Principal Analyst - Investment Manager

At Aquatech, we tackle the challenges of water scarcity and complexity by leveraging technology, expertise, and financing to deliver comprehensive solutions that reduce carbon and recycled water footprint. As a leading global provider of water and process technology solutions, we help the world's most recognized companies achieve their sustainability and operational goals by implementing innovative approaches for water reuse, desalination, minimal and zero liquid discharge, and critical minerals recovery. Our work catalyzes the transition toward a more sustainable future and showcases our commitment to addressing water's role in climate adaptation. Learn more at www.aquatech.com.

We are seeking a high calibre project finance professional to join our Development (DevCo) team. The ideal candidate has 5–10 years of project finance experience (investment banking, infrastructure funds, or infrastructure backed platforms) with a strong focus on BOO/BOT/P3 structures, financial modelling, capital structuring, and investor/lender engagement. This person will be the core analytical and structuring engine that transforms early-stage BOO opportunities into bankable, investment ready projects, working closely with the developer team, tax advisors, lenders, equity providers, and co investors. This is a remote position. 

Core Purpose of the Role
Support the developer team in turning early-stage BOO opportunities into bankable projects by:
•    Building robust, audit ready project finance models
•    Structuring debt/equity mixes and optimizing tax, incentives, and financing mechanics
•    Producing decision quality analysis and materials for Internal Committee (IC), lenders, tax advisors, and co investors
•    Leading the financial workstream through due diligence, term sheet negotiations, and closing
The role also includes light asset management support to track performance against modelled cases and inform refinancing, equity recycling, or sell down decisions.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Modelling (Project & Portfolio)
•    Design, build, and maintain detailed project finance models:
•    Monthly construction phase, quarterly/annual operating periods, full life of project
•    Integrated revenue, OPEX, CAPEX, working capital, debt schedules, taxes, and distributions
•    Translate BOO/BOT/P3 contracts into cash flow logic and covenant mechanics:
•    PPA / WPA / tolling agreements, EPC, O&M, land/lease, offtake, interconnection, take or pay, etc.
•    Run extensive sensitivity and scenario analysis on key risks:
•    CAPEX overruns, tariff/volume changes, FX, interest rates, construction delays, commissioning risks
•    Maintain a model library and standard templates for rapid scaling across multiple projects.
2. Capital Structure & Debt/Equity Sizing
•    Evaluate and recommend optimal capital structures for each project:
•    Target gearing, tenor, sculpted vs. flat amortization, DSCR/LLCR thresholds, DSRA/reserves, refinancing options
•    Size senior debt capacity under different lender cases; derive:
•    Equity requirements
•    Unlevered/levered IRR, NPV, MOIC for sponsor and co investors
•    Compare and structure alternative financing approaches:
•    Pure project finance vs. holdco debt, portfolio financing, mini perm vs. long term, sale leaseback, JVs, etc.
3. Tax Optimization & Incentives (in Close Coordination with Advisors)
•    Incorporate federal, state, and local tax regimes into models:
•    Depreciation (MACRS/other), interest deductibility, loss carry forwards, withholding taxes, etc.
•    Work with external tax counsel and tax equity advisors to translate:
•    Tax equity structures, investment/production tax credits, grants, rebates, and other incentive schemes into model logic
•    Run structure comparisons:
•    Straight equity vs. tax equity partners, leasing, sale leaseback, JV structures
•    Show after tax returns and cash waterfall implications for each structure.

4. Project Financing Workstream Support
•    Prepare lender and equity case models, including:
•    Base case, lender case, equity case, and bespoke suites for DFIs, ECAs, and commercial banks
•    Set up and manage the financial data room:
•    Respond to model Q&A, incorporate lender/-equity feedback into the base case
•    Support due diligence (technical, legal, market, ESG):
•    Quantify impacts on covenants, financial ratios, and required mitigants
•    Assist in term sheet negotiations:
•    Test alternative structures (higher leverage vs. higher pricing, cash sweeps, sculpting, covenant tweaks)
•    Summarize trade offs and recommendations for management and IC.

5. Pitch Materials, IC Decks & Investor Communications
•    Develop investment memoranda, lender teasers, and internal IC decks that:
•    Clearly articulate the business model, risk allocation, financial metrics, and sensitivity results
•    Translate complex modelling outputs into clear charts, tables, and storylines for:
•    Non financial stakeholders (utilities, offtakers, boards, government counterparts, co investors)
•    Ensure all materials are consistent, auditable, and investor ready.

6. Portfolio & Performance Analytics (Asset Management Support)
•    Track actual vs. modelled performance for operating assets:
•    Update models with actuals, variance analysis, and forecast revisions
•    Support portfolio level analysis across multiple BOO plants:
•    Aggregated cash flows, holdco level covenants, equity recycling capacity, refinancing windows
•    Feed insights into refinancing, buy backs, sell downs, or secondary transactions.

7. Up to 40 percent travel may be required.

8. Other duties as assigned.

Benefits: 

Aquatech offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, company-paid holidays, and a 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility)

Essential Functions:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above and below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Job Demands:

 Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, limited walking and standing. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms