Private Shares Associate

Solutions for Today’s Challenges. Vision for Tomorrow’s Opportunities. Join William Blair, the Premier Global Partnership.

The William Blair Private Shares Team is looking for a knowledgeable and hardworking Private Markets Analyst who has a strong interest in private markets. Specifically, the candidate should have base‑level knowledge of Venture‑Backed companies and their associated capital structure. The ideal candidate will be self‑motivated, exceptionally adaptable, and dedicated to client satisfaction, thriving in fast‑paced, dynamic environments with a strong team‑oriented mindset.

This role demands a proactive, organized, and detail‑oriented professional capable of supporting senior team members, managing client relations, and contributing to team growth and efficiency.

• Support senior team members in working with shareholders, including employees, founders, ex‑employees, and investors, to facilitate the liquidation of their shares.
• Serve as the first line of support for handling inbound inquiries from shareholders, ensuring all requests are processed promptly and efficiently.
• Collect and review necessary Know Your Customer (KYC) documentation from clients to comply with regulatory requirements.
• Process transaction‑related documentation and assist in the execution of deals.
• Oversee the trade lifecycle process from initiation to completion.
• Arrange and schedule introductory meetings with new and existing clients.
• Contribute to team growth goals through effective sales outreach and shareholder relations via multiple outbound channels.
• Support senior team members in building, maintaining, and managing client relationships.
• Work collaboratively with internal teams, including Legal, Compliance, Marketing, and other internal departments to stay organized and aligned with team goals.
• Identify and propose opportunities for process improvements.

• Highly organized and a self‑starter.
• Strong level of attention to detail.
• Self‑driven and motivated, with a passion for achieving team goals.
• 1–3 years in finance, capital markets, private placements, or venture capital in a supporting role.
• Proven experience in selling financial products.
• FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses (may be obtained within 6 months of the hiring date).
• Collaborative approach with a strong team player mentality.
• Background in working with the institutional investor channel (preferred).
• Comprehensive understanding of private valuation metrics (preferred).
• Familiarity with employee stock option plans (preferred).
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Salary Range: $70,000—$90,000 USD. This role is eligible for either a discretionary annual bonus (based on company, business unit and individual performance) and/or commission‑based incentives.

Our benefit offerings include medical, dental and vision coverage, employer‑paid short & long‑term disability and life insurance, 401(k), profit sharing, paid time off, Maven family & fertility benefit, parental leave (including adoption, surrogacy, and foster placement), and other voluntary benefits.

William Blair strives to attract qualified candidates who specialize in investment banking, investment management, private wealth management, and other strategic resource groups. We are committed to empowering our colleagues to deliver client success and engage in our communities. Our firm has delivered trusted advice for nine decades, continuing to deepen our expertise and relationships across asset classes and markets throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet clients’ evolving needs amid dynamic market conditions and varying industries. What sets us apart is that we are an independent partnership, with colleagues who have unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. We empower our people to bring their best thinking so we can deliver the tailored, thoughtful work and problem‑solving abilities that our clients expect.

We invite you to learn more about us by visiting

William Blair is an equal opportunity employer. It complies with all laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in employment practice because of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, marital status, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, unfavorable discharge from the military service or on the basis of a physical or mental disability that is unrelated to the employee’s ability to perform the duties of the job applied for.

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Contact us should you have any questions or concerns.