Senior Associate - Venture Capital Business Development

StepStone Group Inc. • Baltimore, MD

51d • Hybrid

About The Position

StepStone is hiring a Senior Associate to lead strategic commercial initiatives across our venture and growth portfolio. This individual will play a key role in driving revenue and partnership outcomes for portfolio companies by building high-impact relationships, sourcing new strategic connections, and producing thought leadership that strengthens StepStone's position at the intersection of venture and enterprise innovation. This is a senior role for someone with 5-8 years of experience in business development, go-to-market strategy, venture capital, or consulting-ideally with exposure to both startups and large enterprises. The role offers significant visibility within the firm and the opportunity to work closely with founders, investors, and corporate leaders shaping the future of technology and innovation. The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with executional rigor-comfortable engaging with C-level executives, originating new relationships across industries, producing insights and thought leadership content, and mentoring junior team members.

Requirements

• 5-8 years of professional experience in business development, corporate strategy, consulting, or venture capital; experience in B2B technology or growth-stage environments strongly preferred
• Deep understanding of enterprise technology markets, with expertise in one or more of the following: enterprise IT, cybersecurity, blockchain, and artificial intelligence
• Proven ability to source, originate, and manage strategic relationships with senior corporate stakeholders through both warm and cold channels
• Strong communication and thought leadership skills, with experience producing content, insights, or briefings that shape perspectives and strengthen firm visibility
• Strategic and analytical mindset, capable of translating market dynamics and portfolio company needs into actionable partnership opportunities
• Executive presence and credibility with C-suite leaders, investment professionals, and founders
• Collaborative leadership style, with the ability to guide projects and mentor junior colleagues in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Proactive, resourceful, and outcomes-driven, with a passion for helping portfolio companies scale and succeed while leveraging StepStone's cross-platform expertise across asset classes

Responsibilities

• Drive commercial strategy for StepStone's portfolio companies by connecting them with relevant corporate partners, customers, and strategic investors across key verticals including healthcare, technology, industrials, consumer, and defense
• Source new corporate and ecosystem relationships through a variety of channels-cold outreach, referrals, networking events, and mutual connections-expanding StepStone's network of Fortune 1000 executives, innovation leaders, and industry partners
• Develop and manage executive relationships with innovation, corporate development, and business unit leaders, ensuring alignment with portfolio and firm priorities
• Advise founders and investment teams on go-to-market strategy, competitive positioning, and partnership development to accelerate portfolio company growth
• Lead market intelligence and thought leadership initiatives, synthesizing industry trends, whitespace opportunities, and emerging technologies into actionable insights shared across internal and external audiences (e.g., articles, presentations, briefings, or roundtables)
• Represent StepStone externally at conferences, panels, and firm-hosted events to enhance visibility and credibility within key industries
• Mentor junior team members and institutionalize best practices in portfolio engagement, CRM management, and relationship tracking
• Collaborate across StepStone's global platform, working closely with the VC/Growth team as well as colleagues in Private Equity, Real Estate, Infrastructure, and Private Debt to identify cross-asset class opportunities, share insights, and maximize the firm's collective network and capabilities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees