Business Development Manager

Location:   Roseland, NJ

Schedule:  9:00 AM – 5:00 PM / Monday – Friday

Large, national, law firm is seeking a candidate who has demonstrated drive, dedication, professionalism and a positive attitude. The Business Development Manager responsible for supporting the development of the Litigation practice as a whole, and for supporting its individual members with their personal practice development.  The position is located in their New Jersey office and reports to the Chief Marketing Officer and to the Litigation Chair and the Insurance Recovery Practice Group Chair.  This Business Development Manager provides the highest level of practice development support to attorneys and other practice group personnel.  The principal duties and responsibilities are: 

Strategy and Planning.  Provide the Litigation individuals and team with business intelligence on new business opportunities, market trends and competitive threats.

• Identify opportunities to offer new services.
• Conduct research on existing and potential clients, competitors’ activity and market/industry trends to aid in supporting the Practice Group business plans.
• Conduct research to identify opportunities to enhance existing services in order to attract high-value work and enhance value provided to clients. 

Resources.  Ensure that the groups’ marketing materials are up to date, accurate and complete. This responsibility includes:

• Gather, organize and post matter information.
• Gather, organize and post information on group news, events, and publications.
• Update Partners and Associates bios. 

Facilitation.  Implement a structure to ensure that all group members are achieving their marketing and practice development activities, and ensure those activities are coordinated with other complimentary activities in other groups.   This responsibility includes:

• Support group meetings and aid Chairs in agenda development.
• Maintain regular updates with group members to ensure regular and frequent contacts with clients, prospects, colleagues, and other important persons, as well as follow-through with business development responsibilities. 

Marketing tools.  Identify opportunities for, and capitalize on, marketing outreach.  This responsibility includes:

• Identify opportunities for the groups’ members to meet and present to clients and prospects, via Firm events or at industry or external events.  Work with the groups’ members and the Firm’s events professionals to ensure that the events we create or sponsor/ present to are designed and executed to meet specific business development goals, and are conducted to the highest professional standards.
• Road shows. Identify potential opportunities for the groups’ members to visit clients and prospects.  These meetings will include in-house seminars as appropriate.
• Work with the groups’ members and the firm’s communications team and PR  consultant to identify the publications and journalists that our clients and prospects read, and to develop relationships with them.  Identify opportunities for quotes and article/story ideas to pitch to journalists.  Identify topics for by-lined articles in targeted publications.  Establish contacts at media outlets and publications, and assist group members in interacting with those contacts. 

Pitches and proposals.  Support the groups’ members in preparing new business pitches, and lead the group’s responses to requests for proposal.  This responsibility includes:

• Collaborate with the groups’ Chairs and the relationship lawyer to determine the best way to respond.
• Prepare presentations and proposals, coordinating with other lawyers, practices or Marketing Department resources as necessary. 

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or related field and five plus years related experience;  law firm experience is required
• Previous legal experience, either a prior practicing lawyer or BD with a multi-office law firm required
• Excellent research and analytical skills
• Excellent writing skills and the ability to synthesize relevant information from a variety of sources and translate complex information into an easy-to-understand report
• Excellent organizational and planning skills and the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines under pressure
• Interpersonal communication skills necessary to maintain effective relationships with attorneys, clients and coworkers