Your first dedicated BD hire
Guidance on role scope, candidate background and compensation for your first BD hire.
Q2 - 2026 Quarterly Business Development Report is now Available! View Report
Private equity business development recruiting
We recruit the deal sourcing, origination and intermediary coverage professionals who drive deal flow.
Q2 2026 · Updated quarterly
Dedicated BD professionals in US and Canadian PE
PE firms with at least one dedicated BD professional
Growth in total BD professionals since Q1 2024
Of tracked firms in fund-size categories of $2B or less
BD professionals at Partner, MD or Head of BD level
First dedicated BD hires YTD
Source: Coastal Partners Q2 2026 Quarterly BD Report. Snapshot as of June 30, 2026. Explore the full data →
Growth: 777 to 999 professionals, rounded to the nearest percent. Fund-size share: 318 of 450 tracked firms; includes 54 firms classified as Other in the denominator.
Guidance on role scope, candidate background and compensation for your first BD hire.
We help you identify the right experience, relationships and sourcing approach to strengthen your team.
We help you identify sourcing talent that fits your portfolio company’s strategy and stage of growth.
Every dedicated BD professional at every PE firm, by title, tenure, background and fund size.
Our annual compensation survey focuses exclusively on private equity business development.
30+ episodes of The Deal Sourcery Podcast with BD leaders at H.I.G., Riverside, MidOcean, HKW, Monomoy, and more.
Canvas market for candidates.
Review list with client.
Help narrow list of final candidates.
Maintain contact with candidate and client.
Understand firm and role to map out search.
Screen candidates.
Schedule interviews, keep in touch.
Assist in offer process.
Understand firm and role to map out search.
Canvas market for candidates.
Screen candidates.
Review list with client.
Schedule interviews, keep in touch.
Help narrow list of final candidates.
Assist in offer process.
Maintain contact with candidate and client.
Within lower middle market private equity, there isn’t a recruiter that knows the business development landscape better than Matt Rooney. Most importantly, Matt understood our people-first ethos and worked to find candidates that aligned with our values. The successful search process Matt led was transparent, robust, and efficient and we wouldn’t hesitate to engage TD Newland on a future search.
Matt and his team have helped us recruit numerous A players over the years. In addition to their singular focus on the business development function, their level of professionalism, responsiveness, and efficacy is without rival. Equally, if not more, important, they have a knack for looking for – and finding – high quality candidates in places other firms don’t. We look forward to working with TD Newland on future engagements and give them our strongest possible endorsement.
"Within lower middle market private equity, there isn’t a recruiter that knows the business development landscape better than Matt Rooney. Most importantly, Matt understood our people-first ethos and worked to find candidates that aligned with our values. The successful search process Matt led was transparent, robust, and efficient and we wouldn’t hesitate to engage Coastal Partners on a future search."
"Matt and his team have helped us recruit numerous A players over the years. In addition to their singular focus on the business development function, their level of professionalism, responsiveness, and efficacy is without rival. Equally, if not more, important, they have a knack for looking for – and finding – high quality candidates in places other firms don’t. We look forward to working with Coastal Partners on future engagements and give them our strongest possible endorsement."
"Matt and his team have provided tremendous insight into the growing demand for business development talent in Private Equity. We engaged Matt to help us make our first junior hire and navigate the lower middle market business development landscape. Matt understood the importance of cultural fit for our small team at ParkerGale. And he put together a thoughtful search process filled with high quality candidates with unique backgrounds, while being organized, transparent, and professional throughout. We would gladly work with Coastal Partners on future engagements."
Head of Business Development
at a mid-market buyout firm.
Director of Business Development
(Regional) at a well-known generalist buyout firm with 5B AUM across 3 funds.
Associate Director of Business Development
at a leading software PE firm.
Partner (Investment Team)
at a multi-strategy investment firm with 3B AUM across 5 funds.
Director of Investor Relations
at a mid-market buyout firm.
Vice President (Investment Team)
at a lower mid-market buyout firm.
Director of Business Development,
first dedicated BD hire, at a lower mid-market private equity firm.
Associate, Investor Relations
at a lower mid-market private equity firm.
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