Business Development Associate/Senior Associate

Selby Jennings; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Selby Jennings, a Chicago-based firm, is seeking a Business Development Associate to expand market presence and deepen relationships with investment banks, sponsors, and intermediaries in Chicago, IL. The role focuses on external-facing engagement and a robust development pipeline.

The candidate will work directly with senior leadership, travel to conferences, and support capital formation efforts across the private markets ecosystem, requiring strong networking and organizational skills.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience within financial sponsor coverage, investment banking coverage, business development, capital formation, relationship management, or financial services sales.
• Strong relationship-building and networking capabilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• A proactive, self-starter mentality with entrepreneurial environment adaptability.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience managing pipelines, CRM systems, or outreach processes is preferred.
• Willingness to travel regularly for conferences, client meetings, and relationship-building initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with investment bankers, financial sponsors, intermediaries, and referral sources.
• Represent the firm at industry conferences, networking events, and business development meetings.
• Coordinate targeted market visits and outreach initiatives across key geographies.
• Conduct proactive outreach on behalf of Partners and senior leadership.
• Manage and track business development activity, contacts, and pipeline progression.
• Assist with market mapping efforts to identify new relationship and sourcing opportunities.
• Prepare meeting materials, follow-up communications, and business development reporting.
• Support the firm's overall sourcing and relationship management strategy.
• Act as a key external representative of the firm within the broader private markets ecosystem.

Skills

Relationship building

Networking

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Proactivity

CRM experience

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Business Development Associate/Senior Associate | Chicago, IL

Our client, a Chicago-based private investment firm, is currently completing fundraising efforts for its latest fund. With fundraising nearing completion, the firm is seeking to add a Business Development Associate to help expand its market presence, strengthen relationships across the financial sponsor and intermediary ecosystem, and support the continued growth of the platform. This is a unique opportunity to join a highly entrepreneurial investment firm and work directly alongside senior leadership and Partners in a visible, external-facing capacity.

The Business Development Associate will be responsible for developing and managing relationships with investment banks, financial sponsors, intermediaries, and other referral sources that can drive deal flow and strategic opportunities for the firm. The individual will serve as an ambassador for the platform, representing the firm at conferences, industry events, and market meetings while helping to build and maintain a robust business development pipeline.

The firm is open to candidates from a variety of backgrounds, including financial sponsor coverage, investment banking coverage groups, business development, capital formation, or other relationship-driven financial services roles.

The Business Development Associate Will Be Responsible For:

• Building and maintaining relationships with investment bankers, financial sponsors, intermediaries, and referral sources.
• Representing the firm at industry conferences, networking events, and business development meetings.
• Coordinating targeted market visits and outreach initiatives across key geographies.
• Conducting proactive outreach on behalf of the firm's Partners and senior leadership team.
• Managing and tracking business development activity, contacts, and pipeline progression.
• Assisting with market mapping efforts to identify new relationship and sourcing opportunities.
• Preparing meeting materials, follow-up communications, and business development reporting.
• Supporting the firm's overall sourcing and relationship management strategy.
• Acting as a key external representative of the firm within the broader private markets ecosystem.

The Business Development Associate Should Have:

• 5-7 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience within financial sponsor coverage, investment banking coverage, business development, capital formation, relationship management, or financial services sales.
• Strong relationship-building and networking capabilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• A proactive, self-starter mentality with the ability to operate in an entrepreneurial environment.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience managing pipelines, CRM systems, or outreach processes is preferred.
• Willingness to travel regularly for conferences, client meetings, and relationship-building initiatives