Advise at the Highest Level

Associate Position Overview:
Ascend is looking for an Associate who is ready to lead. Not assist. Not support. Lead on transactions, on client relationships, and on the analytical work that defines how we go to market. This role is for someone who has put in the foundational work and is ready to take on real responsibility inside mission-critical software and technology verticals where sector expertise is
everything.

Job Description & Responsibilities:
Associates at Ascend run day-to-day transaction execution under the direction of senior partners while building direct client relationships and mentoring junior team members. This is not a back-office role. You will be in the room, on the calls, and at the table. Day-to-day responsibilities include:

• Lead day-to-day transaction execution under direction of senior team members
• Financial modeling and valuation analyses, including bottoms-up operating model builds, whitespace analysis, customer and KPI analysis, synergy and combination analysis, comparable company analysis, precedent transaction analysis, leveraged buyout analysis, and discounted cash flow analysis
• Industry and company-specific research including competitive landscape analysis
• Direct client interaction and deal process management
• Lead pitch materials and transaction marketing document development
• Investment memorandum preparation and client update materials
• Due diligence coordination and facilitation
• Build and maintain direct relationships with clients, prospective clients, and professional advisors
• Proprietary deal and market intelligence development
• Financial model development and sensitivity analysis
• Mentor and develop Analysts across active engagements
• General project management support across active engagements

Qualifications
We are looking for professionals who have done the foundational work and are ready to own what comes next. Specifically:

• Minimum of three years of relevant work experience
• Background in investment banking, corporate finance, private equity, corporate development, management consulting, or financial due diligence preferred
• Deep understanding of industry performance drivers, trends, and transaction dynamics
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills with exceptional attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated leadership ability and experience developing junior team members
• High integrity, intellectual curiosity, and a genuine drive to build deep sector expertise
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA, CPA, CFA, or MA in Accounting preferred
• Transaction experience across the software and technology verticals where we focus is a
  plus

Why Ascend:
Ascend is a specialist investment bank focused exclusively on mission-critical software and technology verticals. We are not a generalist firm. We do not rotate Associates through industries they will never work in again. We put you inside the verticals we know best — GovTech, Public Safety, Cybersecurity, FinTech, GRC, LegalTech, Energy Technology, and more — and we give you the access, the mentorship, and the responsibility to make your ten weeks matter. If you want to build a career with genuine sector authority, this is where it starts.

Analyst Position Overview:
Ascend is looking for an Analyst who wants to do real work from day one. Not support work. Not background work. Real work alongside senior partners, inside mission-critical software and technology verticals, on transactions that matter. If you are serious about investment banking, serious about building sector expertise, and serious about being challenged, this is where you belong.

Job Description & Responsibilities:
Analysts at Ascend are not handed a narrow lane and told to stay in it. From day one, you will be involved across every phase of a transaction — from initial analysis and positioning through due diligence and close. You will be expected to think, contribute, and grow. Day-to-day responsibilities include:

• Financial modeling and valuation analyses, including bottoms-up operating model builds, cross-sell analysis, customer and KPI analysis, comparable company analysis, precedent transaction analysis, leveraged buyout analysis, and discounted cash flow analysis
• Industry and company-specific research including competitive landscape analysis
• Direct client interaction and deal process support
• Development of pitch materials and transaction marketing documents
• Investment memorandum preparation and client update materials
• Due diligence coordination and facilitation
• Proprietary deal and market intelligence development
• Financial model development and sensitivity analysis
• General project management support across active engagements

Qualifications
We are looking for professionals who run toward complexity, not away from it. Specifically:

• Minimum of one year of relevant work experience
• Background in investment banking, corporate finance, private equity, corporate development, management consulting, or financial due diligence preferred
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills with exceptional attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-moving environment
• High integrity, intellectual curiosity, and a genuine drive to build expertise
• Bachelor’s degree required

Why Ascend:
Ascend is a specialist investment bank focused exclusively on mission-critical software and technology verticals. We are not a generalist firm. We do not rotate Analysts through industries they will never work in again. We put you inside the verticals we know best — GovTech, Public Safety, Cybersecurity, FinTech, GRC, LegalTech, Energy Technology, and more — and we give you the access, the mentorship, and the responsibility to make your ten weeks matter. If you want to build a career with genuine sector authority, this is where it starts.

If you’re interested in joining Ascend but don’t see a current opening that matches your background, we encourage you to submit your resume. We review all submissions and connect with candidates when opportunities arise that fit their expertise.

Program Overview:
Most summer analyst programs give you a taste of investment banking. This one gives you the real thing. At Ascend, Summer Analysts work alongside senior partners on live transactions inside mission-critical software and technology verticals — from day one. There are no narrow lanes. No busy work. No hiding behind layers of hierarchy. Just real work, real exposure, and a real opportunity to find out what investment banking looks like when sector expertise is everything.

Program Structure:
The Ascend Summer Analyst Program runs approximately ten weeks. You will be embedded directly into active deal teams, contributing to transactions across our specialized software and technology verticals. The program begins with focused training on financial modeling, valuation methodologies, and the institutional frameworks that define the verticals we serve. From there you will work alongside senior partners on live engagements for the remainder of the summer.

What You Will Do:
Summer Analysts at Ascend are not observers. You will be expected to contribute meaningfully across every phase of active transactions. Responsibilities include:

• Financial modeling and valuation analyses including comparable company analysis, precedent transaction analysis, leveraged buyout analysis, and discounted cash flow analysis
• Industry and company-specific research including competitive landscape and sector dynamics analysis
• Development of pitch materials and transaction marketing documents
• Investment memorandum preparation and client update materials
• Due diligence coordination and facilitation
• Proprietary deal and market intelligence development
• Financial model development and sensitivity analysis
• General project management support across active engagements

What You Will Gain:
Ten weeks at Ascend will give you something most summer programs cannot — genuine depth. You will leave with a real understanding of how M&A transactions work inside complex, mission-critical software verticals, direct exposure to senior-level deal making, and a foundation of sector knowledge that takes most analysts years to build. High-performing Summer Analysts will be considered for full-time Analyst positions upon graduation.

Mentorship & Development:
Every Summer Analyst is paired with a senior mentor for the duration of the program. You will have direct
access to the senior partners who run our transactions — not just in formal settings but throughout the
day-to-day work. We invest in the people who join us and the summer program is where that starts.

Who We Are Looking For:
We are looking for students who are serious about investment banking and serious about building real
expertise. Not students who want to check a box. Students who want to go deep. Specifically:

• Rising seniors pursuing a bachelor’s degree with an anticipated graduation date of Spring 2028
• Strong academic performance with demonstrated analytical and quantitative ability
• Genuine intellectual curiosity and a drive to understand complex problems
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• High integrity and the ability to thrive in a fast-moving, unstructured environment
• Prior experience in finance, accounting, or a related field preferred but not required

Why Ascend:
Ascend is a specialist investment bank focused exclusively on mission-critical software and technology verticals. We are not a generalist firm. We do not rotate Summer Analysts through industries they will never work in again. We put you inside the verticals we know best — GovTech, Public Safety, Cybersecurity, FinTech, GRC, LegalTech, Energy Technology, and more — and we give you the access, the mentorship, and the responsibility to make your ten weeks matter. If you want to build a career with genuine sector authority, this is where it starts.