Investment Manager

About WAD Capital Partners WAD Capital is a Brussels-based private equity search fund specializing in SME succession across the Benelux region. We solve succession challenges for European small and medium enterprises by connecting experienced ex-operational managers (our CEOs-in-Residence) with retiring business owners. Our target companies generate €1-5M EBITDA and represent genuine opportunities for operational value creation, not just financial engineering. We're a small, high-performing team: 3 General Partners, currently 15 CEOs-in-Residence actively searching for acquisitions, 1 CFO, 1 COO, and 2 Analysts. As an Investment Analyst, you'll be the critical bridge between our deal team and our GPs, driving investment decisions and portfolio performance. The Role Reporting to the CFO, you operate with significant autonomy. You partner with CIRs to lead the execution of €1–5M EBITDA deals, challenging weak theses and ensuring every transaction clears our high bar for operational value creation. After acquisition you support the portfolio companies on financial matters such as reporting, add-on acquisitions and exit preparation. Responsibilities Transaction Execution & Structuring Design, execute, and manage critical financial and due diligence workstreams for CIRs. Structure the transactions (debt, seller reinvestments, …) and secure optimal financing for CIR acquisitions. Support CIRs through closing processes, including SPA and SHA negotiations. Build and present investment recommendations to General Partners, owning decision quality. CIR Partnership & Advisory Serve as a trusted advisor to CIRs on valuation, financial analysis, and deal structuring. Review and challenge investment theses with constructive rigor to ensure operational feasibility. Portfolio Performance & Governance Attend portfolio company board meetings as observer; prepare the packs, run the numbers, flag the variances before the CEO does. Own the monthly and quarterly reporting cycle across portfolio companies: actuals vs. budget, cash, covenant headroom, working capital. Build and pressure-test the business plans and budgets alongside portfolio CEOs. Monitor and control portfolio company costs against plan, and challenge spend that doesn't tie to the value creation thesis. Lead add-on acquisition processes: sourcing, valuation, structuring, integration planning. Drive exit readiness from year one with data room discipline. Team Leadership & Operational Excellence Hire train and manage the junior analysts and interns, maintaining quality control on analytical work. Partner with the COO to build automation tools and AI agents to remove repetitive manual tasks. Sourcing & Portfolio Growth Cultivate proprietary deal flow and develop deep sector franchise expertise in target industries. Support portfolio CEOs on strategic initiatives, operational performance monitoring and exit preparation. What We're Looking For Experience & Expertise: at least 5 years of relevant experience (being PE, M&A or Corporate Finance). Master's degree required. Advanced LBO modeling, SME valuation mastery, and creative transaction structuring skills are essential. Languages: Fluent English is required; professional fluency in Dutch, French, or German is strongly preferred for seller negotiations. Attributes: High-accountability support mindset, intellectual honesty, operational focus, and a low-ego/high-standards approach.

What We Offer
Growth: Direct C-level and GP exposure and a performance-driven growth path. Comp: Competitive salary commensurate with experience and market-standard benefits. Environment: Hybrid schedule in Brussels (Jette) with a collaborative, high-impact culture. Next Steps If you're an experienced investor who genuinely values operational excellence, wants to work directly with entrepreneurs, and is ready for a high-accountability, deal-owning role in a small, high-performing team, we want to hear from you. Ready to lead investments in Benelux SME succession? Apply now.