Business Development - Director

Riveron•Chicago, IL

23h•$150,000 - $275,000

About The Position

At Riveron, we partner with clients, from global multinationals to high-growth private entities, to solve complex finance and business challenges with urgency, precision, and creativity. As Riveron continues to grow, we are investing in leaders who can deepen our presence in key markets and create new opportunities with corporate clients, private companies, strategic partners, private equity and other- relationships. The Chicago market is a priority growth area for the firm, and this role will play an important part in expanding Riveron’s visibility, relationships, and revenue opportunities across the local business community. This is not a traditional account management or sales enablement role. The person in this seat will be responsible for opening doors, activating a relevant local network, creating new client conversations, and working closely with Riveron’s market, practice, and client service leaders to convert relationships into business opportunities. The strongest candidate will know how to bring the right people into the room early, position Riveron’s capabilities in a clear and credible way, and build momentum through disciplined follow up and collaborative execution. The ideal candidate brings a mix of local market connectivity, commercial acumen and judgment, relationship orientation, and professional services knowledge and credibility. They are confident enough to create opportunities through their own network, but collaborative enough to bring the broader firm into client conversations at the right time. They are energized by growth, comfortable operating in a relationship-driven sales environment, and motivated by helping build a stronger Chicago market presence for Riveron.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
10+ years of experience in business development, client relationship management, professional services, consulting, advisory, or another revenue-generating commercial role
Strong, relevant network in the Chicagoland market, ideally including corporate executives (both public and private), , private equity professionals, board members, lenders, investment bankers, attorneys,, and other centers of influence
Experience carrying a sales quota or being directly accountable for revenue generation, pipeline development, meeting activity, proposals, or new client growth
Strong understanding of consultative, relationship-based business development within professional services or a related environment
Ability to generate new opportunities through personal network activation, market outreach, referrals, and strategic relationship building
Commercially credible and comfortable engaging senior executives, business owners, investors, advisors, and internal firm leadership
Collaborative, firm-first style with the judgment to bring subject matter experts, market leaders, and client service professionals into conversations early
Has knowledge of the Chicago business networking landscape and where to plug in (i.e. business community events, clubs, associations, etc..)
Strong executive presence, communication skills, and follow-through
Highly organized and disciplined in managing contacts, meetings, opportunities, next steps, and pipeline activity
Self-starter who is comfortable initiating conversations independently while also teaming closely with others
Strong business judgment with the ability to understand client needs and connect them to Riveron’s advisory offerings
High integrity, professionalism, work ethic, and accountability in all client and internal interactions
Someone who is energized by building market presence, creating new relationships, and operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with private equity, middle market companies, finance transformation, transaction advisory, restructuring, interim management, or related advisory services is a plus

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a business development strategy for the Chicago market in partnership with market leadership, practice leaders, and senior firm leadership
Identify, pursue, and develop new business opportunities with corporate clients, private companies, strategic partners, referral sources, and select investor relationships
Leverage your local network to make high-value introductions, create new client conversations, and expand Riveron’s reach in the Chicago business community
Build and maintain relationships with key centers of influence, including auditors, technology partners, private equity contacts, board members, attorneys, lenders, and other market connectors
Partner closely with Riveron Managing Directors, Client Service Directors, and practice leaders to bring the right expertise into client conversations and move opportunities forward
Develop a strong working knowledge of Riveron’s practices, offerings, and cross-practice capabilities to identify client needs and connect them to the right solutions
Originate and support new client opportunities from early relationship development through proposal, pursuit, and close
Support the development of assigned target accounts while also creating new opportunities through your own market activity and relationship network
Maintain a consistent cadence of outreach, meetings, follow up, and relationship development across priority clients and prospects
Track contacts, meetings, opportunities, next steps, and revenue activity in Salesforce with accuracy and discipline
Lead or support pipeline discussions with market and firm leadership, providing clear updates on opportunity status, blockers, and next actions
Coordinate tailored proposals, presentations, pursuit materials, and engagement letters in partnership with client service and marketing professionals
Represent Riveron at relevant networking events, conferences, community events, and other market-facing activities, including events outside of traditional business hours when appropriate
Lead and/or support the planning efforts for local networking events targeting prospective clients – thoughtfully curating memorable and meaningful activities
Share market intelligence, relationship insights, and opportunity themes with internal leaders to support broader growth strategy
Contribute to a collaborative, growth-oriented culture by making introductions, supporting firm priorities, and helping bring the broader Riveron platform to clients
Meet or exceed established goals tied to meetings, pipeline development, proposals, revenue generation, and relationship activation