Business Development Manager, Proposals and Pursuits

Chapman and Cutler LLP; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Chapman and Cutler LLP, based in Chicago, is looking for a Business Development Manager to enhance their proposal and pitch management processes. The role demands expertise in preparing RFPs and pitches while ensuring high-quality content. Candidates should have a strong background in the legal or financial services sectors.

This position requires excellent organizational skills and the ability to work collaboratively with business development teams across various offices. A Bachelor's degree and significant experience in proposal management are essential.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience preparing proposals and pitch presentations.
• Experience with RFPs and online submission portals.
• Strong writing, editing, and visual storytelling skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the RFP response process, coordinating with firm departments.
• Produce proposal documents and customize pitch-related materials.
• Oversee league table submissions and manage content updates.

Skills

Proposal Management

Stakeholder Coordination

Content Creation

Graphic Design

Strategic Thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

Chapman and Cutler LLP, a nationally recognized law firm in the financial services sector, is seeking a Business Development Manager, Proposals and Pursuits (“BD Manager”) to join the Marketing and Business Development Department. As part of our dynamic and expanding business development team, the BD Manager will play a pivotal role in driving the firm’s growth and success by leading and executing the firm’s Request for Proposal (RFP), pitch, and pursuit efforts. This role serves as both a strategic advisor and project manager, crafting compelling, client-focused materials that go beyond standard capabilities and responses.

This is a unique opportunity to build an important function within our growing business development team. The successful candidate will work with the Director of Business Development to improve and expand the proposal/pursuit process at the firm, oversee the end-to-end pursuit workflow, including development and submission of RFPs and pitch materials, management of content repositories and data sources, coordination of survey and league table responses, collaboration with attorneys and business development staff, and continuous improvement of response standards.

We are seeking a highly organized and creative individual with experience in proposal and pitch management in the legal or financial services industry. The position is open to all Chapman locations, with a preference for the Chicago office. Our offices are located in key financial centers across the United States: Charlotte, Chicago, New York, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. The position requires an in‑office presence but includes flexibility for some remote work.

The responsibilities of the BD Manager will include:

Proposals:

• Leadership and ownership of all aspects of the Requests for Proposal (RFP) response process, including RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, and client compliance surveys, from notice to submission, including coordinating with other firm departments and functions.
• Produces proposal and pitch documents, including identifying most applicable content, editing existing content, and drafting new content (practice overviews, experience summaries, biography and statistics updates, etc.), delivering compelling content and design to differentiate the firm.
• Serves as primary liaison for online proposal portals (PERSUIT and others) and coordinating responses with relevant stakeholders.
• Acts as an advisor to identify and implement best practices for each pitch opportunity.
• Manages go/no‑go decisions and tracks proposal outcomes.

Presentations / Pitches and Publications:

• Responsible for all aspects of preparing pitch books and qualification statements, including customizing practice group descriptions and industry experience, in both Word and PowerPoint formats.
• Ensures newly developed content (experience summaries, biography and statistics updates, etc.) are added to the firm’s data sources and other relevant marketing materials.
• Ensures design and formatting adhere to firm brand guidelines and recommends design enhancements to elevate client presentations and training materials where appropriate.
• Tracks pitch outcomes.

League Tables and Surveys:

• Oversees all aspects of the firm’s legal/financial industry/business directory and league table submissions.
• Prepares responses for client specific survey requests and manages updates of internal deal/matter lists and statistics.

Department Leadership and Mentorship:

• Supervises and mentors personnel who provide business development and pursuit support, and supports individual learning, training, and development.
• Leveraging competitive intelligence, provides strategic advice to partners and leadership on pursuit strategy and differentiators, market trends, and client insights.
• Uses AI appropriately and proactively to create efficiencies work product creation.
• Collaborates with administrative departments to improve knowledge/data sharing efficiency and process improvements where appropriate.
• Performs other duties as assigned or required to meet firm goals and objectives.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience preparing proposals, pitch decks, and other business pursuit presentations, preferably in a law firm or financial services organization
• Experience analyzing requests for proposal (RFPs) and preparing responses, including experience narrative, pricing, and related disclosures, and using online submission portals
• Superior writing, editing, proofreading, and visual storytelling skills, maintains consistent brand identity through document templates
• Fluency in Microsoft Office products, particularly PowerPoint and Word
• Strong sense of graphic design and layout and comfortable using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop
• Familiarity with proprietary marketing databases such as Foundation is a plus
• Ability to understand, interpret, and translate technical concepts for a variety of audiences
• Must be a self-starter with a high level of initiative and able to operate with limited direction and demonstrate excellent independent professional judgment
• Organized, diligent, and detail oriented while multi‑tasking projects
• Team‑first orientation; ability to work in a diverse team environment and effectively support the demanding needs of the firm
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines with shifting priorities
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, strong customer service skills, and able to anticipate needs and exercise good judgment
• Exercises solid strategic thinking and problem‑solving skills
• Demonstrates leadership and supervisory experience
• Maintains confidentiality and exercises discretion
• Committed to following all firm security protocols and maintaining information security

In accordance with the Illinois Pay Transparency Law, the expected salary range for this position in Illinois is between $140,000 - $160,000. The benefits overview for this position is available for review at the below link.

Benefits Overview

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume. All applicants will be considered; however, the hiring decision will be made based on qualifications for the position.

Chapman and Cutler LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V/SO.