Job Title: Vice President
Location: Greater Minneapolis – St. Paul Area
About Gardner Standard
Gardner Standard is a private investment firm focused on acquiring and strengthening lower middle-market companies, with an emphasis on aerospace and defense, manufacturing, and engineered products businesses. We bring a legacy of operational excellence and strategic investment to unlock value in businesses facing complexity or underperformance. Unlike traditional private equity firms, we focus on the long term and embrace business challenges. We invest in businesses with strong underlying fundamentals and untapped potential, applying a hands-on approach to drive sustainable growth.
Position Overview
We are seeking a driven, hungry Vice President to join our investment team. This is a role for someone who thrives on challenge — the ideal candidate will have a blend of public accounting experience and strong financial modeling capabilities: 3-statement monthly financial models, 13-week cash flow models, and ad hoc scenario analysis. Leveraging their financial acumen, the Vice President should be confident interfacing with C-Suite executives, legal professionals, and management teams to create value during a transaction and subsequent to a transaction during the Firm’s investment period in a company.
You’ll be exposed to the full lifecycle of special situations private equity investing: from deal sourcing and diligence to working side-by-side with management teams to solve problems and drive transformation.
This is a partnership-track investment professional position.
Key Responsibilities
- Build, revise, and maintain detailed financial models to support acquisitions, investment decisions, and portfolio company strategy
- Conduct rigorous due diligence: analyze financial statements, contracts, customer data, supply chain, and operational performance to uncover risks and opportunities
- Support deal execution through data analysis, market research, and preparation of investment committee materials
- Collaborate with senior leadership and external advisors (bankers, accountants, attorneys) to drive transactions forward
- Partner with portfolio company leaders post-close to track performance, implement strategic initiatives, and create value
- Step beyond the numbers to connect operational realities with financial outcomes — and recommend solutions
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and CPA designation required
- 2–3+ years of experience at a highly regarded public accounting firm
- 2–3+ additional years of business experience in accounting, finance, transaction advisory, investment banking, or management consulting (experience in companies with less than $150M revenue is a plus)
- Strong technical skills: advanced Excel and PowerPoint; exposure to Power BI and ERP systems (NetSuite, Sage, QuickBooks) preferred
- Intellectual curiosity with a “next question” mindset — relentless in digging for answers and not afraid to roll up your sleeves
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex findings simply and clearly
- Hungry, motivated, and aligned with Gardner Standard’s values: integrity, insight, collaboration, resolve, diligence, flexibility, and long-term orientation
What We Offer
- A front-row seat in special situations private equity investing with direct exposure to decision-making
- Mentorship from experienced operators and investors committed to your professional growth
- A pathway to leadership — this is a partnership-track role, not a two- or three-year rotation
- Competitive compensation: Base salary in the $175,000 – $225,000 range, plus a 30%–50% bonus opportunity
- Participation in carried interest for new investments, creating long-term wealth-building potential
- The chance to grow inside a firm that values grit, urgency, and accountability — where solving hard problems earns not just recognition, but meaningful upside
