What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Associate position at Cafferty & Company?
Senior Associate – Debt Advisory
Firm Overview:
Cafferty & Company is a high-growth, partner-led advisory platform focused exclusively on debt solutions for VC- and PE-backed companies. We act as trusted debt advisors across early, growth, acquisition, and recapitalization financings—working with some of the most dynamic investors and executive teams in the market.
Role Overview:
As a Senior Associate, you’ll play a key role in assessing the risks and strategic merits of prospective debt engagements—bringing conviction to our ability to secure the debt our clients need to extend runway, fuel growth, and minimize dilution. This role is ideal for candidates with direct lending or investment banking backgrounds who want to move beyond siloed execution into a more strategic and entrepreneurial advisory platform.
You won’t be tasked with templated lender materials—we’re looking for someone who can assess credit, synthesize complexity, and help us communicate ideas and positioning with clarity and conviction. You’ll help define how our platform shows up in the market, actively engaging in the end-to-end market process on behalf of our clients.
What You’ll Do
- Evaluate prospective client engagements by assessing risk, creditworthiness, and strategic fit across early- and growth-stage companies.
- Apply sound judgment in determining which opportunities to pursue based on lender appetite, business fundamentals, and deal dynamics.
- Collaborate with partners to evaluate debt structures, risks, and lender strategy.
- Drive internal deal execution and client communication throughout the financing process.
- Act as an extension of clients’ finance team, building conviction around company narratives, market positioning, and deal rationale.
- Take initiative to evolve our brand voice, client-facing insights, and go-to-market materials.
- Build and maintain rapport/relationships with clients and lenders.
- Display the ability to manage and mitigate difficult situations with clients and lenders.
- Manage and take ownership of internal CRM and processes to ensure efficient deal flow and execution.
Who You Are
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, and/or economics.
- 3-5 years of experience in direct lending, leveraged finance, investment banking, private equity, venture capital or corporate finance.
- Strong grasp of credit fundamentals, debt structure mechanics, and deal process.
- Thoughtful communicator who writes and speaks with precision and purpose.
- Highly organized and detail oriented, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks.
- Entrepreneurial spirit, team-oriented, and energized by brand-building, client strategy, and execution.
- Sees this role as a launchpad to a Director level seat.
What You Want
- More ownership and exposure: client facing responsibility; lead deals end-to-end; direct exposure to C-suite executives and decision makers.
- Strong deal volume and variety: broad experience across capital structures, industries, and sponsor types; non-vanilla financing; work across multiple lenders.
- Strategic skill-building: become a true capital markets generalist; think like a stakeholder; pick up pattern recognition across real deal outcomes.
- Culture and lifestyle fit: closer mentorship, more visibility, less politics; balanced hours without sacrificing intensity or ambition; direct influence to team, brand, and client experience.
Leadership Team
We are a stealth team with credible leadership, top-tier backgrounds, and repeatable deal success. We have a clear mission to redefine how debt is raised in growth markets.
Kimberly Cafferty – Founder & CEO
A former CFO and VC veteran, Kimberly launched our advisory practice 23 years ago after seeing how companies were underserved in the debt markets. She brings deep empathy, creativity, and a no nonsense approach to every mandate.
Elizabeth Orsinger – Senior Managing Director of Client Services
With 18 years in commercial banking, Elizabeth has advised startups through growth-stage companies across all industries. A trusted dealmaker and credit veteran with a steady hand and deep market fluency.
Ally Howlett – Director of Business Development & Operations
A product engineer turned operator, Ally built and scaled operations at multiple venture-backed companies before joining the team. She now leads origination and platform strategy with a founder-first mindset.