Vice President, Private Equity

CenterGate Capital is a private equity firm headquartered in Austin, Texas, focused on improving and growing lower-middle-market companies. To realize their potential, these companies need flexible capital, strategic guidance, and strong management teams. We combine transactional and operational experience with a network of advisors and strategic relationships to give our portfolio companies exceptional resources.

CenterGate's goal is to build long-term shareholder value for our investors and every stakeholder in our portfolio companies. Our holistic approach to value creation applies proven best practices to identify market opportunities, structure tailored investments, and serve as active board members. We advise portfolio companies on team building, strategic acquisitions, geographic expansion, operations improvement, KPI management, and financial reporting.

Role Summary

CenterGate is hiring a Vice President with at least five years of professional experience to join our growing investment team . The Vice President will work directly with portfolio company management teams, and partner closely with the firm's Managing Directors across the full deal lifecycle.

As a lower-middle-market investor, CenterGate operates with imperfect information and runs a significant share of diligence in-house — the Vice President must be comfortable managing complex, ambiguous processes with limited hand-holding. Deal teams typically consist of three investment professionals (an Associate, a Vice President, and a Managing Director), so the Vice President must be proactive, own workstreams independently, and keep deals moving in a fast-paced environment.

The ideal candidate has prior transaction experience, can independently evaluate, analyze, and synthesize investment opportunities, and can clearly communicate and quantify an investment thesis along with its risks and mitigants. This is an entrepreneurial, high-ownership role for someone who wants to grow into a larger role at the firm, including leading deals with increasing independence.

Key Responsibilities

Deal Screening & Execution

• Research target companies’ competitive position, market size, and industry dynamics
• Build detailed financial analyses and models to evaluate investment opportunities
• Draft investment memos, two-pagers, and business plan summaries
• Structure and arrange debt financing with lenders
• Manage third-party diligence providers, including legal, accounting, and industry-specific consultants
• Support legal documentation and post-closing legal matters
• Work collaboratively with portfolio company management teams to build value through operational efficiency, organic growth, and add-on acquisitions
• Execute and analyze post-close value creation initiatives alongside management, the operations team, and the deal team

Firm Building

• Contribute to sourcing relationships and the firm’s broader network of intermediaries, advisors, and referral sources
• Mentor and collaborate with Associates as part of the deal team

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of professional experience, including demonstrated private equity or hands-on transaction experience and financial due diligence
• Proven ability to manage internal deal processes and external relationships with counsel, consultants, lenders, and accounting/tax advisors
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to distill complex issues into a clear investment thesis
• Strong team orientation and collaborative working style
• High integrity and professionalism

Location & Reporting

Based in CenterGate's Austin, TX office. Reports to the firm's Managing Director.