Friedman Williams
Business Development Senior Manager
Job ID: 20063
This is an exciting opportunity to work for one of the top law firms in the U.S.! This firm is looking for a Business Development Senior Manager to join our team in our Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C., or New York offices. We offer a hybrid work engagement with two days of remote work, and three days in-office.
The Senior Business Development Manager for the Employment Practice Group at this firm is a senior-level role responsible for driving and executing business development initiatives to grow the Firm’s Employment law practice. Reporting to the Director of Business Development, this individual serves as a strategic advisor to practice group leaders and partners, helping to shape client development strategies and coordinate marketing efforts. The Senior Business Development Manager will also oversee a Business Development Manager on the team, ensuring alignment of the group’s business development plans with firm-wide objectives and providing mentorship and leadership within the practice group. In this role, the Senior Business Development Manager will collaborate closely with lawyers, marketing colleagues, and other administrative teams to expand client relationships and elevate the profile of the Employment practice.
At this firm, you will find challenging assignments, opportunities for professional growth and community involvement, and a culture of inclusion. The firm fosters inclusiveness and authenticity. Regardless of position, everyone here has a voice and the support is unparalleled.
On a typical day you will:
• Strategic Business Development Leadership: Develop and lead the execution of a comprehensive business development strategy for the Employment Practice Group, aligned with the firm’s overall goals and the practice’s growth objectives. This includes creating annual business development plans and tracking progress and ROI on initiatives.
• Pitch and Proposal Management: Oversee and contribute to the development of persuasive pitches, proposals, RFP responses, and other client presentations for the Employment group. Work closely with partners and the proposal team to tailor content to prospective clients’ needs and ensure the firm’s competitive advantages are clearly articulated.
• Market and Client Research: Conduct thorough market research and competitive intelligence to identify emerging trends, client needs, and new business opportunities in the labor and employment law sector. Translate research insights into actionable plans, such as targeting new industries or cross-selling opportunities with other practice groups.
• Event and Sponsorship Planning: Plan and execute strategic events, webinars, seminars, and conference sponsorships that promote the Employment practice and engage clients and prospects. Work in coordination with the firm’s events team to manage event logistics, invitations, and follow-up, ensuring each event supports business development goals and delivers a measurable return on investment.
• Internal Coordination and Partner Engagement: Facilitate strong internal collaboration by coordinating with practice group partners, lawyers, and other business development and marketing team members. Ensure that client development efforts are well-integrated across the team and that lawyers are equipped with the research, coaching, and support needed to pursue new client opportunities. Act as a trusted advisor to lawyers in the Employment group regarding personal business development goals and client outreach.
• Marketing Collateral and Thought Leadership: Oversee the creation and maintenance of high-quality marketing materials and thought leadership content for the Employment practice, including practice descriptions, client alerts, case studies, and website content. Ensure all marketing collateral is up-to-date and highlights the group’s experience and successes, working with the marketing communications team as needed.
• Awards and Rankings Submissions: Manage the process for submissions to legal directories and industry awards (e.g., Chambers, Legal 500) for the Employment practice. Develop compelling submissions that showcase the group’s achievements and coordinate with lawyers to gather matter highlights, with the goal of improving external recognition of the practice.
• Client Development and Relationship Management: Support partners in their client relationship development efforts, including preparation for client meetings, follow-ups from business development events, and identifying opportunities to expand work with existing clients. Track and analyze client engagement and pitch/proposal outcomes to refine targeting strategies and demonstrate ROI for business development activities.
• Team Management and Mentorship: Supervise and mentor the Business Development Manager supporting the Employment group. Provide clear direction, set performance goals, and foster professional development through regular coaching and feedback. Ensure effective teamwork and communication within the practice group’s business development team.
• Metrics and Reporting: Track key business development metrics and prepare regular reports on activities and results, such as proposal win rates, new matters opened, event attendance and follow-up success, and overall revenue growth in the Employment practice. Use data-driven insights to assess the effectiveness of initiatives and recommend adjustments to strategy as needed.
Join us if you have:
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in business development or marketing within a law firm or professional services firm. Demonstrated experience supporting partners or practice groups in client development activities is required. (Experience specifically with Employment or Labor & Employment law practices is a strong plus, as noted below.)
• Bachelor’s degree required; an advanced degree such as a JD or MBA is highly desirable. A strong academic background in business, marketing, communications, or a related field is preferred.
• Ability to develop and execute strategic business development plans and to manage complex projects from concept to completion. A record of successfully leading pitches/proposals and driving revenue-generating initiatives is essential.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with the capacity to juggle multiple projects and deadlines in a challenging environment. Must be meticulous and able to prioritize effectively to meet commitments.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to craft and edit client-focused content and present ideas clearly to senior stakeholders. Comfort with coaching lawyers on business development messaging and delivery.
• High proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and familiarity with client relationship management databases (e.g., DealCloud, Foundation, InterAction or similar). Experience using research tools and analyzing market/client data to inform strategic decisions is also important.
• Strong leadership and people skills, with the ability to influence and work effectively with partners, lawyers, and staff at all levels. Prior experience in managing or mentoring staff is required, as this role involves supervising a Business Development Manager.
• Familiarity with the legal industry and the business environment of law firms. Knowledge of labor and employment law trends and client concerns is a plus, enabling more tailored business development approaches.
• High degree of professionalism, with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and sound judgment. Initiative-taking and adaptable, capable of working independently as well as part of a team to achieve goals.
• Collaboration with the practice management team, the marketing team, outside vendors and consultants, and other administrative professional staff
• Some travel may be required.