Marketing & Business Development Practice Specialist

Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Smith Anderson is seeking an experienced Marketing & Business Development Practice Specialist to join its Marketing & Business Development Department to drive growth and client engagement. The Specialist partners with designated practice and industry groups to develop and implement strategic plans that drive client acquisition, deepen relationships, and support long-term revenue growth.

The position works with industry groups such as AgTech, Life Sciences, and Technology + AI, collaborating

Qualifications

• Minimum of four years of progressive marketing and/or business development experience.
• Proficiency with business development technologies to improve efficiency.
• Strong writing, editing, grammar, and proofreading skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional client service and collaborative approach.
• Ability to take initiative and work independently.
• Professionalism, accountability, and reliability in a team setting.

Responsibilities

• Partner with practice and industry groups to develop and execute strategic business development plans.
• Identify growth opportunities and support pursuit, cross-selling, and client-targeting initiatives.
• Conduct market, client, industry, and competitive research to identify trends and opportunities.
• Monitor developments and provide insights and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Prepare strategic pitches and responses to RFQs, RFIs, and RFPs.
• Support pursuits by coordinating research, positioning, and materials.
• Collaborate to enhance visibility via events, seminars, alerts, sponsorships, and content.
• Liaise with stakeholders to align priorities and pursuit coordination.
• Use CRM/ERM and BD tools to improve efficiency and decision-making.
• Track BD metrics and provide recommendations to refine strategies.

Skills

Strategic planning

Client relationship

Research & analytics

Cross-selling

Proposal development

Written communication

Project management

Team collaboration

Tech proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications, or related field

Tools

CRM/ERM systems

Email marketing platforms

Design software

Generative AI tools

Job description

Smith Anderson is a well-established, dynamic mid-size law firm known for delivering sophisticated legal services to clients across a wide range of industries. We are seeking an experienced Marketing & Business Development Practice Specialist to join our collaborative Marketing & Business Development Department and contribute to high-quality work in a professional environment that values initiative, precision, teamwork, and continued growth. In this role, the Specialist partners with designated practice and industry groups to develop and implement strategic business development plans that drive client acquisition, deepen client relationships, and support long-term revenue growth. The Specialist also helps attorneys identify growth opportunities, differentiate their capabilities in the marketplace, translate business development goals into actionable strategies, and pursue and convert new opportunities.

The position works closely with industry groups, including AgTech, Life Sciences, Technology + Artificial Intelligence, and related strategic practices, while collaborating across the Marketing & Business Development Department to align client, market, and pursuit initiatives.

Primary Responsibilities

For designated practices/industries:

• Partner with practice and industry groups to develop and execute strategic business development plans that align with practice priorities, support client acquisition and revenue growth, and strengthen client relationships.
• Identify growth opportunities and support pursuit, cross-selling, and client-targeting initiatives from planning through execution.
• Conduct market, client, industry, and competitive research to identify trends, opportunities, and actionable intelligence that informs strategic planning and business development efforts.
• Monitor legal, business, and industry developments and communicate relevant insights and recommendations to practice and industry stakeholders.
• Prepare strategic pitches, presentations, and responses to requests for qualifications, information, and proposals, including RFQs, RFIs, and RFPs.
• Support opportunity pursuits by coordinating research, positioning, attorney input, and submission materials.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Business Development team members to enhance practice and industry visibility through events, seminars, client alerts, sponsorships, professional organization involvement, speaking opportunities, article placements, legal ranking and directory submissions, collateral development, award nominations, digital content, and public relations initiatives.
• Liaise with the Director of Client Services and other internal stakeholders to align strategic priorities, client initiatives, and pursuit coordination.
• Use technology, AI, CRM/ERM platforms, and business development tools to improve efficiency, generate actionable insights, support data-driven decision-making, and enhance business development efforts.
• Track and analyze business development metrics, including pipeline activity, proposal outcomes, client engagement, and key performance indicators, and provide recommendations to refine strategies and improve results.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of four years of progressive marketing and/or business development experience, with demonstrated success developing and implementing strategic growth initiatives.
• Demonstrated technical proficiency, including the ability to learn, adopt, and effectively leverage business development technologies to improve efficiency, collaboration, and business development effectiveness.
• Strong writing, editing, grammar, and proofreading skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence attorneys and professional staff.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to multitask in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional client service skills with a proactive, collaborative, and solutions-focused approach.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently, and exercise sound judgment.
• Demonstrated professionalism, accountability, reliability, and ability to work effectively in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a law firm or other professional services environment.
• Experience using CRM/ERM systems, email marketing platforms, design software, and firm-approved generative AI tools.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications, or related field, or equivalent work experience.