilities, veteran or military status – can maximize their individual potential and our collective success. #LI-EF1