Senior Associate, Structuring

Job description

Come join one of America’s fastest-growing insurance companies. Since 1848, National Life Group has aimed to keep our promises, providing families with stability in good times and in bad. Throughout that history, we have provided peace of mind to those families as they plan their futures. Our mission extends beyond the insurance and annuities policies that we offer. We strive to make the world a better place through our grants from our charitable foundation, paid volunteer time for our employees, environmentally sustainable and healthy workplaces, and events that promote the work of nonprofits in our own backyard. We foster a collaborative environment with opportunities for growth and encourage our associates to live our values: **Do good. Be good. Make good.** **About Us** NLG Capital, the investment management company of NLG, manages approximately $40+ billion in AUM. Our purpose is simple – to allow NLG to keep its promises. How we do this – an obsessive focus on delivering investment results. We drive results through a rigorous but collaborative investment process, and we hold ourselves to the highest of standards, both as investors and teammates. While our process is based on rigor, our culture is based on our guiding principles: Meritocracy, Uncompromising Transparency, Intellectual Honesty, Performance Driven Learning, Relentless Pursuit of Excellence. These principles serve as the foundation of our team. They govern the way we conduct ourselves, how we interact with teammates and how we approach every investment decision. We act with the integrity and humility required to make the investment decision that is right for the firm, and ultimately our policyholders. Our culture has been deliberately built to foster curiosity and provide opportunities to learn and grow, both as people and investors. The flat and collaborative nature of our team promotes an atmosphere where the best ideas are continually expressed and rewarded. Our pursuit of excellence is unwavering. *Please note that we do not offer visa sponsorship for this position.* **Role Summary** The Senior Associate, Structuring is a key resource driving the structuring and ongoing management of NLG Capital’s internal feeder funds, CLOs, and related asset-backed structures spanning Direct Lending and ABL collateral. This role spans the full life cycle of structured vehicle execution and management, starting with initial capital structure design and cashflow modeling, through rating agency execution, documentation, and closing processes. Once vehicles are established, the Senior Associate is responsible for ongoing compliance testing and reporting, vehicle management such as amendments, resets, and refinancings, and providing visibility into deal performance. This role is a key internal resource on securitization and structuring technology, and will keep the organization informed through regular reporting and analytics, and driving consistent communication. The role partners closely with investment teams to align credit guidelines, eligibility criteria, and concentration limits with investment and structural objectives. This is a high-impact role with visibility to the NLG Capital Investment Committee. It requires strong cashflow modeling skills, a builder’s mindset, and the ability to work effectively with rating agencies, trustees, counsel, and internal and external asset managers. This position currently offers an onsite work schedule, with the expectation that you will be in the office four (4) days per week during onsite core days. Our current onsite core days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The work schedule type and core days are subject to change with advance notification and manager discretion. **Essential Duties and Responsibilities** - Structure and execute on internal feeder funds, CLOs, warehouses, and related financing vehicles, including capital structure design, eligibility and concentration criteria, coverage tests, and deal economics - Own the ongoing management of outstanding vehicles spanning compliance and covenant monitoring, waterfall and test verification, internal reporting, amendments, and reset / refinancings - Drive the rating agency process across the vehicle life cycle, including stress and cashflow analysis, agency presentation, and ongoing surveillance, and support agency selection - Build and maintain full cashflow models across a range of credit and asset-backed structures, incorporating waterfalls, coverage tests, and reinvestment mechanics, and replicate rating agency scenarios - Build out the reporting and analytics that show how outstanding structures are performing - Partner with Direct Lending and Asset-Based Finance teams to align structural and investment objectives - Evaluate externally managed vehicles and third-party managers across structure, documentation, collateral, and manager capability, and recommend actions to the Investment Committee - Support the negotiation of transaction documentation alongside counsel and arrangers, and coordinate trustees, agents, and service providers through closing and beyond - Contribute to financing strategy and capital analysis across warehouse, CLO, feeder, and other structures, including implications for NAIC designation, statutory capital, and liability matching - Produce reporting and prepare materials for the Investment Committee and senior management - Perform all other duties as assigned **Minimum Qualifications** - Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, math, computer science, or a related quantitative field - 3–7 years of experience in CLO, feeder fund, ABS, or other structured vehicle work, whether in structuring, origination, banking, buy-side analysis, or at a rating agency - Strong command of structured credit documentation, capital