Head of Growth & Market Development

Intrinsic•Chicago, CO

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Intrinsic is seeking a Head of Growth & Market Development to build and run the firm's commercial infrastructure. This role is responsible for expanding the firm's pipeline, deepening relationships with the private equity and investment banking communities, and improving the effectiveness of practitioners in winning work. The goal is to create conditions where more relationships convert to engagements, opportunities move through the funnel with discipline, and the firm gains market visibility that generates inbound interest. This is a first-mover opportunity in a private, independent firm with significant employee ownership, focused on the middle-market PE ecosystem. The role requires both individual pipeline responsibility and functioning as a force multiplier for other leaders.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in investment banking, private equity, or senior commercial development at an advisory or professional services firm, with meaningful exposure to the middle-market PE deal ecosystem.
Demonstrated track record of building and converting relationships with private equity sponsors, investment bankers, or deal intermediaries into tangible business outcomes.
Understanding of how referral-driven businesses develop in advisory environments.
Familiarity with the services Intrinsic provides: transaction advisory, valuation, and financial and accounting advisory work in the context of PE-backed transactions and portfolio company operations.
Experience owning or influencing CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) as a tool for pipeline discipline, not just record-keeping.
You are personally active in the market: you attend the events, make the calls, develop the relationships, and open the doors, not just design the strategy for others to execute.
Your coaching is grounded in practice, not theory, and it translates into practitioners winning more work.
You understand that the next engagement often comes from work delivered six months ago, and you build the infrastructure to track that chain.
You are building something specific to this firm's ecosystem and culture.
You can hold a conversation with a PE partner or a CFO that is grounded in genuine understanding of what they care about, not generic relationship development patterns.

Nice To Haves

Former investment banker who gravitated toward relationship development over transaction execution and has maintained strong coverage relationships in the middle-market PE community.
PE operating executive or operating partner with a broad sponsor network and credibility with both fund leadership and portfolio company management.
Advisory leader who grew through TAS, CFO advisory, or management consulting and transitioned into a dedicated commercial development role with demonstrated results.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain a target account list across private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, and investment banking intermediaries, prioritizing relationships with the highest potential to generate recurring engagement.
Build and execute referral-source strategies that deepen existing relationships and open new ones across the PE and M&A ecosystem.
Create and expand strategic relationships with investment bankers, capital providers, and other intermediaries who sit at the center of deal flow.
Track all opportunity movement through the funnel with rigor and discipline, ensuring the firm has a real-time picture of pipeline health at all times.
Own Salesforce as the system of record for all commercial activity: pipeline reporting, relationship mapping, referral tracking, win/loss analysis, forecasting, and trip planning.
Deliver regular pipeline reporting to firm leadership that enables data-informed decisions about resource allocation, market focus, and growth priorities.
Coach Managing Directors, Senior Directors, and Directors on how to develop and advance business development relationships.
Support pitch preparation and proposal development, reviewing materials for clarity, positioning, and competitive differentiation before they reach the client.
Develop sales and relationship management playbooks that give practitioners a repeatable framework for advancing opportunities.
Participate in pricing conversations, helping practitioners think through engagement structuring and value communication.
Oversee the firm's digital presence, including the website and LinkedIn, coordinating content updates and ensuring the firm's positioning is accurate and compelling.
Coordinate thought leadership initiatives that put Intrinsic practitioners in front of the right audiences in the right formats.
Manage conference and event participation, making strategic decisions about where Intrinsic's time and budget create the most relationship value.
Develop and coordinate referral appreciation and client campaigns that deepen existing relationships and reinforce Intrinsic's reputation as a trusted partner.
Oversee deal announcements and milestone communications that build market awareness of the firm's capabilities and transaction activity.