Associate Director, Client Development – Funds

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett•San Francisco, NY

About The Position

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is seeking an Associate Director, Client Development to lead global client development initiatives for its Funds practices, including Funds, Sponsor Transactions & Advisory, and Registered Funds. The role is a central point of contact for pitch decks and client acquisition efforts, coordinating with attorneys and business teams to produce tailored, high-quality materials for new business opportunities. It also leads event strategy, supports client and sponsor relationships, drives process improvement, manages internal relationships, and oversees client development budgets. The Associate Director advises partners and practice leaders on client development strategy, market positioning, and growth initiatives, and helps set priorities, integrate cross-practice efforts, and present the Firm’s capabilities clearly and competitively. The role uses knowledge of the practices and lawyers, along with research and analysis of clients, competitors, markets, and trends, to support high-quality work product, communications, and business development functions. This position collaborates with colleagues across Transactional practices and the global Client Development & Engagement department. It also supervises and develops CDE team members supporting the Funds and Registered Funds practices. A bachelor’s degree is required; a J.D. is preferred. The position is exempt and is not eligible for overtime pay. The Firm will not sponsor work visas for this position.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
At least 10 years of demonstrated experience in a law firm environment, preferably in business development supporting Registered Funds practices and working directly with partners.
A solid foundation in market trends impacting Registered Funds.
Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize and balance competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present information effectively.
Ability to collaborate with diverse teams across seniority levels and departments.
Strong independent decision-making skills and the capacity to interpret policies and counsel staff effectively.
Excellent relationship-building skills, customer service, diplomacy, and discretion.
Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality work in a rigorous and competitive setting.
Strong analytical skills and ability to develop creative solutions to complex problems.
Deep business acumen and organizational awareness.
Exceptional attention to detail and flexibility to adapt to varying work situations.

Nice To Haves

J.D.
10 or more years of experience at a leading law firm.
Previous experience as a practicing lawyer in a Registered Funds-related role.
In-depth knowledge of the Firm’s substantive practice areas, particularly Registered Funds.
Experience with proposal generation systems or desktop publishing.

Responsibilities

Lead strategic pitches, proposals, presentations, and responses to RFPs for Funds, Sponsor Transactions & Advisory, Registered Funds, and related specialist areas, including decisions on positioning, messaging, prioritization, and value proposition.
Partner with Firm leadership and attorneys to develop and execute client plans, relationship strategies, opportunity pipelines, and new business initiatives.
Oversee submissions for legal directories, rankings, awards, surveys, and other professional recognition opportunities.
Guide production and maintenance of client-facing materials, including practice descriptions, capability statements, brochures, experience lists, and client communications.
Work with CDE colleagues to maintain accurate engagement, deal, and case experience data across Firm databases, channels, operations, and systems.
Serve as the senior CDE lead for the Funds, Sponsor Transactions & Advisory, and Registered Funds practices and related initiatives, pitches, and practice management support.
Advise partners and practice leadership on client development strategy, market trends, competitive positioning, and growth opportunities.
Integrate private funds, registered funds, fund transactions, regulatory, advisory, and M&A capabilities into a cohesive offering and promote cross-practice collaboration.
Coordinate with Communications colleagues on noteworthy matters, speaking and writing opportunities, and appropriate media coverage.
Develop and drive the annual event strategy and calendar for the Funds, Sponsor Transactions & Advisory, and Registered Funds practices.
Set objectives, target audiences, formats, investment levels, and success measures for Firm-hosted events and third-party conference participation; evaluate results and ROI.
Serve as the strategic business development lead for practice events, partnering with the CDE Events team, which owns planning, production, logistics, and overall execution.
Manage the business development aspects of Firm-hosted dinners, roundtables, seminars, webinars, CLEs, and receptions from concept through delivery and follow-up, attending events where appropriate.
Advise attorneys on event content, speakers, panelists, agendas, target audiences, and client and prospect guest strategies.
Develop the approach to third-party industry conferences, including sponsorship, speaking submissions, partner participation, side events, and client meetings.
Collaborate with CDE Events, Communications, and Graphics teams on invitations, audience development, attendee communications, and event materials.
Lead business development activation around events, including partner preparation, follow-up plans, CRM engagement capture, and tracking opportunities and relationship activity.
Manage event and sponsorship budgets from a business development perspective, aligning investments with practice priorities and Firm policies and approvals.
Assess CDE workflows supporting the Funds practices and identify inefficiencies, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
Design and implement standardized processes, templates, playbooks, and checklists to improve consistency, quality, and turnaround time.
Lead process and tool implementations, including scope and timeline definition, assignment of owners, change management, training, and adoption.
Partner with Technology, Knowledge Management, and operational teams on CRM, experience database, event management, and related system enhancements, including requirements gathering and testing.
Establish metrics and reporting, document procedures, and share best practices across CDE to support continuous improvement.
Develop, manage, and monitor the annual client development and events budget for the Funds practices, including forecasting, spend tracking, and variance reporting.
Build trusted relationships with practice leaders, partners, and senior attorneys as their primary CDE contact and coordinator across relevant practices.
Partner with Communications, Events, Finance, Knowledge Management, Technology, and other Firm departments on Firm-wide projects and initiatives.
Prioritize competing stakeholder demands, set expectations, resolve cross-team issues, and keep senior partners informed of status, trade-offs, and results.
Oversee research and analysis on clients, prospects, competitors, and trends affecting sponsors, fund managers, and regulated fund markets.
Translate market, competitor, and regulatory developments into actionable insights, reports, recommendations, event themes, and content for partners and practice leadership.
Supervise, manage, mentor, and develop CDE team members supporting the Funds and Registered Funds practices.
Set expectations, assign and prioritize work, review work product, and support team members’ professional growth and engagement.
Model senior-level judgment, accountability, innovation, and effective partnership as a member of the CDE leadership team.