Business Development Director - Private Client

Baker Tilly•San Francisco, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Business Development Director at Baker Tilly is a senior-level, strategic role focused on accelerating growth across the firm’s Tax, Assurance, and Advisory practices. This role is directly responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities within the Private Client sector in an assigned territory, while building, managing, and expanding strong client and referral relationships. The Director serves as a key contributor to the growth of the Private Client Practice, partnering with practice leaders to shape and execute go-to-market strategies and drive market-focused growth initiatives. This includes collaborating across service lines to develop innovative, value-driven solutions that support high-net-worth individuals, family enterprises, privately held business owners, family offices, trusts, estates, foundations, and the advisors who serve them. This position requires a strong understanding of tax planning, estate and trust matters, succession planning, family office operations, business transition strategies, regulatory considerations, and the evolving needs of affluent individuals and families. It is critical to enhancing Baker Tilly’s market position and delivering differentiated value to clients navigating complex personal, business, and family financial matters.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university required; Graduate degree preferred
10+ years of experience in Private Client, Family Office, Trust and Estate, Wealth Management, Private Company Advisory, Tax Advisory, or related industries, or in professional services supporting these sectors (e.g., accounting, law, tax advisory, family office advisory, or consulting), required
Minimum of 10 years of experience selling or delivering tax, assurance, and/or consulting services within Private Client, Family Office, Wealth Management, Trust and Estate, or related advisory environments, required
Demonstrated understanding of wealth transfer planning, estate and gift taxation, trust and fiduciary matters, family office operations, business succession planning, family enterprise governance, and the complex advisory needs of affluent individuals and families
Experience building relationships with centers of influence, referral networks, and executive-level decision-makers within the Private Client ecosystem
Demonstrate strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and thought leadership skills
Strong understanding of emerging technologies and digital solutions supporting client service delivery, relationship management, and business development
Ability to work under a defined and planned directive with minimal direct day-to-day supervision for implementation
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Ability to travel up to 50% as needed

Responsibilities

Understand key Private Client service offerings and confidently communicate their application to high-net-worth individuals, family enterprises, privately held business owners, family offices, trusts, estates, foundations, and their advisors
Demonstrate an understanding of estate and gift planning, trust and fiduciary considerations, family governance, succession planning, liquidity events, business transition planning, and family office services and their impact on client goals and decision-making
Monitor and communicate emerging trends related to tax legislation, wealth planning, estate and gift planning, family office evolution, business succession, liquidity events, and generational wealth transfer to identify and develop new business opportunities
Lead the deployment of sales techniques and strategies to integrate services and resources across all lines of service and geographies
Possess a broad understanding of macroeconomic, regulatory, tax, and market trends impacting affluent individuals, family enterprises, privately held businesses, and family offices
Have a conversational understanding of the firm’s significant service offerings beyond Private Client that intersect with our team's expertise, enabling the utilization of the firm's strategy to deliver and enhance value in an integrated and mutually reinforcing marketplace
Build, maintain, and expand relationships across the Private Client ecosystem, including family office executives, attorneys, wealth advisors, private client bankers, trust officers, investment advisors, business owners, and other centers of influence
Perform regular and prompt follow-up on all Firm-generated leads assigned from campaigns, or ad hoc requests from practice leadership
Maintain a clear understanding of who your team wishes to target for business development purposes – and why
Regularly inform practice leadership of changing market dynamics and other factors influencing accounts of strategic importance
Maintain strict compliance with CRM (Salesforce) requirements by consistently documenting opportunity notes and all related activities, and keeping an accurate, up-to-date pipeline of qualified opportunities in accordance with firm protocols
Attain closed business revenue goals associated with both new accounts and existing client accounts (as appropriate), to ensure a profitable return to the Firm each fiscal year
Participate as a key team member on all relevant market development meetings and other in-house discussions
Create, sustain, and grow relationships with new and existing clients through regular, open communication; ensure performance standards and client satisfaction are consistently met, and proactively communicate and troubleshoot issues as they arise
Maintain deep knowledge of core service offerings and effectively position their application within target markets to influence decision-makers
Collaborate with other BD leaders and practice leaders for an integrated Go-to-Market (GTM) approach
Perform account planning and key account research to optimize business development efforts and account penetration
Perform primary outreach efforts and coordinate with marketing personnel on campaigns including prospect calls, emails, and other mechanisms to secure appointments with centers of influence, referral sources, and prospective clients