Business Development Associate

Our client is Private Equity-backed platform based in New York, NY. Position Summary Our client is looking to add a Senior Associate to their Business Development team. Own assigned transactions as Deal Lead from initial engagement through LOI — delivering valuations, fielding objections, and managing sellers through a complex, long-cycle process. Operate independently in front of senior RIA principals, advancing deals without requiring leadership accompaniment or oversight. Cultivate and maintain relationships with RIA business owners and centers of influence, serving as the primary point of contact throughout the deal lifecycle. Drive cold outbound origination to prospective sellers and convert target firms from the existing nurture portfolio into active pipeline. Resolve seller-side objections, process friction, and deal complexity independently rather than routinely escalating to senior leadership. Manage an active pipeline and nurture portfolio simultaneously without losing momentum on either. Maintain full proficiency in DealCloud, the team's CRM platform, as the backbone for pipeline management and relationship tracking. Experiences and Functional Skills Required 5–10 years in at least one of the following: buy-side M&A (PE or Corporate Development); Wealth Management with personal ownership of client acquisition; enterprise B2B sales within financial services; or a strong sales, sourcing, or M&A motion from outside financial services. A demonstrated track record of sourcing, closing, or converting outcomes — identifying targets, building relationships, and driving a process to close. Experience as the trusted primary point of contact for senior counterparties; second-chair is fine if you were clearly the relationship lead in waiting. Proven ability to run a complex deal process through to LOI independently, with senior decision-makers. Comfort delivering deal terms, fielding objections, and articulating a value proposition through a long-cycle seller process. Resolves problems independently before escalation. Fluent reading a P&L and extracting what matters from financial data; familiar with basic modeling and valuation logic. Proficiency with an enterprise CRM; DealCloud familiarity a plus. Behaviors and Mindsets Required Interpersonal Savvy– Reads people and situations accurately and adjusts behavior to work effectively with others. Accountability / Ownership Mindset – A belief that you are responsible for outcomes, impact, and follow-through—regardless of ambiguity, obstacles, or who “should” own the problem. #J-18808-Ljbffr