Senior Practice Development Specialist

Friedman Williams; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Friedman Williams is seeking a Senior Practice Development Specialist in Chicago, Illinois. This role involves working closely with attorneys and the marketing team to enhance business development through pitches, proposals, and client events.

The ideal candidate has 5-7 years of experience in a marketing role, ideally within a law firm, and possesses strong communication skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office and WordPress. The role offers an opportunity to lead various initiatives and strategies in practice development.

Qualifications

• 5 to 7 years of experience in marketing/business development within professional services.
• Law firm experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support attorneys in developing new business opportunities.
• Coordinate customized pitch materials and RFP responses.
• Manage submissions to legal industry directories.
• Draft client alerts and thought leadership articles.
• Coordinate client seminars and internal events.

Skills

Organizational skills

Interpersonal relations

Written communication skills

Oral communication skills

Creativity

Collaborative skills

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing or Business

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

WordPress

Job description

Senior Practice Development Specialist Chicago Illinois

Job ID: 21128

Seeking a Senior Practice Development Specialist. The Senior Practice Development Specialist will work closely with the Senior Practice Development Manager to develop and implement firm-wide and attorney-specific marketing and business development projects and initiatives for specific practice areas to be assigned. Working in close partnership with attorneys, practice group leaders and the broader marketing and practice development team, this role executes a wide range of initiatives including pitches and proposals, client events and programming, thought leadership content, blogs, digital and collateral development, directory submissions and competitive research. The Senior Specialist brings strong writing skills, project management expertise and a client-service orientation to every engagement.

As the Senior Practice Development Specialist, your job duties will include but not be limited to:

Business Development Support

• Support attorneys in identifying and pursuing new business opportunities, including preparation of targeted outreach strategies and individual client development plans.
• Collaborate with attorneys to expand business development efforts, contributing to annual business plans and assisting with implementation, tracking of initiatives and measurement of outcomes.
• Keep abreast of trends and developments in assigned practice areas in order to help identify targets and support efforts to expand existing client relationships.
• Research prospective clients, industries and competitors to support attorney business development efforts and provide competitive intelligence.

Pitches, Proposals & RFPs

• Draft, coordinate and finalize customized pitch materials, RFP responses in collaboration with attorneys.
• Manage RFP timelines and internal workflows, coordinating attorney teams and tracking outcomes.
• Maintain and update practice group experience databases, attorney bios, and representative matter lists for the assigned practice areas.

Directories, Awards & Rankings

• Manage submissions and nominations to legal industry directories, including Chambers and Legal 500 US; draft and submit submissions and references.
• Leverage rankings and recognitions in business development materials and profile-raising efforts.
• Support the identification of sponsorships, speaking opportunities, and conference participation to raise the profile of litigation practice areas.

Content & Collateral

• Draft and coordinate publication of client alerts, practice group newsletters, thought leadership articles, blogs and other content in support of assigned attorneys.
• Develop and assemble practice group collateral materials, including one-off pieces, to support business development efforts.
• Support social media and digital marketing activities in collaboration with the Marketing Communications team.

Events

• Coordinate client seminars, webinars, receptions and internal firm events in collaboration with the Events Team, managing from concept through post-event follow-up.
• Coordinate logistics for sponsorships, conference participation, and attorney speaking engagements.
• Develop event materials, invitations, and post-event communications.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent organizational, interpersonal relations, written and oral communication skills required.
• Highly motivated, creative and collaborative.
• Able to think broadly and demonstrate a high level of initiative.
• Must have the ability to organize and prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail is necessary.

Qualifications & Required Experience

• Minimum 5 to 7 years’ experience in a marketing/business development function within professional services required; law firm experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; major in Marketing or Business preferred.

Computer Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), WordPress