Senior Manager, Business Development Operations & Enablement

Description

About JM Search

JM Search is the leading retained executive search firm for private equity, and other growth-oriented private and public organizations. We have spent more than 40 years identifying, attracting, and retaining high-performing company builders within our own firm and understand how to scale without sacrificing culture. We care deeply about providing continuous development opportunities for each member of our team – from recent graduates to our managing partners – and believe by caring for our people, they in turn care for our clients. 

As a Senior Manager of Business Development Operations & Enablement at JM Search, you will serve as a key operational partner within the BD Enablement function, with dual responsibilities across CRM system ownership and business development operations. You will lead the early build and ongoing management of the firm’s CRM ecosystem, ensuring data integrity, usability, and adoption, while also supporting firmwide BD enablement initiatives. Each JM Search employee is empowered to make decisions, share ideas, and shape the future of our firm, as well as your own individual career path. We take great pride in being the best at what we do, but we also care about having fun while we do it.

Responsibilities:

CRM Operations & Data Management

• Serve as the operational lead for CRM implementation and administration, partnering with IT and BD leadership on system configuration, governance, and enhancement roadmap.
• Maintain data hygiene and structure through consistent audits, updates, and reporting standards.
• Develop and document best practices for CRM use across teams, including guidance on opportunity creation, relationship tracking, and activity logging.
• Create dashboards and analytics that provide visibility into account activity, pipeline, and engagement metrics.  

Business Development Enablement

• Create and maintain training resources, playbooks, and toolkits that enable consistent adoption of CRM workflows.
• Manage and continuously update SharePoint or other enablement platforms to serve as the central repository for BD tools, templates, and collateral.
• Coordinate and track enablement initiatives, ensuring timely delivery, alignment to priorities, and clear communication of progress.
• Contribute to communications and change management efforts that drive engagement with new systems, tools, and processes. 

Operational Excellence & Collaboration

• Identify and recommend process improvements to streamline BD workflows and improve data-driven decision making.
• Work with the Business Development Operations Director to act as a bridge between technology, BD, and leadership teams, helping to translate business needs into system capabilities.
• Maintain structured documentation, standard operating procedures, and FAQs to ensure continuity and scalability.  

Sales Operations & Enablement 

• Partner with BD leadership to track and analyze core commercial metrics such as win rates, search velocity, average search fee, and partner productivity to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop reporting and dashboards that provide visibility into deal dynamics, from lead generation through closed search, enabling more data-driven decision making.
• Support quarterly and annual business reviews by consolidating performance insights across practices and translating data into actionable recommendations.
• Work with Finance and BD leadership to align pipeline reporting and forecasting with financial goals, ensuring consistency across systems and metrics.
• Identify patterns in origination, conversion, and execution to inform training, process design, and opportunity planning.  

Requirements

Competencies:

Advanced Business Acumen – Synthesizes operational and market data to guide decisions, proactively linking functional activities to firm strategy and goals. 

Complex Project Leadership & Oversight – Oversees/leads multiple multi-stage projects, ensuring alignment with functional goals, resource efficiency, and timely completion.

Cross-Functional Collaboration – Partners cross-functionally to deliver projects, share expertise, and ensure day-to-day alignment with broader business objectives.

Knowledge and Systems Management – Implements systems and knowledge sharing practices to deepen cross-functional collaboration, data accuracy, and scalability.

Team Management/Mentorship – Leads and develops team members through coaching, performance feedback, and fostering a supportive, high-performing culture.  

Qualifications & Experience:

• 5-7 years of experience in business operations, sales enablement, or CRM administration (experience with professional services or executive search a plus).
• Proven ability to manage CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar), including reporting, dashboards, and user support.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills with attention to detail and data accuracy.
• Strong process design, documentation, and improvement skills (Lean, Six Sigma, or similar is a plus).
• Experience supporting change management and enablement efforts in a matrixed or partner-led environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, especially SharePoint, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Familiarity with professional services, private equity, or executive search industry context.
• Demonstrated experience standing up or leading a PMO or operational improvement function.
• Proven success driving enablement, training, or change initiatives in a decentralized or partner-led model.
• Bachelor’s degree required; relevant coursework or certification in business, marketing, or information systems is preferred.