Founder's Office – Investment & Operations

Job Description – Analyst, Investments & Financial Due DiligenceStrategy & Investments | Propel (upGrad Group)

Role Overview

We are looking for a sharp, analytical Analyst to join the Strategy & Investments team and work on evaluating higher-education institutions (universities, colleges and education trusts) as potential acquisition, partnership and operating opportunities.

You will work on live transactions alongside the Due Diligence lead, analysing the financial performance of target institutions from the ground up and building a clear picture of their revenue, costs, cash flows and sustainable earnings. It is a role for someone who enjoys getting into the numbers and uncovering what sits behind them.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Due Diligence & Analysis

Analyse historical financial statements, management accounts and MIS to assess the financial performance and health of target institutions.Perform transaction-level analysis of bank statements and accounting records to validate reported financials and understand actual cash flows.Analyse revenue drivers, including fee collections, student enrolments and programme-wise economics.Assess cost structures, working capital and monthly cash flow trends.Support quality of earnings and normalisation analysis to identify sustainable earnings.

2. Validation & Insight Generation

Cross-verify financial information across multiple sources to test the reliability of reported numbers.Identify trends, anomalies, inconsistencies and areas requiring further investigation.Translate findings into clear, decision-useful insights for the investment team.

3. Financial Modelling

Support the development of operating models and financial projections based on business drivers, benchmarks and assumptions.Contribute to scenario and sensitivity analysis on target institutions.

4. Analytical Frameworks & Tools

Develop standardised analytical frameworks and templates to strengthen and speed up the diligence process across engagements.Identify opportunities to automate recurring analyses.

5. Diligence Execution

Prepare information request lists and track diligence progress.Draft diligence questions for target management based on analysis.Support preparation of diligence findings and investment materials for senior management.

Ideal Candidate Profile

CA (newly qualified), or CA Inter / CFA / MBA Finance with relevant exposure.0–2 years of experience; Big 4 articleship or experience in audit, TAS, FDD or IB is strongly preferred.Strong understanding of financial statements and accounting concepts.Advanced Excel skills and comfort working with large, complex datasets.Strong analytical and problem-solving ability, with a keen eye for detail.Curiosity to question numbers and dig into the underlying business.Clear written and verbal communication.Exposure to the education sector, trusts or NPOs is a plus.

Key SkillsFinancial Analysis | FDD | Financial Statements | Cash Flow Analysis | Quality of Earnings | Financial Modelling | Excel | Data Analysis | Due Diligence

Internal Note to HR

This is a junior role supporting the DD lead on live diligence. In practice, a large part of the work involves hands-on analysis of raw financial data: bank statements, ledger dumps, fee records and MIS from institutions whose records are often not well-organised. We need someone who can work through this independently and accurately, so strong Excel skills and accounting fundamentals matter more than years of experience.

Preferred backgrounds are Big 4 articleship or early-career roles in FDD, TAS, audit or IB. Please avoid pure bookkeeping or MIS-reporting profiles.