Director of Business Development

Jobtailor; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking a senior Business Development Leader in Chicago to shape and execute the firm’s growth strategy. You will partner with the COO and practice chairs to evaluate strategic plans, lead client development initiatives, and oversee pitches, RFPs, and cross‑selling programs.

You will coach attorneys to identify opportunities, manage transitions, and drive measurable growth using CRM, experience management, and AI tools, with accountability for budget and performance metrics.

Qualifications

• Eight years of progressive business development leadership experience within a law firm.
• Proven success developing and executing business development strategies that drive growth.
• Experience coaching and influencing attorneys in a partnership environment.
• Strong understanding of legal industry economics, client development, and analytics.
• Excellent communication, presentation, relationship-building, and project management skills.
• Bachelor’s degree; MBA or JD is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the firm’s business development strategy in alignment with firm priorities and market opportunities.
• Partner with leadership to develop and evaluate strategic business plans for each practice group.
• Lead firmwide client development initiatives, including cross-selling and client programs.
• Coach attorneys and hold them accountable for opportunities and growth objectives.
• Lead client transition, succession, and lateral integration plans to preserve relationships.
• Oversee pitches, proposals, RFP responses, and other BD pursuits.
• Oversee CRM, experience management, and AI tools to inform decisions.
• Provide market analysis and competitive insights for strategic positioning.
• Develop and manage the BD budget and report progress to leadership.
• Collaborate on pricing strategy for major pursuits.

Skills

BD Leadership

Client Development

CRM Technologies

Legal Economics

Coaching Attorneys

Education

Bachelor's Degree

MBA

JD

Tools

CRM Systems

Experience Management Technologies

AI Tools

Job description

• Develop and execute the firm’s business development strategy in alignment with firm priorities and market opportunities
• Partner with the COO, Executive Leadership Team, and Practice Group Chairs to develop and evaluate strategic business plans for each practice group
• Lead firmwide client development initiatives, including cross-selling, client teams, key-client programs, and client feedback efforts
• Coach attorneys and hold them accountable for identifying opportunities, executing consistently, and achieving business development objectives
• Lead client transition, succession, and lateral integration plans that preserve client relationships and accelerate growth
• Lead the firm’s pitches, proposals, RFP responses, and other strategic business development pursuits
• Oversee the firm’s CRM, experience management, and related business development technologies, including the responsible use of AI to strengthen data-informed decision-making
• Provide market analysis and competitive insight that strengthens the firm’s strategic decision-making and positioning
• Develop and manage the business development budget, establish performance metrics, and report progress to firm leadership
• Collaborate with the Director of Marketing and Chief Financial Officer on aligned initiatives and pricing strategy for major pursuits

Requirements

• A minimum of eight years of progressive business development leadership experience within a law firm
• Demonstrated success developing and executing business development strategies that produce measurable growth, including leading competitive pursuits and proposals
• Experience coaching and influencing attorneys or other senior professionals in a partnership environment
• Strong understanding of legal industry economics, client development, competitive positioning, CRM/business development technologies, analytics, and emerging AI tools
• Excellent communication, presentation, relationship-building, organizational, and project management skills
• A bachelor’s degree; an MBA, JD, or other advanced degree is a plus

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in developing and executing business development strategies within the legal industry, with a strong focus on client development, competitive positioning, and the effective use of CRM and AI technologies. Proven ability to lead initiatives that drive measurable growth and enhance client relationships.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Business Development Strategy
• Client Development Initiatives
• CRM Technologies
• Legal Industry Economics
• Coaching Attorneys

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Business Development Leadership
• Competitive Pursuits
• Proposal Development
• Market Analysis
• Performance Metrics

Soft Skills

• Excellent Communication
• Relationship-Building
• Organizational Skills
• Project Management

Certifications & Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree
• MBA
• JD

Industry Keywords

• Law Firm
• Client Feedback
• Cross-Selling
• Client Transition
• Succession Planning

Tools & Technologies

• CRM Systems
• Experience Management Technologies
• AI Tools