Sr. Manager, Business Development

As a Sr Manager of Business Development on the Retirement Plan Consulting team, you’ll play a pivotal role by building and advancing a pipeline of acquisition and recruiting opportunities, serving as a trusted industry ambassador, and driving growth through strategic business development, relationship management, and market engagement.

In addition to an earnest desire to help people, we are looking for the ideal candidate to complement the team’s existing talents. For this Sr Manager of Business Development role, we are seeking a candidate with proven business development and relationship-building expertise to help advance the continued growth and expansion of EFE’s Retirement Plan Consulting business through advisor recruiting and firm acquisitions. If you are a strategic networker, persuasive communicator, relationship-focused professional, and proactive self-starter with a strong hunter mindset, this may be an opportunity for you!

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute sourcing and business development strategies to identify acquisition and recruiting opportunities within the retirement plan advisory market.
• Build, manage, and maintain a robust pipeline of qualified retirement plan firms, advisors, and consultants.
• Lead proactive outreach efforts through networking, referrals, industry events, conferences, cold outreach, and relationship-building activities.
• Establish and cultivate relationships with firm owners, consultants, M&A advisors, bankers, recordkeepers, TPAs, and other industry influencers to generate new opportunities.
• Serve as a compelling ambassador for EFE, effectively communicating the firm's value proposition, growth opportunities, and competitive advantages.
• Tailor messaging and engagement strategies to diverse audiences, including firm founders, experienced consultants, and emerging retirement plan professionals.
• Partner with internal stakeholders across Retirement Plan Consulting, Corporate Development, Finance, Legal, Compliance, and Talent Acquisition to align sourcing, recruiting, and acquisition efforts.
• Evaluate prospective firms, advisors, and opportunities for strategic, cultural, and business fit, supporting initial diligence and opportunity assessment.
• Drive opportunities through the acquisition and recruiting lifecycle, ensuring a seamless experience from initial engagement through close, hire, or acquisition. Achieving annual targets.
• Maintain accurate CRM data and provide regular reporting on pipeline health, activity levels, conversion metrics, and sourcing effectiveness.
• Monitor industry trends, competitive activity, market consolidation, regulatory developments, and talent movement to identify emerging opportunities and inform strategy.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance origination tools, templates, and marketing materials while providing guidance and training support to internal teams on their use.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business Administration or a related field required;
• 3-7 years of experience in business development, M&A origination, recruiting or relationship management within financial services, with a strong preference for retirement plan advisory or consulting experience.
• Proven track record of originating opportunities and building a pipeline, whether acquisitions, recruited advisors or both.
• Strong understanding of the retirement plan ecosystem, including RPA aggregators, RIAs, broker-dealers, recordkeepers and TPAs, and of what a plan-focused firm owner or consultant is seeking.
• Working knowledge of the regulatory framework for retirement plan advice, including ERISA fiduciary roles (3(21) and 3(38)), DOL guidance, and SEC and state RIA registration requirements.
• Proven ability to engage and influence passive prospects through consultative outreach.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to present a compelling narrative to firm owners and individual consultants alike.
• Highly proactive, with a hunter mindset and strong pipeline discipline; able to operate in a fast-paced, metrics-driven environment.
• Proficiency with CRM systems; financial analysis skills a plus.