Business Development Manager - Construction & Engineering Disputes
King & Spalding, a leading global law firm, is seeking a driven and experienced professional to support our award-winning Construction & Engineering Disputes team and other disputes projects. As a manager that sits across our International Disputes and Business Disputes Practice Groups, the candidate will work closely with the lawyers in the practices and other business development professionals globally to execute business development strategies and drive a range of business and marketing initiatives. While the role is globally focused, it will also support a broad range of business development and marketing efforts involving Austin and our other Texas offices.
The ideal candidate is a professional, self-starting, and efficient yet detail-oriented project manager, who is forward thinking and energetic. They should bring substantive knowledge to the related practice areas and have at least seven years’ experience in a comparable role at a law firm or similar professional services environment. There is a preference for this position to be based in Austin, though applications in any of our Texas offices are encouraged.
Candidates will have the following responsibilities:
The ideal candidate is a professional, self-starting, and efficient yet detail-oriented project manager, who is forward thinking and energetic. They should bring substantive knowledge to the related practice areas and have at least seven years’ experience in a comparable role at a law firm or similar professional services environment. There is a preference for this position to be based in Austin, though applications in any of our Texas offices are encouraged.
Candidates will have the following responsibilities:
- Work with partner leaders and senior business services personnel to help craft and execute a range of go-to-market strategies, with a focus on construction disputes.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to identify and facilitate cross-selling opportunities for the Construction Disputes team and other disputes practices.
- Organize and drive client targeting program for supported areas, including identifying, prompting and monitoring pursuit activities, and tracking results and ROI.
- Conduct strategic research on potential clients, competitors and practice developments more broadly to identify business trends and opportunities and ensure that K&S is optimally positioned to grow market share.
- As project manager, lead on drafting and coordinating content for pitches, RFPs and other new business opportunities.
- Create content for dynamic presentations in PowerPoint and Word in connection with pitches, events, and meetings.
- Manage and complete legal directory, ranking and award submissions and assist the PR team in the generation of matters and other information for awards and other externally facing submissions.
- Identify and facilitate K&S participation in sponsorships, conferences, memberships and other key profile-building opportunities for the practice areas, Texas offices and individual lawyers in each.
- Plan and coordinate practice meetings, including building effective agendas that are forward looking and results oriented, prepping speakers and project managing actions from these meetings.
- Support all BD aspects of firm-hosted business development events, including receptions, client entertainment outings, substantive presentations, webcasts, etc., working closely with participating lawyers and Marketing Department colleagues on invitation list. development, event materials, participant tracking, on-site management, event promotion, and targeted follow-up activities.
- Stay abreast of and oversee the upkeep and compilation of matter lists for the practice areas.
- Manage the maintenance of client and target contact lists.
- Compile periodic reports on business development activity and results.
- Assist with the coordination of marketing budget requests, including the vetting of big-ticket requests, analyzing marketing expenses and tracking the effectiveness/ROI thereof.
- Familiarize and become a power user and champion of BD technology, including CRM and Experience Management systems.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALITIES:
- The successful candidate is creative, resourceful, detail-oriented, and has the capacity to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
- Highly intelligent, proactive and business-minded approach to all responsibilities and initiatives.
- A professional, yet approachable, demeanor, with comfort and competence both in dealing with senior lawyers and working collaboratively with other lawyers and business services throughout the firm.
- Excellent project management skills, with keen attention to detail and an ability to prioritize and execute multiple ongoing tasks often under tight deadlines.
- Exceptional presentation, writing and other communication skills.
- A “team player” who is collegial and who has an interest in and willingness to facilitate connections.
- Adaptable, responds well to an evolving environment and willing to be flexible and lend support where needed.
- Proficient in the use of a variety of applications such as, but not limited to, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and CRM platforms (e.g. Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, Interaction (or other CRM databases).
- Candidates are required to have a bachelor’s degree. A JD, MBA or other relevant post-graduate degree is desirable, but not required. Candidates should have a strong background in disputes and at least seven years’ experience in a business development or marketing role within a law firm or similar professional services environment.
We are proud of our remarkably cohesive culture, which now encompasses more than 2,000 lawyers and business professionals in 24 offices worldwide. We seek to attract and develop the very best talent to work with us.
King & Spalding LLP (K&S) is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees in full compliance with all state, federal, and local laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetic information, age, disability or any other status protected by applicable law.