Position Overview

Harris Williams seeks to hire first-year associates to join the Richmond office across the following industry groups:
- Business Services
- Consumer
- Energy, Power & Infrastructure
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Industrials
- Transportation & Logistics / Aerospace, Defense & Govt. Services

Harris Williams will not provide sponsorship for employment visas or participate in STEM OPT for this position.

 

Job Description

Why Harris Williams

We are ambitious in our goals and steadfast in the belief that clients deserve our very best. We invest in world-class, team-oriented individuals who are smart, driven, and principled – those who are eager to be part of something bigger than themselves. When you join Harris Williams, you are welcomed into a collegial environment where every individual has the opportunity to make an impact.

• Meaningful impact from the start: As an associate, you will have a high level of exposure to clients and senior bankers, who will place value in your ideas and unique perspective. Associates are responsible for driving work forward, in partnership with analysts. With an industry leading pitch win rate, you will see the full lifecycle of multiple client engagements in this role, enabling you to develop into a well-rounded, trusted advisor.
• Join a leading firm in the most dynamic segment of investment banking: M&A and private capital advisory services are among the most intellectually rigorous and strategically important segments within banking. In this role, your work will directly shape the trajectory of the clients we serve.
• Learn from invested leaders: 83% of our managing directors were promoted from within the firm. They build their careers here, meaning they are uniquely invested in building yours.
• Collaborative work environment: Our goal is to unlock value in great businesses, and it starts by unlocking greatness in each other. We value a range of backgrounds and expertise, and we know our work is better when our teams inspire every individual to confidently contribute.
• Professional development: Your professional development is our top priority. New analysts and associates convene in our Richmond headquarters for a robust training program designed to build relationships, provide baseline knowledge of M&A, and prepare you for your first client engagement. This initial program is just the beginning of an extensive, structured learning experience.
• Comprehensive compensation and benefits program: Highly competitive compensation, pension, 401(k) matching, and eligibility for performance bonus amongst many other robust benefits.

What We Look For

Harris Williams hires individuals who are motivated by challenge, demonstrated through academic performance and prior work experience. While no specific academic concentration is required, the following skillsets are desired: 

• Learning agility – Curious and proactive in learning, applying new information, and incorporating feedback to develop quickly
• Communication – Able to articulate ideas clearly and tailor message, tone, and detail to the audience, both verbally and in writing.
• Problem solving and data analysis – Able to identify trends in complex data sets, including through tools such as Capital IQ and FactSet, and articulate the impact of those patterns.
• Excel and PowerPoint – Understanding of Excel formulas, data validation, tables, and conditional formatting, and the ability to build clear, client-ready materials in PowerPoint.
• Accounting and finance – Working understanding of how the income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet connect, with a willingness to deepen accounting, valuation, and financial modeling expertise over time.
• AI literacy – Comfort using and directing AI tools to improve output while retaining full ownership of quality, accuracy, and judgment.

What Makes a Harris Williams Associate

Associates who thrive at Harris Williams lead multiple workstreams while maintaining focus on quality. Our Associate profile is built around seven core competencies:

• Ownership – Drive work forward and own outcomes from start to finish, advancing tasks with accountability for the end result on tasks big and small. 
• Collabor