Deal Origination Associate

We are seeking an MBA Buyout Search Fund Intern in Argentina to help identify, acquire, and transform small-to-mid-sized businesses. The initial focus is on durable service businesses and legacy local brands, including law firms, accounting firms, professional services firms, niche B2B services, and owner-operated businesses with room for operational modernization. You will work across the full acquisition lifecycle: sourcing targets, evaluating financials, building acquisition theses, supporting diligence, and helping design the first 100-day transformation plan. For the right person, this can grow into a post-acquisition operating role. Responsibilities Source and evaluate acquisition opportunities in Argentina, especially founder-led service businesses, professional services firms, and older legacy brands. Build market maps, target lists, owner outreach workflows, and investment memos for specific acquisition themes. Lead financial analysis, valuation work, and diligence on revenue quality, customer concentration, margin profile, working capital, and operational complexity. Help assess transformation opportunities, including sales process, pricing, automation, software adoption, staffing, brand refresh, and geographic expansion. Support owner conversations, diligence requests, transaction execution, and post-close operating plans. Develop practical growth and modernization plans for acquired businesses without losing the local trust and reputation that made them valuable. Requirements MBA candidate, recent MBA graduate, or equivalent experience in investment banking, private equity, consulting, corporate development, search funds, or entrepreneurship. Strong financial modeling, valuation, market research, and written investment memo skills. Native or fluent Spanish and strong English communication. Comfortable sourcing directly: researching companies, contacting owners, handling follow-up, and turning messy inputs into structured deal notes. High judgment, discretion, and persistence when speaking with business owners. Entrepreneurial mindset with a bias for action and interest in operating real businesses, not just analyzing them. Helpful but not required Experience with SMB acquisitions, family-owned businesses, professional services, legal/accounting operations, local services, franchising, or roll-ups. Familiarity with Argentine business culture, local accounting/tax norms, and owner-led companies. Prior operating experience in sales, finance, operations, software implementation, or process improvement.