Vice President of Marketing (Chicago, IL)

Vice President of Marketing – RFP & Business Communications

Position Overview

We are seeking an accomplished Vice President of Marketing – RFP & Business Communications to lead and oversee the global RFP, RFI, and DDQ functions within a sophisticated investment management organization. This senior leadership role will be responsible for developing the strategy, standards, and operational processes that support high-quality, compelling business communications and strengthen the organization's ability to compete for institutional and private wealth mandates.

Reporting to senior marketing leadership, the Vice President will manage and develop a team of RFP and business communications professionals while remaining actively involved in producing and editing complex, high-profile executive-level proposals and client communications. The role requires exceptional writing and editing capabilities, strong financial and investment knowledge, executive presence, and the ability to build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across Marketing, Investor Relations, Compliance, and Investment teams.

The ideal candidate brings extensive experience in RFP and proposal management within investment management, private markets, financial services, or a related industry, along with a demonstrated track record of leading high-performing teams and improving content management processes and technology.

Key Responsibilities

Team and Function Leadership

• Lead the strategy, execution, and overall quality of the global RFP, RFI, and DDQ program across multiple investment strategies and geographic regions.
• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of RFP and business communications professionals, providing hands-on coaching, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
• Establish team priorities, allocate resources, and manage workloads across a high-volume pipeline of proposals, client requests, and business communications.
• Serve as the primary escalation point and final quality reviewer for complex, high-profile, and strategically important investment opportunities.
• Establish consistent standards, processes, and best practices to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the RFP function.
• Represent the function in cross-functional leadership and governance meetings, ensuring alignment across Marketing, Investor Relations, Investment teams, and shared services.

Executive Writing and Content Development

• Personally produce, review, and edit sophisticated executive-level responses for high-priority RFPs, RFIs, DDQs, and industry award submissions.
• Develop compelling messaging that clearly communicates the organization's investment strategies, capabilities, performance, processes, and market expertise to institutional and private wealth audiences.
• Partner with senior investment professionals, subject matter experts, and executive leadership to translate complex investment concepts into clear, persuasive, and client-focused communications.
• Maintain oversight of the organization's RFP content library and management systems, ensuring information is accurate, current, consistent, and aligned with corporate messaging.
• Establish editorial and quality-control standards for all written deliverables produced by the team.
• Ensure proposals and business communications reflect the organization's brand, investment philosophy, and value proposition.

Process Improvement, Technology, and Reporting

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives across RFP workflows, content management processes, and business communications infrastructure.
• Evaluate and implement technology solutions, including content management systems and AI-assisted drafting platforms, to improve productivity, consistency, and turnaround times.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators, including RFP volume, response timelines, win rates, and pipeline activity.
• Prepare and present regular reporting and insights to senior stakeholders and executive leadership to evaluate team performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Promote the effective use of proposal management tools and technology, such as Salesforce, Loopio, or comparable platforms.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of the organization's investment platform, strategies, and capabilities to ensure the accuracy and relevance of all client-facing materials.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with senior stakeholders across Marketing, Investor Relations, Compliance, Legal, and Investment teams.
• Collaborate with colleagues across global offices and time zones to coordinate proposal development and business communications.
• Work directly with senior executives and investment professionals to gather information, validate content, and communicate complex business and investment concepts.
• Oversee responses to inquiries and escalations from prospective investors, existing clients, investment consultants, general partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Partner with Compliance and Legal teams to ensure client-facing communications meet applicable regulatory, disclosure, and internal governance requirements.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on proposal strategy, messaging, content quality, and business communications initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of eight years of progressive experience in RFP and proposal management, marketing communications, investor relations, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience within investment management, private markets, private equity, investment banking, consulting, or the broader financial services industry.
• Proven people-management experience, including the ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams of writers, analysts, and communications professionals.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise, persuasive, and polished content for executive, institutional, and consultant audiences.
• Strong executive presence and the ability to influence and collaborate effectively with senior stakeholders, including Partners and senior investment professionals.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines and manage a high-volume pipeline of complex requests.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement process improvements, operational standards, and scalable RFP management practices.
• Experience with proposal and content management platforms, such as Salesforce, Loopio, or similar technology solutions.
• Strong analytical and business judgment, with the ability to understand complex financial and investment information and translate it into effective client communications.
• Collaborative leadership style, intellectual curiosity, adaptability, and a strong commitment to quality and professional development.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong working knowledge of private markets investment strategies, including primary investments, secondary investments, growth equity, private credit, and co-investments.
• Experience supporting institutional investors, pension funds, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, registered investment advisors, or high-net-worth clients.
• Familiarity with investment performance reporting, portfolio construction, investment processes, and private markets terminology.
• Experience partnering with Compliance and Legal teams on regulatory disclosures and investment-related client communications.
• Experience implementing AI-assisted writing, content management, and proposal automation solutions.
• Previous experience supporting a global organization with geographically dispersed teams and international stakeholders.