$80–100/hr
The role in one line
You model a consumer or leisure acquisition from deal documents, then evaluate two peer models on the same transaction.
Written by Training Turk from the public listing; it may be incomplete or out of date. Read the full posting on Mercor.
What you would do
- Build a complete financial model of a consumer/leisure target from a synthetic deal document pack
- Produce an Excel workbook with functioning formulas, cell references, and detailed assumptions
- Assess two anonymized models built by other contractors against a defined scoring rubric
- Score each peer model and write a short rationale explaining the evaluation
- Complete a review scorecard documenting technical and presentation quality
Who they are looking for
- 2-4 years combined experience: approximately 2 years in investment banking (consumer/retail or M&A generalist track) plus 1-2 years in PE
- Currently or recently an Associate at PE fund focused on consumer/leisure/multi-site services, ideally with Paris office or European deal experience
- Ability to model a transaction from source documents without a template
- Paris office or European deal experience preferred; fluent in English
Skills this role asks for
What the interview is likely to probe
1.Modeling deal structure and assumptions
Your model is the bank's communication to stakeholders; unclear assumptions or missed mechanics lose credibility and extend deal delays.
Expect something like: “A 50-location fitness portfolio has 40% franchised units. How do you model revenue, capex, and working capital differently across owned vs franchised locations?”
2.Building without templates
Templates hide builder judgment and create rigid structures; rebuilding forces you to think through what drives the business.
Expect something like: “You have P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow details from a deal document but no profit center breakdown. Walk me through how you structure the revenue forecast.”
3.Spotting leverage and cash flow errors in peer work
Most modeling errors hide in debt schedules, working capital, or capex timing; junior models often miss the link from operations to cash available for debt service.
Expect something like: “A peer model shows revenue +5% YoY, but EBITDA flat. You recalculate and get margin compression, but their working capital calculation looks too simple. What specific metrics do you check?”
4.Judgment on peer model quality
Scoring forces you to apply consistent standards; subjective rubrication drives disputes and fails as training data.
Expect something like: “One peer model is messier but has better assumption logic; another is polished but makes an incorrect working capital assumption. How do you score these differently?”
5.Communicating model reasoning in writing
Partners and investors can't watch you build; your written rationale has to be clear enough that a PE investor understands your choices.
Expect something like: “You modeled capex at 3% of revenue based on historical actuals, but a reviewer questions it. Write a 3-sentence rationale defending this assumption for a non-modeling audience.”
Exercise you may get
Build a financial model on a 3-year hold of a 20-location quick-service restaurant chain; then review a peer model and complete a scorecard highlighting at least one modeling choice to critique.
How to prepare
- Work through a recent consumer M&A case study or published deal summary to understand revenue, cost, and capex mechanics in your preferred subsector
- Practice rebuilding a financial model from a deal document without a template; focus on clearly documenting every key assumption
- Review a sample evaluation rubric for modeling quality and think about how subjectivity creeps in
Facts
- Pay
- $80–100/hr
- Commitment
- hourly
- Work arrangement
- remote · France / Europe (remote)
- Eligible locations
- FRA, GBR, DEU, NLD, ESP, ITA, BEL, LUX, IRL, CHE
- Domain
- Finance
- Company
- Pearson
- Posted
- 9/17/2026
- Open slots
- 3