Senior Associate

Position description

Centerbridge Partners, L.P. is a private investment management firm employing a flexible approach across investment disciplines—private equity, credit, and real estate—in an effort to develop the most attractive opportunities for our investors. The Firm was founded in 2005 and has over $41 billion in capital under management with offices in New York and London. Centerbridge is dedicated to partnering with world-class management teams across targeted industry sectors and geographies.

The Centerbridge team comprises ~300 individuals, including ~115 investment professionals. The Managing Principal, together with nearly three-dozen Senior Managing Directors, bring an average of more than 25 years of experience. The investment team includes professionals with private equity, distressed securities, corporate finance, legal, and industry specific backgrounds.

Our philosophy unifies perspectives across our investment disciplines and applies them across asset classes, sectors, and geographies. We believe this integrated approach offers us a differentiated capability to flexibly navigate shifting market conditions, which is at the heart of how we create and preserve value.

Centerbridge Foundation 

The Centerbridge Foundation was established in 2007 to make charitable investments in the communities where Centerbridge Partners has offices. The Foundation’s mission is to increase access to educational and economic opportunities for students so they can achieve their full potential. We believe that a quality education provides the most direct path to increased academic achievement, a broader range of employment options, and longer-term economic self-sufficiency. Critical to the Foundation’s strategy is partnering with organizations addressing systematic inequities and providing opportunities for low-income young people who face additional barriers to success and who are less likely to be prepared for college or careers. The Foundation pursues its mission with the meaningful engagement of the Centerbridge team who are actively involved through opportunities ranging from selecting grant partners to providing direct volunteer service.

For more information, please visit https://www.centerbridge.com/centerbridge-foundation/.

The Opportunity 

The Centerbridge Foundation is in search of a Senior Associate to help manage the day-to-day activities of the Foundation with a focus on Firm initiatives and volunteer engagement. This includes managing relationships with the Foundation’s current and prospective engagement partners, assisting with employee engagement, and providing support on several Firm initiatives as detailed below. The Foundation seeks an individual with relevant experience who has shown a demonstrated commitment to the nonprofit and/or philanthropic sector with a particular focus on education. This position will report to the Head of the Foundation.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker who is self-motivated and can work autonomously but thrives in a team-based environment that is committed to providing philanthropic support to high-performing nonprofit organizations and engaging the Firm in strategic and impactful initiatives across our communities. Areas of responsibility may include:

Firm Initiatives & Engagement
Team Engagement:

• Coordinate and manage all employee engagement opportunities in NYC and London including, Annual Service Week, quarterly volunteer events, holiday initiative, and special events
• Manage and take part in new team member Foundation orientations
• Develop and maintain relationships with nonprofit organizations to provide volunteer opportunities for employees; work with team members on connecting them to meaningful individual engagement opportunities including nonprofit Board service
• Manage and keep up to date the newly developed internal “Service Portal,” a centralized platform for team members to explore volunteer opportunities

City University of New York (CUNY):

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of our core CUNY program, the CUNY Investment Industry Fellowship (CIIF); manage student recruitment, workshop volunteers, student participation, material preparation, and all logistics
• Identify meaningful opportunities to engage Centerbridge volunteers and CIIF alumni
• Support partners of the CUNY Futures in Finance initiative led by Centerbridge, including program planning, implementation, attending of update calls, and coordination
• with CUNY

Partnership Grant Program

• Support, where needed, on Partnership Grant Program including grant partner pipeline and due diligence on potential grant partners
• Work with the Foundation team and Foundation Executive Committee on due diligence needs and provide ongoing updates
• Review Committee materials and other internal and external communications related to grant partners
• Help identify additional ways to support grant partners, including but not limited to leadership development, research assistance, and attendance at sector-based events

Other

• Conduct research related to approaches and best practices with corporate social responsibility across other institutions
• Draft internal and external communication including support on the annual Sustainable Value Creation Report
• Research and build knowledge on trends and opportunities in the Foundation’s funding areas
• Attend informational meetings with organizations, individuals, and other firms, especially on CSR topics
• Manage special projects as needed

Qualifications

We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

• Collaborative and Service-Oriented: Thrives in a team-based culture that values shared success. Builds trust, listens well, and works across teams and levels of seniority with diplomacy, responsiveness, and empathy.
• Connector and Community Facilitator: Identifies and cultivates opportunities to bring people together—colleagues, volunteers, grantees, and alumni—for collective impact. Engages others meaningfully and ensures experiences are inclusive, well-organized, and mission aligned.
• Mission-Driven Relationship Builder: Demonstrates a deep commitment to the Foundation’s mission by fostering strong, values-aligned relationships with nonprofit partners, volunteers, and internal stakeholders. Brings curiosity, humility, and service orientation to every interaction.
• Initiative and Follow-Through: Proactively moves initiatives forward—whether managing programs, coordinating events, or supporting grantees—without requiring close oversight. Takes ownership of outcomes and follows through on commitments with reliability and care.
• Strategic Planning and Execution: Plans effectively to support firm-wide engagement and grantmaking efforts. Aligns tasks with organizational goals, anticipates needs and risks, and ensures smooth implementation of programs and initiatives.
• Results-Oriented and Accountable: Maintains high standards of performance and holds themself accountable for delivering timely, accurate, and thoughtful work. Brings structure and attention to detail in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Analytical and Insightful: Synthesizes information from diverse sources to identify trends, surface insights, and inform strategy. Applies sound judgment to problem-solving and decision-making in program development and partner support.
• Clear and Adaptive Communicator: Communicates clearly and professionally across written and verbal formats. Tailors messages to different audiences and ensures transparency, clarity, and engagement across all interactions.
• Tech-Literate and Resourceful: Utilizes tools such as MS Office to build clear, compelling presentations and materials for stakeholders. Learns and applies new technologies that improve workflow, research, or communication.

In addition, strong candidates will offer:

• A track record of academic success; an undergraduate degree is required
• Three to five years of experience working at a nonprofit and/or philanthropic grantmaking organization
• Strong communication skills, including excellent writing and presentation skills
• Proficiency in MS Office including PowerPoint, Excel, and Word; comfortable developing PowerPoint presentations for review by senior stakeholders
• Deep commitment to the Foundation’s mission and a strong sense of personal integrity
• Immense curiosity and drive to stay current on trends and innovative in thinking within the education and/or youth development field; broad knowledge of social problems, programs, and policies
• An energetic self-starter who is thorough and can work independently but enjoys being part of a team and can think strategically
• Organized and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with ability to deliver high-quality work on short timelines
• Customer service orientation and strong interpersonal skills; ability to influence with and without authority and comfortable acting as a thought partner in a range of situations with colleagues of all levels of seniority
• Willing to work behind the scenes; views success as a product of the team

Compensation and Benefits 

It is expected that the annual base salary range for this role is $85,000 – $100,000. Base salary is one component of Centerbridge’s competitive total rewards package which typically includes annual discretionary compensation, comprehensive health benefits, hybrid working model, on-site fitness center, daily food allowances when on-site, and paid time off, among others. Other long-term incentives may also be available to certain eligible employees.

Application instructions

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