Head of Advisory, Capital Markets

Breakwater Strategy; Virginia Beach (VA); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Breakwater Capital Markets is seeking a Head of Advisory to set strategy, accelerate growth, and lead delivery of our capital markets advisory business. The role combines senior advisory judgment with entrepreneurial leadership to build a market-leading practice.

You will shape client relationships, originate high-value engagements, oversee investor communications, and develop new capabilities across equity narratives, market positioning, and strategic transformation.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in capital markets advisory or related fields.
• Proven ability to originate business and develop senior client relationships.
• Deep understanding of equity markets, valuation, and investor behavior.

Responsibilities

• Define strategic direction and growth for advisory business.
• Lead advisory platform and enable high-value engagements.
• Oversee Investor Day mandates and investor communications.
• Build and manage a high-performing advisory team.

Skills

Senior leadership

Capital markets advisory

Executive presence

Business development

Strategic judgment

Client relationship management

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or CFA preferred

Tools

Intrinsic platform

Financial communications tools

Job description

The Opportunity

Breakwater Capital Markets is seeking an exceptional senior leader to serve as Head of Advisory, with responsibility for setting the strategic direction, accelerating the growth, and leading the delivery of our capital markets advisory business. This is a defining leadership role for an accomplished advisor with deep capital markets expertise, sharp commercial instincts, and an established track record of counseling CEOs, CFOs, boards, and senior leadership teams on their most consequential market-facing opportunities and challenges. The Head of Advisory will lead a distinctive business at the intersection of corporate strategy, capital markets, valuation, investor intelligence, and transaction and financial communications. The mandate spans the development of our advisory value proposition, the cultivation of senior client relationships, the origination and execution of high-value engagements, and the continued expansion of our capabilities and market presence. A core priority will be to strengthen Breakwater Capital Markets’ position as a trusted advisor to corporate leadership on matters that shape investor perception, market confidence, and long-term shareholder value. We are looking for a leader who combines the intellectual rigor and judgment of a senior advisor with the entrepreneurial ambition and commercial discipline to build an enduring, market-leading advisory franchise.

About Breakwater Capital Markets

Breakwater Capital Markets advises top public companies, private corporations, coalitions, and institutions on complex strategic, financial, and reputational challenges. Our Capital Markets business brings together sophisticated strategic counsel, rigorous financial and valuation analysis, and differentiated investor intelligence to help companies understand and influence how they are perceived and valued by the global investment community. We believe effective capital markets advisory begins with a deep understanding of the relationship between business strategy, financial performance, investor expectations, and market valuation. Our work helps leadership teams develop credible investment narratives, identify and address gaps in market understanding, strengthen relationships with investors, and communicate their long‑term value creation ambitions with clarity and conviction. Our proprietary investor intelligence platform, Intrinsic, provides a distinctive foundation for insight‑led advisory, connecting rigorous research and market understanding with strategic recommendations and executive‑level counsel.

The Role

As Head of Advisory, you will have overall leadership responsibility for Breakwater Capital Markets' advisory offering, ensuring that our work consistently delivers keen strategic insight, sophisticated counsel, and tangible value for clients. You will serve as a senior advisor to corporate leadership teams on a broad range of capital markets issues, from equity positioning and investor engagement to strategic transformation, financial narrative development, and critical investor‑facing events. Beyond your direct client responsibilities, you will shape the firm's advisory strategy, develop new capabilities, build and deepen relationships, lead business development, and establish the standards of excellence that define our work. The role requires an individual capable of operating with equal effectiveness in the boardroom, in the market, and in the leadership of a growing advisory business.

Key Responsibilities

Advisory Leadership and Strategy

• Define and lead the strategic direction of Breakwater Capital Markets’ advisory business, establishing a differentiated market proposition and a clear agenda for growth.
• Build and scale a premium advisory platform that integrates capital markets expertise, strategic and financial analysis, investor intelligence, and executive communications.
• Oversee the development and delivery of advisory capabilities across equity narrative and investment thesis development, capital markets positioning, investor engagement strategy, valuation‑related communications, and significant market‑facing events.
• Set the intellectual and professional standards for the advisory business, ensuring consistent excellence in strategic thinking, analytical rigor, senior‑level counsel, and client service.
• Identify opportunities to expand the firm's capabilities, including the development of new advisory offerings, proprietary methodologies, and differentiated intellectual capital.
• Work closely with colleagues across Breakwater Capital Markets to bring an integrated perspective to complex client challenges and maximize the firm's collective expertise.

