Senior Business Development Coordinator

Dentons; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Dentons seeks a Senior Coordinator, Business Development to support the firm’s BD efforts across practice areas and sectors, wiring with practice leaders, lawyers and the BD team to drive high-impact initiatives and strengthen client relationships. This highly visible role requires strong organization, attention to detail, and confidence communicating with senior stakeholders.

The successful candidate is a proactive self-starter who identifies opportunities and drives initiatives forward, with a

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of business development or marketing experience in a professional services environment.
• Bachelor’s degree; a combination of training, education and experience may be considered.
• Strong writing and editing skills with ability to translate complex concepts into clear messaging.
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and strong communication and project management skills.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Familiarity with AI-driven tools, marketing technology, data platforms and analytics is a plus.
• Available to manage demands outside of traditional business hours as needed.

Responsibilities

• Proposal development and management: support RFPs, proposals and pitches across practice areas.
• Draft content for proposals and presentations aligned with firm branding and priorities.
• Maintain matter data in the experience management system with credentials for pitches and bios.
• Update core pitch materials reflecting recent experience and sector focus.
• Practice and partner support: assist with client development strategies and pursuit initiatives.
• Identify cross-practice opportunities to increase internal visibility and collaboration.
• Market research: conduct competitive intelligence and identify growth opportunities.
• Prepare briefing materials for partners and key stakeholders.
• Thought leadership, events and visibility: support blogs, client alerts and events.
• Rankings, directories and profile-raising: assist with submissions and credentialing.
• Tools, technology and reporting: use CRM/marketing tech and track initiatives; ensure data integrity.

Skills

Writing

Project management

Communication

Attention to detail

CRM tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM software

Marketing automation platforms

AI-driven tools familiarity

Job description

Dentons is seeking a Senior Coordinator, Business Development to support the firm’s business development efforts across practice areas and sectors. This role sits at the center of the firm’s day-to-day business development operations and strategic marketing initiatives, working closely with practice leaders, lawyers and the Business Development team to execute high-impact initiatives that strengthen client relationships, support new business opportunities and enhance the firm’s market profile.

This is a highly visible role requiring strong organization, attention to detail, intellectual curiosity and confidence communicating with senior-level stakeholders. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who proactively identifies opportunities and drives initiatives forward rather than simply responding to requests.

This role offers a hybrid work arrangement that combines regular in-office collaboration with the flexibility to work remotely.

Responsibilities

Proposal development and management

• Provide support to lawyers and the Business Development team in the creation, preparation and coordination of RFPs, proposals and pitches across practice areas, tailoring content to respond to client needs and ensuring accuracy, consistency and timely submission
• Draft and coordinate compelling content for proposals, presentations and related materials in alignment with firm branding and strategic priorities
• Collect and maintain matter data in the firm’s experience management system, including deal summaries, transaction experience, case outcomes and credentials for use in pitches, proposals, biographies, directory submissions, website content and internal reporting
• Maintain and update core pitch materials and marketing collateral, ensuring they accurately reflect recent experience, sector focus areas and relevant team members across the firm’s practice groups

Practice and partner support

• Support lawyers and BD leadership in client development efforts including target identification, pursuit strategy and follow-through, proactively surfacing opportunities and flagging concerns to leadership as appropriate
• Identify cross-practice connections and opportunities to increase internal visibility and drive collaboration across the firm’s practice areas and industry sectors

Business development strategy and research

• Conduct market, industry and competitive intelligence research to identify growth opportunities and support targeted outreach and relationship-building initiatives
• Monitor client, sector and geographic trends and prepare insight-driven research and briefing materials for partners, practice leaders and key stakeholders
• Support knowledge management projects, including document audits and naming convention cleanup, to enable readiness for AI adoption and operational efficiency across business development functions

Thought leadership, events and visibility

• Support the development and promotion of thought leadership initiatives, including practice group blogs, content strategy and posting
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to create, develop and distribute thought leadership, client alerts, post-event follow-up and other communications in compliance with firm policies and brand standards
• Collaborate with BD leadership and lawyers to develop and execute strategic business development and market visibility initiatives, including curated client programs, speaking engagements, CLEs, seminars and webinars, including preparation of presentations and related materials

Rankings, directories and profile-raising

• Draft and manage legal directory and award submissions, including but not limited to Chambers, Legal 500, league tables, regional and industry-focused publication awards and other such submissions
• Work with lawyers across the firm to identify and articulate key matters and credentials for submissions and rankings
• Manage the collection and submission of matter data to ranking agencies, ensuring accurate tracking and appropriate credit

Tools, technology and reporting

• Use CRM and marketing technology tools to support client targeting, tracking and information sharing
• Maintain tracking systems for business development initiatives and deal activity, ensuring data integrity and organized recordkeeping while proactively managing timelines and driving process improvements
• Track business development activity and contribute to reporting and analysis that demonstrate impact
• Update and maintain client and prospect mailing lists and CRM records to support coordinated outreach

Qualifications and experience

• 3–5 years of business development or marketing experience in a professional services environment; law firm experience preferred
• Bachelor’s degree; a combination of training, education and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position may be considered
• Strong writing and editing skills with the ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, client-focused messaging
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and strong communication, presentation and project management skills
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize, adapt and manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment, while working effectively and collaboratively as part of a cohesive team
• Strong professional presence and confidence interacting with senior-level lawyers and stakeholders
• A self-starter who is proactive and service-oriented with strong problem-solving skills and the initiative to drive projects independently
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook as well as CRM tools
• Familiarity with AI-driven tools, marketing technology, data platforms and marketing automation and analytical tools is a plus
• Available to manage demands outside of traditional business hours as needed