Business Development Driver Manager

Cooley; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 185,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Flexible spending accounts (FSA)

Job summary

Cooley is seeking a Business Development Driver Manager to join the Marketing and Client Development team. This role focuses on driving BD initiatives, coordinating with Marketing, and ensuring disciplined pipeline management to convert priorities into action.

The position supports partners and BD leaders by delivering effective briefing materials, standardized meeting preparation, and cross-functional coordination across Marketing, BD and client-facing teams.

Qualifications

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and iManage applications.
• Strong pipeline management and campaign execution skills.
• Experience with enterprise CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce).
• Bachelor's degree preferred; supervisory experience a plus.

Responsibilities

• Strengthen BD ground game with structured processes for meetings, opportunities and pipeline management.
• Develop high-impact briefing materials and meeting prep strategies for partners and BD leaders.
• Collaborate with Marketing to manage lead flow and convert engagement into opportunities.
• Act as central liaison between Marketing, BD leaders and Partners for smooth cross-functional handoffs.
• Translate internal discussions and client meetings into actionable plans with follow-up.
• Oversee tracking of activity, opportunity status, and account actions for leadership reviews.
• Refine BD support processes to improve efficiency and impact.
• Supervise and develop direct reports, manage staffing and HR processes.

Skills

MS Office

iManage

CRM software

Pipeline management

Campaign execution

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Business Development Driver Manager Cooley is seeking a Business Development Driver Manager to join the Marketing and Client Development team.

Position summary

This role is part of the Business Development Drivers Team, which provides strategic and operational business development support that helps drive coordinated BD and Marketing activity and turn priorities into action. Responsible for managing efforts to strengthen campaign execution, account planning, opportunity development, meeting preparation, follow-up, and pipeline discipline, so BD efforts are more focused and consistently executed.

Position responsibilities

• Operational Excellence & Discipline: Strengthen the firm’s business development "ground game" by implementing structured processes for meeting preparation, opportunity development, and consistent pipeline management.
• Engagement Strategy & Briefing: Oversee the development of high-impact briefing materials and meeting prep strategies, ensuring partners and BD leaders are fully equipped to maximize every client interaction.
• Integrated Campaign Activation: Partner with Marketing to manage lead flow and action items, ensuring that campaign engagement and market outreach are seamlessly converted into qualified opportunities.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Manage the team that serves as the central point of alignment between Marketing, BD leaders, and Partners, ensuring clear handoffs and internal coordination across all support functions.
• Execution & Action Planning: Set best practices for translating internal discussions and client meetings into clear, actionable plans, ensuring opportunities move through the pipeline via persistent follow-up and internal accountability.
• Pipeline Integrity & Reporting: Maintain a rigorous view of firm-wide priorities and progress by overseeing the tracking of activity, opportunity status, and account actions for senior leadership reviews.
• Process Optimization: Continuously refine the firm's approach to BD support, creating scalable systems that increase efficiency and ensure the growth organization operates with maximum impact and minimal friction.
• People Leader: Serve as direct supervisor and mentor to direct reports Provide day-to-day supervision of direct reports, ensure compliance with assigned work hours and monitor for compliance with all firm and department policies. Manage staffing coverage, review and process time logs/time off requests Support business professional development and continued educational opportunities In collaboration with immediate supervisor and central HR, participate in hiring, performance appraisals, counseling, termination and other employee lifecycle events All other duties as assigned or required.

Skills and experience

• 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
• 5+ years applicable experience in the field (e.g., marketing or business development)
• Demonstrated business development skills (e.g., pipeline management, campaign execution)
• Strong working knowledge of enterprise CRM ecosystems (e.g., Salesforce)

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree
• Supervisory experience
• 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
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and develop talent
• Proactive, analytical mindset
• Effective presentation skills

Cooley offers a competitive compensation and excellent benefits package and is committed to fair and equitable employment practices. EOE.

The expected annual pay range for this position with a full-time schedule is $185,000 - $240,000.

Please note that final offer amount will be dependent on geographic location, applicable experience and skillset of the candidate.

Benefits

• medical
• health savings account (with applicable medical plan)
• dental
• vision
• health and/or dependent care flexible spending accounts
• pre-tax commuter benefits
• life insurance
• AD&D
• long-term care coverage
• backup care for children and/or adults
• other parental support benefits
• firm-paid life insurance
• AD&D
• LTD
• short term medical benefits
• 21 days of Paid Time Off ("PTO") and 10 paid holidays each year
• generous parental leave
• fertility benefits