structures, covenants and coverage tests, and the ratings process - Proven ability to execute the end-to-end structuring and ratings process - Ability to build full cashflow models across a range of collateral types, and to model against rating agency methodologies and stress case scenarios - Proficiency with Excel and Intex, plus Python and SQL for scenario runs and portfolio analytics - Exceptional organizational skills, including the ability to run live transactions while maintaining responsibility for closed vehicles - Exceptional communication skills with the ability to bring cross-functional groups together and address legal, regulatory, accounting, and financial reporting considerations - Ability to work independently and build systems, processes, and models when necessary - Ability to articulate structural and credit concepts to audiences with varying levels of securitization experience **Preferred Qualifications** - Advanced degree and/or CFA - Experience with middle market loan, private credit, or asset-based collateral - Understanding of accounting implications and insurance general account investing, including NAIC designations, statutory capital, and RBC treatment - Familiarity with Databricks or similar data platforms - Deep familiarity with credit markets and structured finance vehicles **AI Proficiency Expectations:** At National Life Group, we view AI as an enabler of human potential. We use AI to help us work smarter, serve more clients, and keep our promises, while remaining a relationship-driven business where our people are our greatest strength. **All applicants are expected to:** - Leverage approved AI tools, where appropriate, to improve the efficiency, quality, and impact of their work. - Stay curious and open to new AI-enabled ways of working. - Exercise sound judgment by reviewing and validating AI-generated content. - Maintain accountability for the accuracy, quality, fairness, and integrity of work products by adhering to National Life's AI guiding principles. - Use AI responsibly and in accordance with company policies related to confidentiality, data privacy, security, compliance, retention, and intellectual property. - Additional Expectations for AI-Forward Roles **Core Competencies** - **Cultivates Innovation** - Fosters innovation by taking calculated risks; Work cooperatively with others to produce innovative solutions. - **Ensures Accountability** - Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments and performance goals. - **Directs Work** - Provides direction, delegates, and removes obstacles to get work done. - **Demonstrates Emotional Intelligence** - Exhibits the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions and how emotions can influence others; Uses a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and opportunities. - **Exhibits Critical and Creative Thinking** - Engaging thinking skills that focus on logic and reasoning to make decisions (critical) and innovative solutions to solve problems (creative). - **Leads Change** - Facilitates change and transition at the individual and team level; Develops strategic goals for aligning with change. - **Develops Talent** - Builds team(s) equipped for the future by applying coaching techniques for developing team members to meet their professional/personal goals and the organizational goals; Listens and responds with empathy; Asks thought provoking questions. - **Inspires Others** - Motivates and influences others by creating an environment where teams can do their best work; Partners across the organization to achieve results. **Benefits** - Your benefits start day one and are flexible and customizable to your and your family’s specific needs. Check out the [BENEFITS of a Career at National Life](https://www.nationallife.com/docs/digital/nl-people-center/Benefits.html)! **Base Pay Range**. The base pay range for this position is the range National Life reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors, including: prior experience and job-related knowledge; education, training and certificates; current business needs; and market factors. The final salary or hourly wages offered may be outside of this range based on other reasons and individual circumstances. **Additional Compensation and Benefits**. The total compensation package for this position may also include a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. The successful candidate may also be eligible to participate in National Life’s discretionary annual incentive programs, subject to the rules governing such programs. If hired, the employee will be in an "at-will position" and National Life reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors. National Life is accepting applications for this role on an ongoing basis and the role remains open until filled. Salary Pay Range $165,000—$242,000 USD National Life Group® is a trade name of National Life Insurance Company, Montpelier, VT – founded in 1848, Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, Addison, TX – chartered in 1955, and their affiliates. Each company of National Life Group is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. Life Insurance Company of the Southwest is not an authorized insurer in New York and does not conduct insurance business in New York. Equity Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, is a Broker/Dealer and Registered Investment Adviser affiliate of National Life Insurance Company. All other entities are independent of the companies of National Life Group. Fortune 1000 status is based on the consolidated financial results of all National Life Group companies. [Social Media Policy](https://www.nationallife.com/Social-Media-Policy) [Site Disclosure and Privacy Policy](https://www.nationallife.com/Privacy-Legal-Information) National Life Group 1 National Life Dr Montpelier, VT 05604