Basic information Job Name:
2-Year Associate, Global Portfolio Solutions
Location:
Washington, DC
Line of Business:
Global Portfolio Solutions
Job Function:
Investment Professionals
Date:
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Position Summary Carlyle's Global Portfolio Solutions ("GPS") team complements the deal and sector experience of its investment advisory professionals, providing additional critical functional insight into the due diligence of potential investments and, primarily, the execution of value creation initiatives in portfolio companies. The GPS team holds expertise in 10 functional areas critical to value creation: Revenue, Cost, Finance, Operations, Procurement, Technology, Digital & Data, Talent, Sustainability, and Government Affairs.
The GPS Associate position will play a key role in advancing the strategic priorities of the GPS team, working in close conjunction with the Head of GPS, and also support portfolio companies in the development and implementation of value creation initiatives. The ideal candidate for this role is an analytically minded, critical thinking individual who can operate independently in a senior, fast-paced environments. Exceptional candidates will hold prior consulting and private equity experience, with demonstrated ability to work with senior executives and drive results.
Responsibilities GPS Strategic Development (25% of time) - Work directly with Head of GPS to develop, implement, and manage GPS operational & strategic initiatives, including:
- Managing relationships with key consultant partners, attending monthly calls and defining objectives / follow-ups for each
- Driving annual consultant relationship review process, working alongside Deal Teams to evaluate consultant performance
- Supporting development of new consultant / partner relationships, evaluating need and opportunities for partnership based on the portfolio
- Assessing the depth & breadth of GPS offerings, identifying areas for development and improvement
- Driving cross-functional GPS activities, including monthly team reporting to Investment Professionals
- Supporting Investor Relations and Fundraising teams with 'marketing' GPS capabilities and impact
- Maintain a holistic picture of cross-GPS activities, acting as the singular point of contact for GPS needs for Investment Teams and Management Teams
- Own day-to-day management and strategic development of the GPS Resource Portal, ensuring that content is up to date and valuable to portfolio companies
- Support on key special projects with GPS functional leads, including:
- Playbook / Resource development
- Vendor relationship development / management
- Dedicated value creation projects (see below)
Direct Portfolio Support (75% of time) - Work alongside GPS Functional Leads on dedicated portfolio company value creation projects, including Cost & Cash, Strategy, Revenue & Technology
- Key activities include, but are not limited to:
- Conducting market and competitive analyses to inform strategic development objectives for portfolio companies
- Building 3 statement model, 13-week cash flow, and market sizing models to support opportunity identification
- Supporting dedicated initiatives to size and deliver opportunities in Operations, G&A, Working Capital, Pricing, etc.
- Conducting bespoke analyses (e.g., spans & layers) to identify opportunities for value creation
- Advise management teams on implementation of value creation initiatives
- Stand-up and manage transformation office capability on an interim basis
- Support post-merger integration efforts, to include sizing & delivery of synergies, and operationalizing Integration Management Office
Qualifications Education & Certificates - Bachelors degree required
- Masters degree desired (but optional)
Professional Experience - Minimum of 2 years of overall professional experience, required
- Minimum of 2 years of experience working in Management Consulting (ideally with experience in Private Equity), Venture Capital, or Corporate Strategy
Competencies & Attributes - Demonstrated analytical skills and proficiency with analytical tools, including Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Excel, etc.)
- Familiarity with assessing and executing broad cost reduction and operational improvement strategies
- Familiarity with data & analytics techniques leveraged for revenue growth and pricing
- Ability to translate strategic directions and business objectives into tactical, self-managed work plans
- Experience managing / delivering high-impact initiatives within organizations
- Active listening skills with the intellectual agility to integrate new information and develop recommendations
- Well organized and disciplined approach to work effort and project management
- Ability to work independently and navigate a dynamic environment, with varied week-to-week priorities
- Ability to partner with cross-functional teams to accomplish key initiatives
- Superb interpersonal skills and strong ability to build relationships
- Excellent written and verbal communication on strategic, financial and operational areas
Benefits/Compensation The compensation range for this role is specific to Washington, DC, and takes into account a wide range of factors including but not limited to the skill sets required/preferred; prior experience and training; licenses and/or certifications.
The anticipated base salary for this role is $150,000.
In addition to the base salary, the hired professional will enjoy a comprehensive benefits package spanning retirement benefits, health insurance, life insurance and disability, paid time off, paid holidays, family planning benefits and various wellness programs. Additionally, the hired professional may also be eligible to participate in an annual discretionary incentive program, the award of which will be dependent on various factors, including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance.
Due to the high volume of candidates, please be advised that only candidates selected to interview will be contacted by Carlyle.
Company Information The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with $465 billion of assets under management and more than half of the AUM managed by women, across 652 investment vehicles as of June 30, 2025. Founded in 1987 in Washington, DC, Carlyle has grown into one of the world's largest and most successful investment firms, with more than 2,300 professionals operating in 27 offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Carlyle places an emphasis on development, retention and inclusion as supported by our internal processes and seven Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Carlyle's purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, which range from public and private pension funds to wealthy individuals and families to sovereign wealth funds, unions and corporations. Carlyle invests across three segments - Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Carlyle AlpInvest - and has expertise in various industries, including: aerospace, defense & government services, consumer & retail, energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial, real estate, technology & business services, telecommunications & media and transportation.
At Carlyle, we believe that a wide spectrum of experiences and viewpoints drives performance and success. Our CEO, Harvey Schwartz, has stated that, "To build better businesses and create value for all of our stakeholders, we are focused on assembling leadership teams with the strongest insights from a range of perspectives." We strive to foster an environment where ideas are openly shared and valued. By bringing together teams with varied expertise and approaches, we enjoy a competitive advantage and create a stronger foundation for long-term success.