Business Development Advisor

Smith + Howard; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Smith + Howard is seeking a Business Development Advisor to accelerate growth across the Carolinas. You will develop strategic relationships, create new business opportunities, and connect prospective clients with the firm’s capabilities.

This role emphasizes executive networking, disciplined pipeline management, and long-term client engagements. Ideal candidates have a strong track record in business development within professional services, with a robust network among business owners and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of business development, sales, or revenue-generation experience.
• Proven ability to develop a qualified pipeline and convert relationships into revenue.

Responsibilities

• Generate new business opportunities by identifying prospective client relationships.
• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline aligned with firm growth objectives.
• Develop trusted relationships with business owners, C-suite executives, and key decision-makers.
• Leverage networks and market intel to create new opportunities.
• Advance opportunities through the BD lifecycle from initial contact to engagement.
• Collaborate with firm leadership on pursuit strategies to improve conversion.
• Represent Smith + Howard at industry events and networking activities.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing client relationships with additional firm capabilities.
• Maintain disciplined pipeline and CRM visibility across activity and results.
• Partner with Marketing on initiatives to strengthen market presence.

Skills

Executive presence

Relationship management

Strategic networking

Pipeline development

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Build Relationships. Create Opportunity. Drive Growth.

At Smith + Howard, growth starts with relationships.

We are seeking an accomplished Business Development Advisor to accelerate growth and expand our presence across the South and North Carolina markets. This is a highly visible, revenue-generating role focused on developing strategic relationships, creating new business opportunities, and connecting prospective clients with the broad capabilities of the Smith + Howard family of companies.

This is not a transactional or high-volume sales role. Success comes through market presence, executive-level relationships, strategic networking, disciplined pipeline development, and the ability to turn trusted relationships into long-term client engagements.

What You'll Do

Working closely with Partners, Principals, and firm leaders, you will:

• Generate new business opportunities and revenue by identifying, developing, and advancing prospective client relationships.
• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of qualified opportunities aligned with firm growth objectives.
• Develop trusted relationships with business owners, C-suite executives, financial leaders, referral partners, and other key decision-makers.
• Leverage professional networks, market intelligence, and strategic introductions to create new opportunities.
• Advance opportunities through the business development lifecycle, from initial relationship development through proposal, negotiation, and engagement.
• Partner with firm leadership on pursuit strategies that improve conversion and support growth across assurance, tax, advisory, wealth management, and other firm capabilities.
• Represent Smith + Howard at industry events, conferences, associations, networking activities, and within the broader business community.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing client relationships by introducing additional firm capabilities.
• Maintain disciplined pipeline and opportunity management through the firm's CRM platform, providing visibility into activity, progress, and results.
• Collaborate with Marketing and firm leadership on targeted initiatives that strengthen market presence and generate opportunities.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of successful business development, sales, client development, or revenue-generation experience.
• Demonstrated success building a qualified pipeline and converting relationships into measurable revenue.
• Experience in public accounting, consulting, financial services, professional services, or another relationship-driven business environment strongly preferred.
• Established professional network and credibility with business owners, executives, financial leaders, referral sources, and other decision-makers within the Carolinas.
• Experience developing business for audit, tax, accounting, advisory, consulting, or other complex professional services is highly preferred.
• Strong executive presence, business acumen, communication skills, and a consultative approach to business development.
• Ability to manage multiple relationships and opportunities while maintaining consistent follow-through and accountability.
• Entrepreneurial, self-directed mindset with a strong focus on results.

What Success Looks Like

Success means building relationships that create opportunities and converting those opportunities into sustainable growth. You will be expected to develop a strong pipeline, originate new client relationships and revenue, expand Smith + Howard's visibility in key markets, and collaborate effectively with firm leadership to turn opportunities into long-term client engagements.

Just as importantly, how you achieve those results matters.

At Smith + Howard, our values of PEOPLE, CLIENTS, EXCELLENCE, and INTEGRITY guide how we work, build relationships, and grow. We are looking for someone who shares those values and understands that the strongest business relationships are built on trust.

Why Smith + Howard?

Smith + Howard is a growing family of companies with expanding capabilities and national reach, while maintaining the relationships, accessibility, and entrepreneurial spirit that have defined our firm.

We are building for the future and looking for people who want to help shape it.

Location: Open to considering those located in Columbia, SC or Charlotte, NC, or surrounding areas.