Senior Client Counsel

• Serve as a trusted advisor to CEOs, CFOs, boards, and Investor Relations leaders on matters influencing corporate reputation in the capital markets, investor perception, market expectations, and valuation.
• Advise leadership teams on the articulation of corporate strategy, financial performance, capital allocation, portfolio priorities, operating ambitions, and long‑term value creation.
• Help companies develop, refine, and communicate compelling equity stories and investment propositions grounded in strategic credibility, financial discipline, and an informed understanding of investor priorities.
• Counsel clients through critical market‑facing moments, including major strategic announcements, business transformations, leadership transitions, shifts in financial strategy, and periods of heightened investor scrutiny.
• Bring independent judgment and constructive challenge to senior management teams, helping clients anticipate investor concerns, address gaps in market understanding, and strengthen the credibility of their strategic narratives.
• Apply multidimensional financial, sector, and market analysis to the development of strategic recommendations that are both commercially relevant and compelling to institutional investors and analysts.

Transaction and Financial Communications Leadership

• Counsel CEOs, CFOs, and executive leadership teams on the strategic purpose, investment narrative, financial messaging, and market positioning of Investor Days and other major investor‑facing engagements.
• Oversee complex Investor Day mandates, ensuring that the development of strategy, messaging, executive content, investor engagement, and post‑event assessment reflects the highest standards of strategic and financial advisory.
• Help management teams translate corporate strategy, operating priorities, financial targets, and capital allocation frameworks into credible and differentiated investment propositions.
• Ensure Investor Day engagements are informed by rigorous investor intelligence, valuation analysis, sector context, and a clear understanding of the expectations of sophisticated market participants.
• Establish a differentiated approach to strategic investor communications to strengthen sustained market understanding and long‑term investor conviction.

Commercial Growth and Market Development

• Own the commercial growth agenda for the advisory business, including business development strategy, new client origination, expansion of existing relationships, and development of new revenue opportunities.
• Build and maintain deep relationships with senior corporate decision‑makers, positioning Breakwater Capital Markets as a trusted advisor on their most important capital markets priorities.
• Lead the pursuit and development of significant advisory mandates, bringing creativity, commercial judgment, and intellectual leadership to new business opportunities.
• Develop and execute a distinctive thought leadership and market positioning agenda that raises Breakwater Capital Markets’ profile and reinforces its credibility with corporate leadership and the investment community.
• Maximize the commercial and strategic potential of Intrinsic, embedding proprietary investor intelligence into client engagements and creating differentiated opportunities for advisory growth.
• Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and accountability for the sustainable growth and profitability of the advisory business.

People and Firm Leadership

• Build, develop, and lead a high‑performing advisory team capable of delivering incisive strategic counsel at the highest levels of corporate leadership.
• Attract and mentor outstanding talent, fostering a culture characterized by intellectual curiosity, commercial ambition, collaboration, sound judgment, and unmatched client service.
• Provide senior oversight of complex engagements, ensuring consistently high standards of quality, execution, and commercial performance.
• Contribute to the broader leadership and strategic development of Breakwater Capital Markets, helping shape the firm's culture, reputation, capabilities, and long‑term ambitions.
• Represent Breakwater Capital Markets externally as a recognized voice on capital markets, investor expectations, corporate strategy, and the drivers of long‑term value creation.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be an established senior advisor with the experience, reputation, and presence to engage credibly with the most senior corporate decision‑makers, coupled with the entrepreneurial drive to lead and grow an ambitious advisory business. We are seeking an individual with a sophisticated understanding of the relationship between corporate strategy, financial performance, investor behavior, and market valuation. They will bring the ability to move seamlessly between financial analysis and strategic counsel, providing independent, commercially grounded perspectives on the issues that matter most to executive leadership teams. Importantly, this individual must be a business builder as well as a trusted advisor: someone with the vision to define a distinctive market proposition, the relationships and commercial instincts to generate growth, and the leadership capabilities to build a high‑performing team.

Experience and Qualifications

15+ years of relevant experience, including significant senior leadership responsibility in capital markets advisory, financial communications, investor relations, investment banking, equity research, management consulting, or a closely related field. A demonstrated track record of advising CEOs, CFOs, boards, and senior executives on complex, high‑stakes financial and strategic matters. Deep understanding of public equity markets, institutional investor behavior, valuation, financial performance, corporate strategy, and investor expectations. Significant experience developing equity narratives, advising on strategic investor communications, and leading high‑profile capital markets engagements, including Investor Days and Capital Markets Days. A proven ability to originate business, develop enduring senior client relationships, and build commercially successful advisory offerings. Outstanding strategic judgment, financial fluency, and the capacity to translate complex business and financial issues into clear, persuasive, investor‑relevant recommendations. Executive presence and the confidence to challenge, influence, and advise senior corporate leadership with independence and credibility. Demonstrated experience building, developing, and leading high‑performing teams, with a commitment to exacting standards of execution and client service. Strong intellectual curiosity, an entrepreneurial mindset, and the ambition to help establish Breakwater Capital Markets as a preeminent capital markets advisory firm. Bachelor's degree required; MBA, CFA, or equivalent advanced qualifications preferred.

Location

Flexible location in the following states, with travel to business development opportunities and client sites as needed: CA, CT, DC, MD, NC, NJ, NY, PA, VA.

New York City Salary Range: $250,000 USD - $300,000 USD

District of Columbia Salary Range: $250,000 USD - $300,000 USD