2026 Portfolio Management & Investment Research Summer Analyst

StepStone Group

Posted 5 days ago

Internship

San Diego, California

In Person

Smart Summary

Summer Analysts will support portfolio construction, quantitative modeling, and data-driven research across private markets, potentially helping to develop and test key Python and Excel tools used in active portfolio decision-making. They will also contribute to research projects identifying private market trends and communicating findings to internal teams.

StepStone is looking for a Summer Analyst to join their Portfolio Management & Investment Research team. The role requires strong analytical and coding skills, preferably in Python, R, or VBA, and a background in finance, economics, or a related field. The ideal candidate should be a team player with a humble, learning-focused approach, ready to contribute to data-driven decision-making in private markets.

Must Have Skills for ATS

Portfolio Construction

Investment Decision-Making

Quantitative Rigor

Python

Excel

Data Analysis

Modeling

Research

MySQL

VBA

R

Attention To Detail

Collaboration

Data Visualization

SQL

Power BI

Job Description

We are global private markets specialists delivering tailored investment solutions, advisory services, and impactful, data driven insights to the world’s investors. Leveraging the power of our platform and our peerless intelligence across sectors, strategies, and geographies, we help identify the advantages and the answers our clients need to succeed.

Application deadline: March 27, 2026

The team you’ll join

The Portfolio Management team at StepStone serves as a central resource for the firm's evergreen fund client base, wearing multiple hats across portfolio construction, investment decision-making, and commitment pacing. The team works directly with clients of StepStone's evergreen accounts to build and maintain portfolios across private markets, fielding pacing requests and translating investment strategy into actionable allocation decisions. Leveraging StepStone's proprietary data advantage, the team applies quantitative rigor to help the firm make informed investment decisions across asset classes - from buyouts and secondaries to real assets and beyond. The team also supports valuation work spanning multiple private market asset classes, ensuring analytical consistency and accuracy across the platform. Beyond core portfolio and investment responsibilities, the team plays a key role in automating and enhancing firmwide workflows, developing Python and Excel-based tools that drive efficiency and create lasting operational value across the organization.

About the role

StepStone is currently seeking candidates with strong analytical, coding, and business acumen for intern positions within the Portfolio Management team. This internship is ideal for candidates with a background in finance, economics, or related fields who also possess solid programming skills. Interns will gain hands-on experience in portfolio management, investment research, and data-driven decision-making in private markets.

At StepStone, we value a team-first approach, a low-ego mindset, and intellectual curiosity. We are looking for candidates who are eager to learn, take ownership of their work, and contribute to a highly collaborative environment.

What you’ll do

Summer Analysts will contribute directly to the Portfolio Management team's core workflows, supporting portfolio construction, quantitative modeling, and data-driven research across private markets. Summer Analysts may also help develop and test key Python and Excel tools used in active portfolio decision-making. Throughout the summer, Summer Analysts will also have the opportunity to contribute to research projects that identify trends in private markets and communicate findings to internal teams.

Key responsibilities

  • Work with private markets data, collecting and reconciling information from internal sources (MySQL, PDF’s and Excel files)
  • Develop and test financial models to support investment decision-making (Python, R, VBA).
  • Conduct data-driven analyses to identify trends in private markets.
  • Support portfolio management efforts through ad hoc analysis and research projects.
  • Communicate insights and findings to internal teams and produce written documentation of data, models, and code.

What we’re looking for

  • Pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Analytics, or a related field.
  • Undergraduate student graduating anywhere from December 2026 through June 2027 
  • Previous internship or work experience in finance, consulting, or data analysis is strongly preferred.
  • Solid understanding of Python, R, or VBA for data analysis.
  • Familiarity with financial markets, investment concepts, and private markets is a plus.
  • Strong attention to detail and ability to critically check work while maintaining a humble, learning-focused approach.
  • Team-oriented mindset—able to take feedback constructively, collaborate effectively, and contribute to shared goals.
  • Proficiency in Excel; experience with SQL, Power BI, or data visualization tools is a plus.
  • No task is too small—willingness to roll up sleeves and take initiative in a fast-paced environment

Why join us?

At StepStone, we foster a supportive and inclusive team culture where collaboration and learning are the core of what we do. Our collegial atmosphere encourages teamwork, mentorship, and professional development. This summer internship is a great opportunity to gain practical experience and develop critical skills that will help you launch a successful career in private markets 

Click here to learn more about the intern experience.

Salary: $30 / hour

The salary is an estimate of pay for this position.  Actual pay may vary depending on job-related factors that can include location, education, skill, and experience.  The salary does not include any benefits or other forms of possible compensation that may be available to employees.

#LI-Hybrid

At StepStone, we believe that our people are our most important asset and crucial to our success.  We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that strives to create an environment that empowers our employees and allows them to be heard, regardless of title or tenure.  Our organizational community features multiple Employment Resource Groups as well as mentorship programs to enhance the employee experience for all.  

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, StepStone does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.

Candidates must be at least 18 years old to apply.

Developing People at StepStone

StepStone Group

StepStone Group (Nasdaq: STEP) is a global private markets investment firm focused on providing customized investment solutions and advisory and data services to our clients. StepStone’s clients include some of the world’s largest public and private defined benefit and defined contribution pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and insurance companies, as well as prominent endowments, foundations, family offices, and private wealth clients, which include high-net-worth and mass affluent individuals. StepStone partners with its clients to develop and build private market portfolios designed to meet their specific objectives across the private equity, infrastructure, private debt, and real estate asset classes.

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