Director, Client Engagement (Knowledge & Legal Research Services)

OpenKrill; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Harbor seeks a Director of Client Engagement & Market Development (Knowledge and Research Services) to grow our practice by shaping new client engagements and driving market-facing programs. This role builds relationships across the legal market and ensures engagements are well-scoped and successfully delivered.

Remote in the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada with 20–30% travel. Leads thought leadership, BLISS and LINKS initiatives, and collaborates with marketing to align service

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred in library/science, law, or related field.
• Proven experience shaping client engagements in advisory or managed services.
• Experience developing proposals, SOWs, and scoping or pricing inputs.
• Strong understanding of library, knowledge, and research priorities in legal or professional services.

Responsibilities

• Identify and develop new Knowledge & Research Services engagements through market relationships and referrals.
• Lead discovery conversations to understand client priorities and desired outcomes.
• Shape client needs into practical engagement approaches with delivery input.
• Oversee scoping, proposals, and pricing materials with delivery leadership.
• Manage interim research growth, margins, and utilization across engagements.
• Lead transition from engagement development to delivery and ensure alignment of scope and expectations.
• Oversee BLISS, LINKS, and thought leadership, including content and webinars to support market positioning.
• Build relationships with library, research, and knowledge leaders across the legal market.

Skills

Client relationship development

Proposal development

Scoping and pricing inputs

Thought leadership

Stakeholder engagement

CRM (Salesforce)

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MLIS / JD or relevant advanced degree preferred

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Harbor is seeking a Director, Client Engagement & Market Development (Knowledge and Research Services) to help grow our Knowledge & Research Services practice by creating and shaping new client engagements. This role builds relationships across the legal market, turns client needs into well-scoped engagements, and stays connected through delivery so that each engagement is set up to succeed. The Director will also oversee our market-facing programs, including BLISS and LINKS, and lead the practice’s thought leadership.

This role works closely with Harbor’s Client Engagement team and partners with Knowledge & Research Services delivery leaders from first conversation through to successful completion.

This is a fully remote role that can be worked from anywhere in the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada, with an expectation of approximately 20-30% travel.

Responsibilities:

New Engagement Development

• Build a pipeline of new Knowledge & Research Services engagements through market relationships, existing clients, and referrals
• Lead discovery conversations to understand client priorities, challenges, and desired outcomes
• Shape client needs into practical engagement approaches, bringing in subject matter and delivery experts as needed
• Partner with Client Engagement on opportunities and identify ways to extend existing client relationships

Scoping, Proposals & Commercial Support

• Develop scope, assumptions, and resourcing for proposals and Statements of Work in partnership with delivery leaders
• Contribute to pricing and commercial models that support margin objectives
• Maintain consistent, high-quality proposal and scoping materials
• Track opportunities and contribute to pipeline reviews and forecasting

Interim Research

• Own growth, performance, and P&L for Interim Research services
• Oversee delivery quality and placement success across engagements
• Define strategy for improving utilization, margins, and scalability
• Position Interim Research as a strategic entry point for broader services

Delivery Alignment

• Lead the handover from engagement development to delivery, making sure scope, assumptions, and client expectations are clearly understood
• Stay connected to engagements through delivery to support client communication and resolve scope questions
• Identify follow-on opportunities as engagements progress
• Apply lessons learned from delivery to improve future scoping and positioning

BLISS, LINKS & Thought Leadership

• Oversee the planning and delivery of BLISS and LINKS
• Use insights from BLISS and LINKS to inform the practice’s point of view and open new client conversations
• Lead the Knowledge & Research Services thought leadership agenda, including content, presentations, and webinars
• Partner with Marketing to align messaging with our service offerings

Market Engagement

• Build relationships with library, research, knowledge, and innovation leaders across the legal market
• Represent Harbor at industry events, client meetings, and roundtables
• Bring market trends and emerging client needs back into service development
• Help Harbor colleagues understand our offerings and recognize opportunities for Knowledge & Research Services

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS), JD, or other relevant advanced degree preferred
• Significant experience in knowledge, research, or information services within a law firm, professional services, or consulting environment
• Proven experience developing client relationships and shaping new engagements, ideally in advisory or managed services
• Experience developing proposals, Statements of Work, and scoping or pricing inputs
• Strong understanding of the priorities of law firm library, research, and knowledge functions
• Experience with thought leadership, events, or market-facing programmes
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage credibly with senior stakeholders
• Strong commercial judgement and a collaborative approach to working with delivery teams
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM platforms preferred
• Reliable internet connection for virtual working

About Us:

Harbor is the preeminent provider of expert services across strategy, legal technology, operations, and intelligence. Our globally integrated team of 900+ strategists, technologists, and specialists navigate alongside our clients – leading law firms, corporations, and their law departments – to provide essential resources and invaluable insights. Anchored in a rich heritage of deep knowledge, steadfast relationships, and mutual respect, our unwavering dedication lies in shaping the future of the legal industry and fostering enduring partnerships within our community and ecosystem.

Harbor is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, civil union status, national origin, ancestry, age, parental status, disabled status, veteran status, or any other legally protected classification, in accordance with applicable law.