Associate Director of Business Development - DC

Cooley; United States; Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Cooley seeks an Associate Director of Business Development to join the Marketing and Client Development team in DC. The role partners with Marketing and firm leaders to execute outreach strategies, create high-value connections, and convert engagement into a healthy and sustainable pipeline.

Responsibilities include market relationship management, strategic marketing integration, and opportunity identification across priority clients and sectors.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of applicable experience in marketing or business development.
• Ability to travel as required and work extended hours including weekends.
• Bachelor's Degree required; prior legal or professional services experience preferred.
• Proficiency with enterprise CRM ecosystems (e.g., Salesforce) and Microsoft Office suite.

Responsibilities

• Market Relationship Management: build and maintain a robust network of clients, prospects, referral sources, and key external influencers.
• Strategic Marketing Integration: coordinate with Marketing to execute outreach, events, and follow-up campaigns to generate tangible leads.
• Partner Force Multiplication: act as a strategic bridge for partners by generating introductions and access to high-value opportunities.
• Relationship Continuity & Transition: ensure continuity through structured follow-up and smooth handoffs between internal teams.
• Opportunity Identification & Qualification: identify growth opportunities and move early-stage conversations into a qualified pipeline.
• Whitespace & Cross-Selling Analysis: surface untapped opportunities within client relationships and connect needs to capabilities.
• Pipeline Coordination & Support: ensure opportunities are supported with internal coordination and timely follow-up.
• Market & Pipeline Discipline: maintain visibility into activity and next steps; document pipeline movement.
• Operational Rhythm & Proactivity: contribute to a disciplined lead-generation engine for the market.

Skills

Salesforce

CRM systems

Networking

Microsoft Office

iManage

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Salesforce CRM

iManage

MS Office

Job description

Associate Director of Business Development - DC Cooley is seeking an Associate Director of Business Development to join the Marketing and Client Development team.

About Cooley:

Cooley is a global law firm with an expansive practice and more than 3,000 employees and partners worldwide. We value and celebrate diverse perspectives and strive to create a workplace where every individual can thrive. At the core of Cooley's success is the exceptional talent and unwavering spirit of our people. We embrace individuality while fostering a 'one-firm' culture where collaboration and creativity thrive. Our people are the foundation of our success and the driving force behind everything we do.

Hybrid Schedule Philosophy:

As part of the Cooley culture, we recognize and appreciate the value of being together, in person, to build comradery with others in the office and to be a contributing member of the Cooley office. However, we also appreciate the benefits and flexibility that come from remote working. As such, the default assumption for employees and partners is a hybrid schedule: some in-office presence and some work from home days absent certain essential in-office roles that require five (5) days/week in-office.

Position summary:

This role is part of the Business Development Team, which leads the firm's business development efforts in the market, in close partnership with Marketing, to build relationships, generate opportunities, and support growth across priority clients, prospects, and sectors. Responsible for partnering with Marketing and firm leaders to execute outreach strategies, create high-value connections, and convert engagement into a healthy and sustainable pipeline. Specific duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Position responsibilities:

• Market Relationship Management: Build and maintain a robust network of clients, prospects, referral sources, and key external influencers, proactively working within relevant market ecosystems to increase firm visibility.
• Strategic Marketing Integration: Coordinate closely with the Marketing team to execute outreach, manage events, and drive disciplined follow-up on campaigns to convert engagement into tangible business leads.
• Partner Force Multiplication: Act as a strategic bridge for firm partners by generating introductions, opening doors to key decision-makers, and creating access to high-value opportunities.
• Relationship Continuity & Transition: Ensure seamless relationship continuity through structured follow-up, managing handoffs between internal teams and maintaining ongoing contact with key stakeholders.
• Opportunity Identification & Qualification: Proactively identify growth opportunities across existing and prospective clients, focusing on moving early-stage conversations into a qualified, high-probability pipeline.
• Whitespace & Cross-Selling Analysis: Surface untapped "whitespace" and cross-selling opportunities within existing client relationships, connecting specific client needs to the firm's broader people and capabilities.
• Pipeline Coordination & Support: Ensure all identified opportunities are supported with the necessary internal coordination and tactical follow-up to move them through the business development lifecycle.
• Market & Pipeline Discipline: Maintain rigorous visibility into relationship activity by tracking all outreach, introductions, and meetings, ensuring clear documentation of next steps and pipeline movement.
• Operational Rhythm & Proactivity: Contribute to a consistent and proactive business development rhythm in the market, shifting the team from a reactive posture to a disciplined, lead-generation engine.
• All other duties as assigned or required

Skills and experience:

• Required :
  • After orientation at Cooley LLP, exhibit proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, iManage and other firm applications
  • Ability to work extended and/or weekend hours, as required
  • Ability to travel, as required
  • 8+ years of applicable experience in the field (e.g., marketing or business development)
  • Market-facing presence including a leverageable network
  • Commercial instinct and proven relationship building skills, including strong working knowledge of enterprise CRM ecosystems (e.g., Salesforce)
  • Bachelor's Degree
• Preferred: Prior legal industry or professional services experience

Competencies:

• Entrepreneurial by nature
• Excellent attention to detail
• Approaches tasks through a lens of quality and consistency
• Approaches tasks through a digital first lens
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with ability to facilitate and solve problems
• Ability to organize, prioritize and coordinate multiple activities often under tight timelines
• Takes a consultative approach to set goals, drive projects, and achieve outcomes
• Strong judgment
• Team-player with collaborative spirit
• Unwavering ability to handle and maintain confidentiality regarding firm information, projects, client data
• High level of professionalism at all times