Job DescriptionThe Associate Director of Business Development - Private Investment Funds will lead the planning, development, and implementation of business development and marketing strategies focused on the Firm's Private Investment Funds (PIF) practice, with particular emphasis on fund formation, secondaries, and related sponsor-driven work. This role will drive the continued growth and market positioning of the global PIF practice, while ensuring alignment with related global practice priorities.
The Associate Director will work closely with partners in the Private Investment Funds practice and members of the broader Marketing and Business Development team to expand existing client relationships and generate new work. This individual will be expected to collaborate frequently with other BD team members supporting complementary practices, including Private Equity M&A and Global Finance, among others, to drive cross-selling initiatives and integrated private capital strategies.
An important part of this role will be to build strong ties and trust with practice group heads and key stakeholders by providing strategic advice and commercial counsel tailored to the US private funds market, while ensuring a strong connection and integration with the global team. The Associate Director will oversee several U.S.-based BD team members dedicated to supporting the PIF practice and will coordinate closely with BD colleagues in other offices who also support the global PIF platform.
This is a senior, highly strategic leadership role suited to a results-driven professional who can assess trends across the global private funds landscape, identify competitive advantages, and develop business development strategies aligned with the firm's long-term objectives. The Associate Director will leverage strong analytical and commercial skills to drive innovation, lead cross-functional initiatives, and deliver measurable impact across a complex organization.
Success in this role requires exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and influencing abilities, along with a proven background in legal or professional services, particularly within private investment funds and related sponsor work. The Associate Director will be expected to proactively identify growth opportunities, collaborate closely with communications and competitive intelligence teams, and position the firm's PIF practice as a leader in fund formation, secondaries and related structures, while fostering a culture of high performance, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Responsibilities- Work with PIF practice leadership to develop the annual strategic plan and translate it into specific strategic initiatives and high-value opportunities with existing clients and priority sponsors/markets.
- Support the Private Investment Funds practice with the development of business and marketing plans, including short- and long-term objectives for growth in priority asset classes for fund formation, secondaries and related fund structures, with measurable ROI.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to partners on client targeting, cross-selling initiatives and market positioning within the U.S. and global funds ecosystem.
- Develop a deep understanding of the firm's high value offerings, clients' business objectives and practice challenges/opportunities and identify cross-practice initiatives to best capitalize on current market trends, including collaborating closely with BD colleagues supporting Private Equity M&A, Global Finance and other related practices to drive integrated private capital strategies and coordinated client development efforts.
- Take an active role in lateral onboarding and client integration.
- Manage and develop U.S.-based BD team members dedicated to supporting the PIF practice, while overseeing hiring, onboarding and professional development. Oversee an integrated marketing, content and profile-raising program that positions Proskauer as a market-leading advisor to private fund sponsors and institutional investors. More specifically:
- Create and maintain marketing collateral that showcases fund formation, secondaries and related capabilities.
- Identify & curate potential events, sponsorships and industry opportunities that enhance the firm's profile among asset managers and fund sponsors.
- Identify thought leadership opportunities, including campaigns and communications strategies to elevate the firm's visibility in the private funds market.
- Support lawyers in developing and delivering new business pitches, including tracking pitch outcomes, analyzing results and providing insights to improve effectiveness over time. Includes partnering with the Client Value team to shape fee proposals, panels and key commercial arrangements for strategic fund clients and sponsors.
- Coordinate with BD team members in other offices who support the global PIF practice to ensure consistency of messaging, branding and strategic priorities.
- Partner with BDMC leadership team on operational excellence, efficiencies and effective use of resources toward meeting strategic objectives.
- Determine how and when to utilize generative AI tools and other technology solutions to improve efficiency, responsiveness and data-driven insight in supporting lawyer requests and identifying BD opportunities.
- Benchmark the firm's PIF activities and positioning against competitors in the US and other key financial centers.
- Manage budgets and track ROI for PIF-related initiatives and campaigns.
Qualifications- 10-15 years of experience in a professional services environment, including business development, marketing and communications functions.
- Significant experience supporting Private Investment Funds or related sponsor-driven practices within a global law firm.
- Strong understanding of fund formation, secondaries transactions and the broader private funds landscape.
- Excellent leadership skills, including experience hiring, motivating, developing and evaluating high-performance team members.
- Strong strategic capabilities and ability to analyze and identify client and market opportunities consistent with strategic objectives.
- Exhibits a drive for results.
- Robust project management skills and ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, establish deadlines and prioritize appropriately.
- Flexibility to adjust work schedule according to workload demands.
- Ability to analyze complex material and make recommendations based on data and market insight.
- Ability to maintain professionalism and confidentiality in high-pressure situations and a fast-paced, multi-authority environment.
- Highly collaborative, valuing teamwork and open and respectful communication; builds trusting relationships across practices and offices.
- Executive presence and professional confidence; able to work effectively and inspire confidence with highly successful and strategic professionals.
- Excellent written communication and presentation skills.
This position will require physical presence in Proskauer's offices on a regular basis (at least 3x per week, or more, if it becomes the policy of the Firm). The anticipated compensation range for this position is $230,000 - $270,000. The actual salary offered will be based on a number of factors including but not limited to the qualifications of the applicant, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.
