Senior Business Development Manager (M&A)

Ambition; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Ambition is seeking a Senior Manager, Client Development for our leading M&A practice. You will act as a senior advisor to practice leadership, shaping business development strategies and partnering with lawyers to drive growth across domestic and cross-border transactions.

In this role you will lead high-value pitches, oversee profile-raising initiatives, deliver market intelligence, and support strategic client programs while mentoring junior colleagues and collaborating with BD,

Qualifications

• Significant business development experience in a leading law firm or professional services.
• Strong understanding of corporate transactions, private equity, or M&A.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and ability to influence senior partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of strategic BD initiatives across the M&A practice and industry groups.
• Partner with practice leadership to identify growth opportunities, targets, and market positioning.
• Oversee development of pitches, proposals, RFP responses, and client presentations.
• Deliver market intelligence, competitive analysis, and client research.
• Drive profile-raising initiatives including thought leadership, speaking opportunities, and media activities.
• Lead planning and execution of client events and strategic engagement programs.

Skills

Business development

Stakeholder management

Leadership

M&A knowledge

Market intelligence

Job description

We’ve partnered with a leading international law firm in its search for a Senior Manager, Client Development – Mergers & Acquisitions to support one of the market’s most prominent global M&A practices. This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic business development professional to work closely with high-profile partners on complex domestic and cross-border transactions while helping drive the continued growth of a market-leading practice.

In this role, you will serve as a senior advisor to practice leadership, helping to shape and execute business development strategies across the M&A group and key industry sectors. You’ll work at the heart of the practice, partnering with lawyers and firm leadership to identify growth opportunities, strengthen client relationships, and enhance the firm's position in a highly competitive market.

The successful candidate will lead high-value pitches and proposals, oversee profile-raising initiatives, provide market and competitive intelligence, and support strategic client development programs. You’ll collaborate across business development, communications, and practice management teams to deliver integrated campaigns that elevate the firm's brand and drive commercial success.

This position offers significant exposure to senior stakeholders and the opportunity to make a measurable impact on one of the firm's flagship practices. You'll also play a leadership role within the wider BD team, mentoring junior colleagues and driving best practices across key initiatives.

We are also open to candidates in Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the execution of strategic business development initiatives across the M&A practice and key industry groups.
• Partner with practice leadership to identify growth opportunities, client targets, and market positioning strategies.
• Oversee the development of sophisticated pitches, proposals, RFP responses, and client presentations.
• Deliver market intelligence, competitive analysis, and client research to support strategic decision-making.
• Drive profile-raising initiatives, including thought leadership campaigns, speaking opportunities, directory submissions, and media-related activities.
• Lead the planning and execution of client events, networking opportunities, and strategic engagement programs.

The ideal candidate will have significant business development experience within a leading law firm or professional services environment, with a strong understanding of corporate transactions, private equity, or M&A-related practices. You will possess exceptional stakeholder management skills, strong commercial judgment, and the ability to influence senior partners in a fast-paced, high-performance environment.

This is an outstanding opportunity to join a globally recognised firm and play a key role in the growth strategy of one of its most important practices. The role offers exposure to market-leading lawyers, sophisticated clients, and some of the most significant transactions in the market.