Acquisitions Associate

Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners (AJ Capital Partners) is seeking a talented Associate to join the Acquisitions team. AJ Capital Partners is a dynamic private equity investment and development organization with a portfolio of urban infill, lifestyle hotel, and luxury resort assets across North America. The firm’s core competency is the creation of distinctive, locally-inspired properties set in high-growth and high-culture environments with diverse demand generators. Its experienced team leverages their hospitality-centric approach to design, programming, and place-making to drive long-term value creation in timeless real estate. The company’s mission is to achieve optimal risk adjusted returns for its investors who are seeking long-term capital investments. 

Title:                       Acquisitions Associate          

Reports To:           Principal, Investments

Location:               San Francisco, CA

Role Summary:

The Acquisitions Associate will work collaboratively with the Acquisitions team on expanding the company’s leased real estate and independent hotel platform. The role will be primarily responsible for new deal analysis and tracking, financial modeling, management of the due diligence process, integration of new acquisitions into the portfolio, and communicating effectively to all internal and external stakeholders. The role will interface directly with a variety of groups within AJ Capital Partners including Asset Management, Capital Markets, Development, Investor Relations, and Marketing. 

The Acquisitions Associate is responsible for complying with the operational policies and procedures established by AJ Capital Partners and The Graduate Hotels brand. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to, the following:

• Monitor and analyze new deal opportunities, and prepare and maintain underwriting models.
• Coordinate due diligence process by maintaining data rooms and facilitating communication between related parties (including sellers, brokers, joint venture partners, financial institutions and legal) and transfer of materials.
• Coordinate the underwriting and origination of acquisitions and debt financings, including preparing offering materials, responding to lender due diligence requests, tracking offers, modeling proposals, and managing the closing process.
• Research and analysis of markets/submarkets, asset classes and sectors.
• Create analyses, memorandums, or presentations for investors or internal stakeholders based on identified needs or ad hoc requests.
• Work in collaboration with the asset management and on-property management teams following acquisitions for initial operating forecasts, capital expenditure plans, and other needs.
• Prepare regular internal communications related to in-progress deals for investors and internal stakeholders.

Desired Skills and Experience

Education/Experience:

• B.A. or B.S. degree required; business, economics, finance or accounting related majors preferred. M.B.A. not required but welcome to apply.
• 4-6 years of real estate investment experience with substantive experience in underwriting commercial real estate and/or hospitality investments.
• Exceptional skills in Microsoft Excel, including advanced cash flow modeling, and underwriting/financial presentations.

Other Skills/Requirements:

• Must be a collaborative team oriented individual but also an independent, self-starting worker who can prioritize and coordinate multiple competing tasks in a timely fashion.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work well and communicate effectively with a broad range of individuals and professions and foster good working relationships with all members of the team and outside parties.
• A high degree of professionalism, ethics, and a strong work ethic driven by a desire for quality.
• Ability to work and coordinate against firm deadlines.  
• Ability to work flexible or extended hours (including possibly on weekends) to accommodate increased workload/projects and to attend meetings out of town.

Other Important Attributes:

• Should be self-directed and motivated, demonstrate quick turnaround, follow through and follow up.
• Composed demeanor, professional appearance, positive attitude and customer-oriented approach are priorities for this position.
• Exercises good judgment and uses discretion.
• Ability to keep processes moving forward and take initiative as appropriate.
• Must be reliable, dependable with excellent attendance, flexible and versatile. 
• Must be confident and capable when communicating with stakeholders inside and outside the company.
• Attention to detail in every respect.
• The ability to work well under pressure and in a team environment.

Physical Requirements:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions to the extent the Company may do without undue hardship.

Equal Employment Opportunity:  AJ Capital Partners is an equal employment opportunity employer and complies with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, physical, medical or mental disability or condition (including, without limitation, HIV and AIDS), developmental disability, handicap, denial of family and medical care leave, denial of pregnancy leave, domestic partner status, status as a victim of sexual or domestic violence (or familial relationship to such victim), veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, arrest records, citizenship status, criminal history that has been expunged, unfavorable discharge from the military, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws.