Business Development Assistant (Investment Funds)

About Kirkland & Ellis

At Kirkland & Ellis, we are united in our ambition and drive to move forward. We share core values that help us achieve excellence: collaboration, talent empowerment, service, inclusion, respect and gratitude. Our people are our greatest asset, and we invest in the brightest talent and encourage a diversity of perspectives and strengths to create dynamic teams that operate at the pinnacle of their field. Our talented professionals show up every day knowing they will engage in meaningful work, continuous learning and professional development.

As one of the world’s leading law firms, we serve a broad range of clients with market-leading practices in private equity, M&A and other complex corporate transactions; investment fund formation and management; restructurings; high-stakes litigation and trials; and government, regulatory and internal investigations. We handle the most complicated and sophisticated legal matters because we don’t just meet industry standards, we create them. We bring innovation and entrepreneurialism to every engagement and, as a result, have long-standing client relationships with leading global corporations and financial sponsors. With 6,500 employees (including 3,000+ lawyers) operating from 18 offices across the United States, Europe and Asia, we are one of the largest law firms in the world and a top financial performer.

Essential Job Functions

Kirkland & Ellis is seeking an organized assistant to support the marketing and business development efforts of the Firm’s Investment Funds Group as part of the Business Development (BD) Department in our New York office.

In this role, you will handle a variety of functions for the Investment Funds Group (IFG), including editing and organizing client presentations and proposals, organizing events, contact relationship management, branding, business/relationship intelligence and internal communications.

Kirkland’s IFG is one of the largest dedicated fund formation practices in the world and has a broad and diverse client base, including many multibillion-dollar fund managers as well as middle and lower-middle-market private equity sponsors. As the IFG BD Assistant, you will interface regularly with attorneys who are located across the U.S., Europe and Asia and cover several different areas of fund formation and industry/product groups.

You will report to the Investment Funds BD Director in New York and work closely with 20+ other local team members. You will also communicate and collaborate regularly with a global team of approximately 140 diverse problem-solvers and advisers dedicated to the broader BD, marketing and communications efforts of the Firm. Our international BD team provides seamless service to our attorneys with a focus on quality, innovation and responsiveness.

Essential Functions:

• Assist with basic research and data collection for various projects to understand market position, develop strategic plans and drive marketing efforts to maintain and grow the practice and our industry position.
• Maintain data in the Firm’s contact relationship management (CRM) system by reviewing and creating mailing lists, recording activities such as client meetings, updating current contact information and other meaningful back-end data entry projects in the CRM and SharePoint databases.
• Help maintain and update content in our IFG experience database.
• Provide administrative assistance, including budgeting and expense reporting, as needed, to the Investment Funds BD team.
• Assist in the preparation and maintenance of bespoke marketing collateral and client-facing presentations/pitch materials, panel and client presentations, and participate in activities including proofreading, formatting (candidate must have exceptional PowerPoint skills), editing, printing, binding and delivery.
• Provide logistical assistance in connection with the origination and execution of new business pitches and related client development meetings and activities, including setting up Zoom and other video/webinar platforms and booking meeting rooms.
• Assist the Events Manager with event planning, including the execution of virtual and in-person seminars and receptions, industry conferences and charitable sponsorships, speaking engagements, client entertainment and other events related to the promotion of the IFG.
• Execute on updates to the IFG attorneys’ resume collection for the website and proposals/client presentations, including the facilitation of an annual resume audit.
• Assist on the compilation and submission of materials and references for the IFG in connection with surveys and various legal industry guides, e.g., Chambers, Legal 500, PEI, etc.
• Handle other requests or projects on an as-needed basis.

Other Functions:

• Provide administrative assistance, including budgeting and reporting, as needed to the Investment Funds BD Associate Director, NY Office and BD Department.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education, Work Experience, Skills:

• A Bachelor’s degree is required. The ideal candidate will have one to two years’ experience in a professional services environment, preferably at an alternative investment manager (i.e., private equity, placement agent), investment bank or law firm.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally with high-level attorneys, clients, staff and guests of the Firm.
• Ability to take initiative, adapt to change and work independently in high-pressure, deadline-driven scenarios while exercising sound judgment and making intelligent, informed decisions.
• Excellent client service orientation and interpersonal skills, with the ability to establish rapport and maintain effective relationships with various levels of personnel, internally and externally, including existing and potential clients.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to prioritize and execute a diverse range of tasks with a high level of attention to detail.
• Meticulous data entry, writing and proofing skills and a general facility for learning new software.
• Ability to synthesize data, complex financial and legal concepts and accurately capture ideas and themes in a narrative.

Technologies/Software:

• MS Office software proficiency, with expertise in PowerPoint, Word, and Excel is required.
• CRM/Experience Management Software (e.g., InterAction, Salesforce, ContentPilot, etc.) and transaction/private funds platform (e.g., Preqin, PitchBook, Cap IQ) experience is preferred.
• Working knowledge of Chrome River, Microsoft SharePoint, Adobe Photoshop and other programs is a plus.

Work Environment: 

• This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets.
• Overtime work will be needed.

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP.  To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

For applicants that are based in New York City, visit the following link for pay range information: http://staffjobsus.kirkland.com/pages/JOBID6834

Equal Employment Opportunity

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Closing Statement

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