Head of Business Development

Private Equity Head of Business Development

About the Role

The Head of Business Development will lead origination efforts at a Boston based PE Firm. This role will own the end‑to‑end sourcing process, from strategy and outreach through to signed LOIs, and will manage and further develop the firm’s business development platform.

• Lead all proactive deal sourcing efforts
• Serve as the primary external face of the firm to intermediaries and many founder‑owners
• Manage and optimize a large, long‑standing contact database (24,000+ names; ~3,000 active)
• Provide day‑to‑day leadership for the BD function (including working closely with an existing BD professional, Michaela)

This is an execution‑heavy, highly entrepreneurial role with significant autonomy, suited for someone who enjoys picking up the phone, attending conferences, and building real relationships with small business owners.

Key Responsibilities

Origination & Deal Flow

• Own the full sourcing funnel from idea generation through to signed LOI
• Proactively originate opportunities in the firm's core sectors (industrial / industrial services / skilled trades)
• Make high volumes of targeted outreach calls and emails each week to founders and intermediaries
• Build and maintain strong relationships with investment bankers, brokers, and other deal sources
• Qualify opportunities, structure initial conversations, and manage founder expectations through the early stages of a process
• Coordinate closely with the deal team at the LOI stage and hand off opportunities effectively

Relationship Management & Market Coverage

• Develop and maintain a prioritized coverage model for intermediaries and other deal sources (e.g., A/B/C tiers; appropriate touch cadence)
• Represent the firm at industry events, trade shows, and ACG / deal‑making conferences
• Serve as a consistent, credible, and straightforward point of contact for the market

Platform & Process Leadership

• Own and refine the BD tech stack (CRM, databases, tools; leveraging both existing software and new off‑the‑shelf solutions)
• Work with the existing BD team member to implement better list segmentation, contact strategies, and workflows
• Analyze pipeline data, conversion metrics, and sourcing effectiveness; report regularly to the partnership
• Identify and implement new tools, automation, and approaches to better manage a 20k+ contact universe

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide day‑to‑day leadership, mentorship, and direction to the current BD professional
• Run BD meetings and pipeline reviews with the partnership
• Collaborate closely with the investment team on sector priorities, target profiles, and feedback loops
• Over time, help scope and build out the BD team further (e.g., future associate‑level hires) once the go‑forward model is defined

Professional Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Strong preference for 6–10 years, 5 years of relevant experience considered
• Prior experience working with founder‑owned / small businesses strongly preferred
• Familiarity with industrial / industrial services sectors is a plus but not required

Skills & Attributes

• Genuine interest in small businesses and the stories of founders; able to build trust quickly and authentically
• Comfortable making a high volume of outbound calls and managing a large coverage universe
• Strong organizational and CRM skills; able to segment, prioritize, and actively manage thousands of relationships
• Data‑driven approach to pipeline management and process improvement
• High degree of maturity and judgment; capable of owning sourcing decisions with substantial autonomy
• Clear, concise communicator who can represent the firm professionally with bankers and business owners
• Collaborative, low‑ego style; fits well in a small, tight‑knit team environment
• Values work‑life balance and a sustainable career path more than pure headline compensation or “big fund” prestige

Location

• Boston‑based role
• In‑office 4 days per week (Monday–Thursday); Friday flexibility
• Regular travel to conferences, trade shows, and meetings with founders / intermediaries as needed

Salary

Competitive base salary

This firm is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

About Soul Equity Solutions

Soul Equity Solutions is a NYC based boutique executive search firm, exclusively recruiting for Private Equity Middle Market firms. We conduct searches at all seniority levels throughout the US for both investor roles and non‑investing roles (including Business Development, Investor Relations). We are well known for our highly boutique, specialized service. Our clients and candidates rely on our personal approach, strong connections, and supportive process to meet their objectives.

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