Demo

Business Development Associate I

William Blair
Chicago, IL Full Time
POSTED ON 4/4/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 5/3/2025
Solutions for Today’s Challenges. Vision for Tomorrow’s Opportunities.

Join William Blair, the Premier Global Partnership.

William Blair has delivered trusted advice for nine decades, and we continue to deepen our expertise and relationships across regions, asset classes, and markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

We are committed to our people and culture, values, clients, and local communities.

What sets us apart is that we are an independent partnership, with employees who have unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet clients’ evolving needs amid dynamic market conditions and varying industries.

We strive to attract the most qualified, passionate candidates who specialize in investment banking, investment management, private wealth management, and a variety of other business functions.

We work tirelessly to create an inclusive culture and take pride in fostering employees’ professional and personal growth. We empower our people to bring their best thinking each day so we can deliver the tailored, thoughtful work and problem-solving abilities that our clients expect.

Equally, we are proud of our long-term partnerships with the communities in which we live and work, a legacy we inherited from our founder.

We invite you to learn about how we are seeking excellence in everything we do and empowering our clients’ success with passion, creativity, and rigor. For more information, visit williamblair.com.

Investors rely on William Blair Private Wealth Management to activate their capital with purpose and precision. Our wealth advisors and their teams do this by delivering thoughtfully constructed, integrated wealth planning and by providing access to compelling investment opportunities. As one of the last true global partnerships in the investment industry, William Blair combines the world-class investment resources of a full-service global firm and the high-touch service, stability, and culture of an independent organization. This model empowers us to be singularly focused on our clients’ success across market cycles and across generations. The firm has been a well-respected provider of private wealth management since 1935 and has won several awards from Barron’s and Forbes for best wealth advisors and wealth advisor teams.

Provide support to the business development efforts throughout the sales cycle for Asset Mark. Main responsibilities will be: marketing, relationship management, and business development resource to Wealth Advisor team(s) in the acquisition and expansion of client accounts and assets. Oversee the planning and execution of client engagement activities.

Responsibilities Include But May Not Be Limited To

  • Provides direct support to Senior Business Development Associate colleagues to further penetrate the marketplace with WB’s offerings.
  • In partnership with Senior Business Development Associates, act as a relationship manager to new and existing clients. Participate in client meetings, presentations, and proposals for firm initiatives.
  • Manage day-to-day communications and requests for information from consultants, financial advisors, and end-clients, both prospective and existing clients. This includes, but is not limited to, conducting in-depth profiling and due diligence, establishing reasonable expectations for timeframes and capabilities, maintaining and sharing detailed notes, and respecting the firm’s resources including the time and commitment of colleagues.
  • Assist in identifying and prospective clients, prepare and deliver presentations and/or other marketing materials or visual aids.
  • Proactively provide input into the development of marketing campaigns and contribute sales ideas to better position investment capabilities, position the firm in a positive manner and educate external audiences about offerings.
  • Assist with the RFP process and with setting up and hosting on-site, virtual, and telephone meetings.
  • Pre-screening profiling advisors and / or prospective end clients. Identify opportunities to market the firm’s offerings and capabilities to prospective and existing clients based on an understanding of client needs. Educate clients on firm offerings/capabilities and services.
  • Support colleagues to follow up on client contacts and close the sale of investment services to high net worth individual investors.
  • Assists in, and may even lead, the development and launch of new policies and procedures, capabilities/offerings, and marketing initiatives.
  • May be called upon to provide direct support to Senior Business Development Associate colleagues (i.e. such as what may sometimes be referred to as an “internal” wholesaler function) and/or other members of the broader team.
  • Develop and maintain detailed knowledge of current events, financial markets, firm investment products, capabilities, and services.
  • Create and maintain the planning and execution of client engagement activities, such as seminars and campaigns. Conceptualize appropriate outreach methods and collaborate with Wealth Advisor, Marketing, Financial Planning, Consulting Services teams to develop objectives and desired outcomes of engagement activities.
  • Identify and maintain consultant, advisor, and client/prospect data in Salesforce. Adoption and use of Salesforce will be essential.
  • Adoption and use of other systems/tools including, but not limited to, Accent (Marketing materials, Pitchbooks, etc.), Tamarac/AdvisorView (Client Reporting), RDocs (William Blair Research Portal), and proposal-generation tools (Wealthbench, MoneyGuidePro, custom-built internal templates) will also be required
  • Ensure all work activities are in compliance with applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
  • Use good judgement and integrity with regard to travel, entertainment, and incurrence of expenses.
  • Additional responsibilities as requested.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s Degree required
  • 2-5 years of industry and/or sales, business development, client service, relationship management, or consulting experience required
  • Progress towards MBA, CFP, or CFA preferred
  • Salesforces experience, preferred
  • SIE Exam, Series 7 and 63 or 65/66 licenses required within 150 days of starting
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including strong public speaking skills
  • High attention to detail
  • Tech savvy
  • Highly motivated; a self-starter with a high level of personal accountability
  • Strong marketing skills
  • Strong project management skills. Ability to manage multiple projects with different deadlines
  • Must be able to travel regularly and on short notice
  • Knowledge of applicable laws and regulations
  • Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, flexible, team-based environment
  • Travel, as needed

A reasonable estimate of the current base salary range at time of posting is below. Base salary does not include other forms of compensation or benefits. Actual base salary within the specified range is based on several factors, including but not limited to applicant's skills, prior relevant experience, specific degrees and certifications, job responsibilities, market considerations and, if applicable, the location of the position.

This role is eligible for either a discretionary annual bonus (based on company, business unit and individual performance) and/or commission-based incentives.

Our featured benefit offerings include medical, dental and vision coverage, employer paid short & long-term disability and life insurance, 401(k), profit sharing, paid time off, Maven family & fertility benefit, parental leave (including adoption, surrogacy, and foster placement), as well as other voluntary benefits.

Salary Range

$70,000—$85,000 USD

William Blair is an equal opportunity employer. It complies with all laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in employment practice because of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, marital status, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, unfavorable discharge from the military service or on the basis of a physical or mental disability that is unrelated to the employee's ability to perform the duties of the job applied for. EOE m/f/d/v

Be aware of hiring scams: William Blair has clear processes and guidelines with regards to recruiting. We do not request personal financial information in connection with an employment application nor does William Blair extend any employment offers without first conducting an interview through one of its registered offices. William Blair does not use instant messaging services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or iMessage as part of the recruiting or interviewing process.

Note to External Recruiters / Search Firms: William Blair does not accept unsolicited resumes and will not pay for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. Any unsolicited resumes received will not be considered as a valid submission.

Download William Blair's Privacy Policies For Job Applicants

  • California Consumer Privacy Act Privacy Notice (CCPA)
  • General Data Protection Regulation Privacy Notice (GDPR)

Contact us should you have any questions or concerns.

Salary : $70,000 - $85,000

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