What are the responsibilities and job description for the Private Equity Business Development Associate position at Soul Equity Solutions?
Private Equity BD Associate – No Finance Background Required
This is a rare chance to break into private equity without a finance background — if you know how to pick up the phone and build relationships, we'll teach you the rest.
About the Firm
Our client is a Nashville-based private equity firm focused exclusively on the lower middle market. The firm targets founder- and management-owned businesses in highly regulated end markets - including life sciences, healthcare, utilities, data centers, and specialty chemicals - that provide products, technologies, and technical services.
The firm differentiates through a deeply hands-on approach to portfolio company support - a meaningful reason founders choose this firm over higher bids. The team is lean, collaborative, and relationship-driven, with a long-term orientation toward building durable businesses.
About the Role
The Outbound Sales - Business Development Associate sits at the front end of the firm's investment engine and plays a critical role in identifying, engaging, and building relationships with founders, executives, and industry leaders at high-quality businesses that align with the firm's investment strategy.
Associates develop deep familiarity with niche end markets and business models — particularly products, technologies, and technical services serving highly regulated industries. The role offers meaningful exposure to investment thesis development, proprietary sourcing, and portfolio company M&A, all while working closely with senior investment professionals.
Key ResponsibilitiesDirect Sourcing & Outreach
- Build and maintain targeted lists of lower-middle-market companies in the firm's core sectors through systematic research and market mapping.
- Conduct proactive outreach — cold calling and emailing founders and CEOs to introduce the firm and generate initial conversations.
- Attend industry conferences and networking events to build direct relationships with business owners in target sectors.
- Fill the MD’s calendar with proprietary, off-market opportunities and manage the top-of-funnel sourcing pipeline with discipline.
Research & Market Intelligence
- Research investment themes and develop sector-specific company lists aligned with the firm's strategy.
- Track industry trends and competitive dynamics to sharpen targeting and inform outreach approach.
- Maintain a proprietary database of target companies and relationship history.
- Provide regular reporting on sourcing activity, pipeline status, and conversion metrics.
- Coordinate with the investment team as proprietary conversations mature into active opportunities.
- As the firm grows, support the firm's "full immersion" model by extending direct sourcing capabilities to portfolio companies
- Bachelor's degree required.
- 1–2 years of experience in a sales, business development, or outreach-intensive role — private equity background not required; non-traditional backgrounds strongly encouraged (pharma/med device sales, tech/SaaS sales, expert networks, executive search).
- Demonstrated comfort with cold calling, outbound prospecting, and rejection — hustle and persistence are core to this role.
- Strong research and organizational skills; ability to build target lists, manage a high-volume pipeline, and track activity rigorously.
- Entrepreneurial mindset — comfortable building from scratch, operating with ambiguity, and working without a defined playbook.
- Genuine interest in private equity and a long-term orientation toward building a career in the industry.
- Low ego, collaborative, team-oriented — culture fit is as important as skill set in a small, tight-knit firm.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with professional presence engaging founders and senior executives.
Compensation
Compensation is competitive, depending on experience.
Find your fit - View all open positions at Soul Equity.
About Soul Equity Solutions
Soul Equity Solutions is a NYC based boutique executive search firm, exclusively recruiting for Private Equity Middle Market firms. We conduct searches at all seniority levels throughout the US for both investor roles and non-investing roles (including Business Development, Investor Relations). We are well known for our highly boutique, specialized service. Our clients and candidates rely on our personal approach, strong connections, and supportive process to meet their objectives.
This firm is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.