Business Development Advisor – New Business (Finance)

Latham & Watkins; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

401k plan

Paid holidays

PTO 23 days

Well-being programs

Professional development

Employee discounts

Affinity groups

Job summary

Latham & Watkins is seeking a Business Development Advisor – New Business to join our BD team in New York or Chicago. You will draft credentials statements, pitch documents, and responses to RFPs, coordinating input from subject matter experts and ensuring high-quality client materials.

You’ll lead kickoff meetings, establish messaging, manage timelines, and collaborate with lawyers, finance, pricing, IOC, and GCO to align strategies while protecting sensitive information.

Qualifications

• Experience managing credentials, proposals, tenders, or other written sales tools; BD strategies and winning proposals.
• Minimum 8 years in legal, financial services, or professional services environments related to the role.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred; high school diploma acceptable as a base qualification.

Responsibilities

• Clarify requirements and client needs with BD teams and partners.
• Lead kickoff meetings to set messaging, milestones, and core team.
• Gather and compile information for credentials, pitches, and RFP responses with firm resources.
• Analyze RFPs to extract compliance, instructions, and evaluation criteria; support response management.
• Collaborate with finance, pricing, compliance, IOC, and GCO to ensure alignment and protect sensitive data.

Skills

Proposal development

Credentials management

Winning proposals

BD strategy

Pitch content tailoring

Deadline driven

Analytical thinking

High pressure environment

Education

Bachelor's degree

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Pitch management tools

Financial data providers (Refinitiv, Bloomberg, Dealogic)

Job description

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins is one of the world’s leading global law firms advising the businesses and institutions that drive the global economy. We are the market leaders in major financial and business centers around the world. Our investment in people, commitment to innovation, and focus on the future empower you to build an incredible career and thrive as an exceptional professional in a supportive culture. If you aspire to be the best, and work with the best, this is where you belong.

About The Role

The Business Development Advisor – New Business is an integral part of Latham’s Business Development (BD) team. This role will be responsible for working closely with Business Development teams and partners to develop and deliver high-quality proposal documents, establishing project timelines and protocols, developing win themes and client messaging, creating compelling written and visual content, preparing the response team for in-person client presentations, coordinating input from other subject matter expert BD colleagues, liaising with internal resources, and ensuring a high quality of client service, while drafting, editing, and finalizing external-facing business development materials such as credentials statements, pitch documents, and responses to RFPs. This role will be located in our New York or Chicago office. Please note that this role may be eligible for a flexible working schedule that allows for a hybrid and in-office presence.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

Other key responsibilities include:

• Conducting information gathering sessions with relevant BD teams and partners to clarify requirements, client needs, and approach
• Leading kick-off meetings to establish messaging, key milestones, and the core team
• Collaborating with BD teams, lawyers, and firm resources in gathering and compiling information for credentials statements, pitch documents, and responses to RFPs
• Analyzing pitch request documents to elicit compliance requirements, instructions, evaluation criteria, and undertaking other response management tasks
• Collaborating with other administrative functions within the firm, including the finance team, pricing team, compliance team, Inclusion, Opportunity & Community Committee (IOC), and the Office of General Counsel, to ensure alignment and sharing of relevant information
• Protecting and maintaining any highly sensitive, confidential, privileged, financial, and/or proprietary information that Latham & Watkins retains

We’d love to hear from you if you:

• Have familiarity with structured finance, project finance, leveraged finance, and capital markets transactions, including the ability to articulate deal structures and key terms in pitch materials, track market trends, and source and present deal credential data from providers such as Refinitiv, Bloomberg, or Dealogic
• Tailor pitch content for diverse audiences including financial institution clients, sponsors, borrowers, and development-stage companies
• Possess knowledge of pitch processes and the ability to utilize pitch management tools
• Demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and meet deadlines
• Exhibit the ability to work in a high-pressure environment and use critical and analytical thinking skills

And have:

• A high school diploma or an equivalent, preferably a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent,
• A minimum of six (6) years of relevant experience managing and leading strategic initiatives with a focus on developing and managing credentials, proposals, tenders, or other written sales tools, as well as developing successful BD strategies and winning proposals
• A minimum of eight (8) years of relevant work experience in a legal, financial services, or a professional services environment, or an organization operating in the assigned sector(s), where applicable

Benefits & Additional Information

Successful candidates will not only be provided with an outstanding career opportunity and welcoming environment, but will also be provided with a generous total compensation package with bonuses awarded in recognition of both individual and firm performance. Eligible employees can participate in Latham’s comprehensive benefit program which includes:

• Healthcare, life and disability insurance
• A generous 401k plan
• At least 11 paid holidays per year, and a PTO program that accrues 23 days during the first year of employment and grows with tenure
• Well-being programs (e.g. mental health services, mindfulness and resiliency, medical resources, well-being events, and more)
• Professional development programs
• Employee discounts
• Affinity groups, networks, and coalitions for lawyers and staff

Latham & Watkins is an equal opportunity employer. The Firm prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status (including veterans of the Vietnam era), gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic or condition protected by applicable statute.

Pay Range

USD $120,000.00 - USD $155,000.00 /Yr.