Senior Research Associate (2026)

Senior Research Associate

Location: Pune

Join a high-performing, tight-knit team with a unique approach to private equity investing. Kingfish Group partners with top financial and operating executives to pursue high-impact opportunities. This role combines research and qualitative analysis, with broad exposure across teams to support diverse skill development. We value excellence, innovation, and an entrepreneurial mindset. You’ll be expected to contribute from day one and take ownership of your work.

Candidate Profile

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with 1.5 - 3 years of experience in secondary research, market intelligence, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience applying AI tools to enhance research, streamline workflows, and support data-driven decisions
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable collaborating with global teams
• Strong understanding of business models across industries and market dynamics
• Sharp analytical and creative thinking skills, with a strong attention to detail
• Self-motivated and adaptable, with the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace; experience with CRM platforms or data analytics tools is a plus

Position Summary
Senior Research Associates are responsible for independently managing and delivering high-quality research at speed and scale using AI. They apply sound research judgment and analytical rigor, leveraging advanced tools to identify advisors and generate insights with consistency and precision. The role demands high ownership, sound decision making, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, knowledge-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Manages research projects end-to-end, ensuring high-quality delivery within tight timelines.

• Designs efficient research strategies by distilling investment materials into key themes and questions, while focusing on improving speed and quality through smarter techniques, automation, and optimized workflows.

• Collaborates effectively with a global team to align on expectations and deliver sound outcomes.

• Uses AI systems, databases, and targeted secondary research to identify advisors, and competitors relevant to project requirements.

• Synthesizes research from multiple sources into deliverables (competitive landscapes, industry primers, etc.)

• Uses CRM dashboards and metrics to track quality, progress, and inform delivery decisions.

• Contributes to firm-wide initiatives aimed at enhancing research quality, fostering innovation, advancing AI-enabled delivery, and improving tools and processes.

About Kingfish

Kingfish Group is a differentiated private equity firm that builds businesses in close partnership with experienced industry executives. Our firm comprises two core business segments: our private equity investment business and an advisory business that supports a limited set of high-performing PE sponsors as they identify, invest in, and grow businesses. We have pioneered a direct investment model that operates at the intersection of people, ideas, and capital. Our approach involves working collaboratively with targeted executives and a select group of high-performing private equity sponsors to identify, invest in, and grow exceptional companies. At the core of our strategy is a disciplined, relationship-driven process centered on long-term partnerships with proven operating leaders.

Culture

Our philosophy is to find the best people and give them the freedom to learn, innovate, and outperform. In that spirit, we are structured to ensure that each individual contributes substantively to firm strategy, and there is extensive feedback on performance. Authority is decentralized, and performance is rewarded based on achievement of goals. Kingfish is a unique place that demands extraordinary tenacity, confidence, intellectual curiosity, and communication skills. We pride ourselves on assembling high-performing teams to pursue inspiring goals.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.