Associate

Lyra Technology Group is seeking an Associate to support our M&A integration, value creation, and portfolio operations. The Associate is a hybrid role, sitting close enough to deal and portfolio work to drive real analysis, and close enough to firm leadership to run the cadences, projects, and communications that keep the platform moving. This is not a role for someone who wants to stay in a single lane. The person in this seat builds the financial models, playbooks, and diligence materials behind prospective MSP acquisitions, tracks portfolio company performance and value creation progress across our operating companies, and also owns the operating rhythm of the leadership team: board materials, cross-functional projects, and the follow-through that turns strategy into execution. Unlike a traditional senior analyst, the mandate extends beyond the numbers into judgment calls about priority and process, and the responsibilities often align closely with those of an executive operations or leadership support function. The role stays hands-on with the underlying financial and operational analysis rather than delegating it. Beyond any single project, the Associate is a force multiplier for the leadership team: whatever needs rigor, structure, or a fast turnaround lands on this desk.

You will own…

Diligence, Integration, and Value Creation

• Build and maintain financial models for prospective MSP acquisitions, including valuation, synergy, and return analysis, and develop value creation plans that track progress against the investment thesis post-close.
• Lead diligence and post-merger integration workstreams on target companies, financial, operational, and technical, coordinating with outside advisors and internal stakeholders to keep timelines on track.
• Synthesize market research on the MSP landscape, competitive dynamics, and acquisition themes to sharpen where the platform should be spending its time.
• Prepare investment committee materials and present findings directly to leadership rather than simply handing off a model.

Portfolio Company Performance

• Track financial and operational KPIs across our operating companies, flagging trends that need leadership attention before they become problems.
• Partner with operating company leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and ad hoc analysis that supports their decision-making.
• Support integration planning and execution for newly acquired companies, translating diligence findings into a concrete first-100-days plan.

Executive and Leadership Operations

• Own the operating rhythm for the executive team: board meeting prep, leadership offsites, and the cadence of recurring reviews.
• Run cross-functional projects end to end: translate leadership priorities into workstreams with owners and deadlines, and hold the room accountable for follow-through.
• Draft board decks, investor updates, and internal communications that represent leadership's thinking accurately and clearly.
• Act as a trusted extension of leadership: triage what lands on their desk, prepare them for high-stakes meetings, and represent their priorities in rooms they can't be in.

Reporting, Analytics, and Process

• Build the systems, templates, and trackers that make investment and portfolio reporting repeatable rather than reinvented each quarter.
• Identify where existing processes are manual or inconsistent, and build the fix rather than just flagging the problem.
• Maintain a single source of truth for portfolio and pipeline data that leadership can rely on without double-checking it.

Our ideal Associate has the following qualifications:

• 2-4 years of experience in M&A integration, post-merger integration, or value creation roles, ideally within a PE-backed portfolio company or a Big 4 / management consulting deals transformation practice.
• Direct experience presenting to PE sponsors, board members, or C-suite leadership in investment committee, M&A council, or similar settings.
• Demonstrated ability to build the artifacts that make integration and value creation repeatable: playbooks, SOPs, KPI trackers, and value creation plan materials.
• Comfortable moving between strategic synthesis (growth roadmaps, competitive landscape, deal sizing) and hands-on financial modeling (synergy analysis, revenue growth models, EBITDA tracking).
• Track record of scoping and leading cross-functional workstreams independently, including managing junior staff or subject matter experts where needed.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; you can draft in an executive's voice and represent their priorities accurately in their absence.
• An MBA or equivalent advanced degree in progress or completed is a plus, though not required.
• High discretion and judgment: this role sees sensitive financial, personnel, and strategic information and is trusted to handle it appropriately.
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling proficiency, with PowerPoint fluency for board and investor materials. Exposure to the managed services or broader technology services industry is a plus, though not required.
• Strong organizational discipline: you manage multiple live workstreams simultaneously, follow through consistently, and do not drop details.

The targeted base compensation for this role is $120,000-$140,000 with variable compensation tied to individual and firm performance. This role operates out of Chicago, IL in a hybrid model and includes travel to portfolio company sites and leadership offsites as needed.

If you are someone who can build a rigorous model in the morning and run a leadership offsite in the afternoon, who wants ownership over both the analysis and the execution, and who is looking to grow alongside a fast-moving platform, we would like to talk.