Senior Business Development Manager - Finance & Investment Funds at Alston & Bird in New York City

Job description

• The Senior Business Development Manager will drive growth for the firm's Finance and Investment Funds practice groups by leading sophisticated BD strategy, client targeting, and market-positioning initiatives. Based in New York, this highly visible role partners directly with practice leaders and attorneys to identify revenue opportunities, deepen client relationships, and elevate the firm's profile in competitive finance and private capital markets. This role requires a strategic, commercially minded BD leader with executive presence, sound judgment, strong project leadership, and the ability to influence stakeholders and drive disciplined execution.

Responsibilities

• Serve as senior BD advisor and primary contact for Finance and Investment Funds attorneys and practice leaders.
• Lead strategic BD initiatives that support growth, client development, cross-selling, and market visibility.
• Develop and manage client targeting, pursuit, and follow-up programs, including tracking activity, outcomes, and next steps.
• Align BD activities with practice priorities, revenue opportunities, and client service goals.
• Use market, client, industry, and competitive intelligence to guide targeting, positioning, and pursuits.
• Maintain and leverage deal, matter, and experience data for pitches, credentials, rankings, league tables, and client development.
• Support lateral partner integration by aligning client relationships, credentials, and go-to-market priorities with firmwide BD efforts.
• Prepare pitches, proposals, RFP responses, capability statements, presentations, and related BD materials.
• Manage BD budgets and evaluate sponsorships, memberships, conferences, and client-facing events for ROI and strategic alignment.
• Coordinate client programs, thought leadership, marketing materials, and other visibility initiatives.
• Manage directory, ranking, and award submissions, including Chambers, Legal 500, Best Lawyers, and Best Law Firms.
• Track BD activities, opportunities, and follow-up to support accountability and measurement.
• Supervise, mentor, and help prioritize work for BD team members supporting the assigned practices.

Requirements

• Strong business development, client development, and professional services judgment.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage competing priorities.
• High attention to detail and commitment to quality work product.
• Ability to build credibility with attorneys, practice leaders, and colleagues across the firm.
• Leadership presence, sound judgment, and ability to influence stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills and comfort using market, client, and competitive data.
• Self-starter who works well independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Comfort using CRM, research, proposal, and AI-enabled tools to improve BD execution and insight generation.
• Bachelor's degree required.
• 8+ years of business development, marketing, or professional services experience, preferably in a law firm; 10+ years preferred.
• Experience advising senior attorneys or practice leaders and leading cross-functional BD initiatives preferred.
• Familiarity with structured finance, private credit, fund finance, leveraged finance, asset management, private equity funds, credit funds, hedge funds, or related private capital strategies preferred.
• Experience preparing pitches, proposals, RFP responses, client presentations, and related BD materials.
• Experience with rankings, awards, directory submissions, events, thought leadership, deal data, and league tables preferred.

Skills

Required

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.

Benefits

• The salary range for this position in New York City is $190,000 - $200,000. These ranges represent the Firm's good faith minimum and maximum salary expectations for this role at the time of posting. Actual compensation offered will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, and work location.