Manager, Business Development

Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Jenner & Block LLP in Washington, DC seeks a Manager, Business Development to drive revenue through targeted BD activities, focusing on litigation practices. You will support pitches, RFPs, and presentations, and guide lawyers on strategy and client relationships.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years in marketing, BD or client service; MBA/JD are a plus. You’ll mentor coordinators and coordinate firm-wide BD initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required with writing/research and analysis focus.
• Five or more years in marketing, business development, or client service.
• MBA or JD are a plus; law firm or professional services experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Pitch, RFP, and presentation support for lawyers; coaching and material creation.
• Identify opportunities and communicate them to the BD & Marketing Department and firm leadership.
• Strengthen practice/industry knowledge to exceed expectations in pitches and proposals.
• Guide lawyers on business development strategy and client relationships; manage conflicts.
• Coordinate with practice groups and client teams to drive strategic initiatives and elevate expectations.
• Conduct competitive intelligence and market research to meet partner needs.
• Oversee and mentor client development coordinators in drafting pitches and proposals.
• Update biographical and marketing content for distribution and web publication.
• Respond to directories and surveys; develop client alerts, newsletters, and events.
• Coordinate internal/external communications to raise profiles of groups and offices.
• Assist with speaking engagements and article placements.

Skills

Business development

Proposal development

Strategic thinking

Relationship management

Leadership / mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA/JD preferred

Job description

ABOUT JENNER & BLOCK

Jenner & Block LLP is a law firm with a fearless reputation and global reach, high-level problem solvers in litigation, government controversies, investigations, regulatory challenges, and complex corporate transactions. With offices in Century City, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, the firm represents a wide range of clients, counseling Fortune 100 companies, large privately held corporations, major nonprofits, top universities, private equity investors, and Native American tribes. Consistently recognized as a firm that stands up for its values with its commitment to justice and community service, Jenner has been named the No. 1 pro bono firm 13 times in the United States by The American Lawyer.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Manager, Business Development is responsible for helping the firm’s partners drive revenue through the support and facilitation of targeted business development activities, including strategy development and target identification. This position will be assigned select practice and/or industry groups and/or client teams, and, in many respects, will act as a gateway to all of the services offered by the Business Development & Marketing Department. This role will have a particular focus on the litigation-oriented practices and offerings.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Pitch, RFP, and Presentation Support: Provide thorough and proactive presentation and pitch support and coaching to the lawyers. This may include drafting and defining pitch meeting scripts and roles, outlining presentations, creating pitch material, vetting and crafting pre-presentation questions, assessing strategy, managing projects, and more.
• Business Development Opportunity Spotting: Monitor industry, client, and legal developments and trends, identify and communicate potential opportunities to the Business Development & Marketing ("BDM") Department and firm leadership, as well as lawyers.
• Strengthen Practice/Industry Knowledge: Build upon existing industry and practice group knowledge in order to exceed expectations for business development support; as business development professionals, consistently ask questions and actively listen to lawyers in order to bolster knowledge of practice and industry nuances, providing added value in pitches, proposals, presentations, and competitive intelligence.
• Business Development Coaching and Strategy: Assist/guide lawyers in identification and pursuit of business development prospects, along with maintenance of existing client relationships. Provide insight on relationship expansion opportunities, as well as oversight on conflict issues and other potential business development challenges.
• Practice Groups and Client Teams: In coordination with practice management business professionals and business development professionals, ensure that practice groups and client teams receive proactive support in driving strategic initiatives forward and elevating expectations of partners to drive demand.
  Intelligence Gathering: Collect competitive intelligence following each pitch/proposal by working with the lawyers to solicit client feedback and to evaluate successes, shortcomings, and areas for improvement in the pitch process.
• Research and Analysis: Work with the competitive intelligence team to deliver proactive client, prospect, region, office, competitor, and industry research to meet the client development needs of the firm’s partners as outlined in client development and strategic plans. Develop and maintain an understanding of the market for legal and associated services as well as a keen understanding of the competitive landscape.
• Management and Leadership: Oversee, manage, and mentor client development coordinators in their roles with respect to drafting and editing pitches and proposals, RFPs, event management, firm content and thought leadership, sponsorship management, and more.
• Marketing Collateral and Lawyer Biographies: Work with assigned lawyers to ensure that biographies, practice descriptions, and office descriptions, among others, are up-to-date and ready for distributions and web publication.
• Directories and Surveys: Respond to directories and surveys such as Chambers and other directories, in addition to certain regional awards and rankings.
  Client Alerts, Newsletters, CLEs, and Other Value-Added Services: Work with the firm’s lawyers to issue branded client alerts, newsletters, CLE trainings, and non-CLE webinars. Develop and coordinate programs and events in local office and for virtual audiences.
• Internal and External Communications: Liaise with the communications team to raise profiles of practice groups, offices, individual partners, and the firm, as identified in business and strategic plans.
• Speaking Engagements and Article Placements: Assist the partners and laise with the communications team in identifying valuable opportunities for speaking engagements and article placement.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in a discipline requiring writing, research and analysis, marketing or business.
• Five or more years of marketing, business development, or client service experience.
• Candidates with MBAs or JDs are a plus, law firm or professional services experience preferred.
• Proactive planning and opportunity spotting
• Highly organized with strong creative abilities
• Strong verbal and written skills
• Ability to work with highest levels of firm management
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize work
• Savvy technological skills
• Self-starter, motivated individual willing to go the extra mile to get the job done
• Solid team player with ability to work with a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to direct work effort and mentor peers and subordinatesAnalytical in formulating solutions to problems
• Ability to work both independently and take direction as required
• Credible personal presence and confidence
• Quick understanding of the firm’s goals, service, culture and strategy
• Experience supporting Business Development related to litigation is a plus

Additional Duties

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the primary duties and responsibilities for the position. It is not an exhaustive list of all tasks or responsibilities that may be assigned. The role may include additional duties, specialized projects, and other tasks as required. The firm reserves the right to modify or adjust the responsibilities to meet business needs.

Physical Requirements

Candidates must be able to meet the physical demands of the position, including the ability to commute to the office as required on designated in-office days based on the position. The firm is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Eligibility Requirement

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. Jenner will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

EEO Statement

Jenner & Block LLP is an equal opportunity employer. Recruitment and employment decisions are not made on the basis of an individual’s race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability or medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity and/or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions, arrest record, matriculation, personal appearance, political affiliation, marital, parental, veteran, military, or order of protection status, or any other protected status or that of their relatives, friends, or associates.

Jenner & Block is proud to offer a competitive total rewards package, including comprehensive health & well-being benefits and 401k profit sharing. The anticipated pay range for this role is $150,000 to $200,000 in Washington, D.C. The actual offered rate for this position will be determined based on several factors, including qualifications and experience, geographic location, education, external market data, and consideration of internal equity.