Senior Business Development Manager - Finance & Investment Funds

Alston & Bird seeks a Senior Business Development Manager to support growth across its Finance and Investment Funds practice groups in New York. The role combines strategic client development with visible collaboration across practice leadership and attorneys, ensuring BD initiatives are aligned to practice priorities and measurable business outcomes.

Role Overview

In this position, you serve as a senior business development advisor and primary point of contact for Finance and Investment Funds attorneys and practice leaders. You will lead BD strategy, client targeting and follow-up programs, and market positioning, while preparing substantive client-facing and submission materials and maintaining the data foundation used for pitches, credentials, rankings, and client development.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a senior BD advisor and primary contact for Finance and Investment Funds attorneys and practice leaders.
• Lead strategic BD initiatives supporting 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 inform targeting, positioning, and pursuits.
• Maintain and leverage deal, matter, and experience data to support 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.

Required Qualifications

• Strong business development, client development, and professional services judgment.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• High attention to detail and commitment to producing 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.
• Ability to work 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 generate insight.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Education & Experience

• 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.

Location, Salary, and Work Setting

• Location: New York, NY (onsite)
• Salary: USD 190,000 to 200,000 per year

Tools & Technologies

• Microsoft Office Suite
• CRM
• AI-enabled tools