Associate Director, Business Development & Marketing

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 Associate Director, Business Development & Marketing is a key driver of the leadership and success of the Business Development & Marketing Team at Jenner & Block. Proven to be an autonomous and confident coach and advisor to lawyers and team members alike, the Associate Director takes an elevated approach to business development opportunity-spotting and strategic growth planning for their high-profile practices, industries, issues, and key client teams. This role serves as the team expert on behalf of a select portfolio of groups/teams. Focused on the firm’s go-to-market strategy, the Associate Director elevates the support to partners and firm leadership through innovative and proactive planning, coaching, and leveraging of competitive intelligence and measured targeting efforts to drive revenue growth.

The Associate Director is a skilled and effective people manager, overseeing and guiding team members to not only appropriate resource work, but also to grow professionally and navigate challenging situations as mentor and manager. A successful Associate Director finds balance between leading high-profile internal client work and managing direct reports to build sufficient skills for advancement. The Associate Director leads team initiatives and provides lawyer training throughout the year, acting as an ambassador for best practices and innovative approaches to business development, strategic growth, and marketing.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Management and Leadership: Oversees, manages, and mentors a team of approximately 3-5 Business Development & Marketing Senior Managers and Managers. Prioritizes meaningful management principles and mentorship opportunities to ensure team members are appropriately supported and provided with professional development opportunities.
• Business Development & Marketing Coaching and Strategy: Confidently coaches prominent partners in identification and pursuit of business development prospects, along with best practices in client service maintenance with existing client relationships. Provides insight on relationship expansion opportunities and tactics, as well as oversight on conflicts issues and other potential business development challenges. Guides lawyers and provides support on approaches to client interactions, including but not limited to meetings, pitches and RFPs, periodic touchpoints, and value-added services.
• Team Planning Leadership: By immersing in the portfolio’s practices, industries, issues, and client teams, drive and inform the team’s planning efforts – coordinates with Primary Team Management support and BD Coordinators and Specialists to maintain plans, serving as a coach and advisor to partners throughout the year to ensure that the plan is worked, and goals are achieved as possible.
• Business Development Opportunity Spotting: Monitors industry, client, and legal developments and trends with the support of the Competitive Intelligence Team, identifying and communicating potential opportunities to partners within portfolio of teams, across the marketing department and to firm leadership, as well as other lawyers across the firm.
• Industry, Issue, Practice, and Client Teams: Takes a confident leadership support role within portfolio of assigned teams – drives growth in alignment with firm strategic goals and owns a seat at the table. This role ensures that assigned Primary Teams and applicable Go-to-Market and Client Teams receive proactive support in driving strategic, external-facing initiatives forward and consistently elevating expectations.
• Pitch, RFP, and Presentation Support: Provides thorough and proactive pitch support and coaching to our lawyers.
• Support of Leadership: Partners with team, department, and firm leadership to provide autonomous leadership of select firmwide initiatives focused on strategic growth, including trainings, project management and improvements.
• Intelligence Gathering: Collects intelligence during and following each pitch/proposal by working with the lawyers to solicit client feedback and to evaluate our successes, shortcomings, and areas for improvement in the pitch process to drive data-supported decisions across the team.
• Research and Analysis: Works with the firm’s best-in-class Competitive Intelligence Team to deliver proactive client, prospect, region, office, competitor, and industry research to meet the business development needs of the firm’s partners as outlined in business development and marketing plans as well as client team plans. Develops and maintains an understanding of the market for legal and associated services as well as a keen understanding of the competitive landscape.

Oversight and Coordination of:

• Marketing Collateral and Lawyer Biographies: Works with assigned lawyers (with the support of the team) to ensure that biographies, practice descriptions, and office descriptions, among others, are up-to-date and ready for print and web publication.
• Directories and Surveys: Responds to select, preeminent directories and surveys such as Chambers, in addition to certain regional awards and rankings.
• Sponsorships and Associated Client Events: Assesses the business cases for firm-sponsored events (or memberships) and coordinates with the client-facing Event Manager and team to coordinate all associated sponsorship and event benefits; collaborate with BD Coordinators to track sponsorship process from start to finish in collaboration with firm departments.
• Client Alerts, Newsletters, CLEs, and Other Value-Added Services: Works with the firm’s lawyers to coordinate (with the support of the team’s Coordinators and Specialists) an array of branded client alerts, newsletters, CLE trainings, and non-CLE webinars. Develop and coordinate programs and events in local offices and for virtual audiences.
• Internal and External Communications: Liaises with the Communications Team to flag opportunities to raise profiles of Jenner’s preeminent industries, practices, offices, individual partners, and the firm, as identified in business development and marketing plans. Engage with and support targeted industry or area campaigns in coordination with the Communications Team and the Business Development & Marketing Team to drive growth in alignment with firm strategy.
• Speaking Engagements and Article Placements: Liaises 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.
• 15 years of marketing, business development, or client service experience
• Law firm or professional services experience preferred.
• Strong management skills and dedication to helping others grow
• Ability to partner with lawyers proactively and own seat at the table
• Proactive planning and opportunity spotting and coaching skills
• Highly organized with strong creative abilities and attention to detail
• Ability to create and deliver presentations and trainings with confidence and clarity
• Ability to work with highest levels of firm management
• Quick understanding of the firm’s goals, service, culture, and strategy

Disclaimer

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.

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 $160,000 to $250,000. 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.