Sidley Austin LLP

Business Development Specialist

Sidley Austin LLP$90K — $120K *
Legal & Accounting
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited university
  • Five years of experience in marketing or business development
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Outlook
  • Experience in professional services or law firms preferred
  • Familiarity with CRM systems like InterAction or Salesforce preferred

Responsibilities

  • Lead project management for RFPs and pitches within assigned groups
  • Facilitate practice development and coordination of marketing plans
  • Enhance business development infrastructure with quality control
  • Assist in managing group BD budget and tracking initiatives
  • Coordinate with Market Intelligence for industry and client research
  • Oversee rankings, awards, and recognition submissions
  • Plan and execute client programs and Sidley-sponsored events

Benefits

  • Comprehensive benefits program
  • Bonus eligibility
  • Hybrid work opportunity
  • Opportunity for professional development and cross-selling initiatives
  • Access to advanced marketing tools and resources
Full Job Description
The Business Development and Marketing Specialist is a key team member within the Marketing Department. The Specialist serves as a liaison to Litigation practice group. They work directly with BD and Marketing colleagues and partners in the groups (across various offices) to develop and execute clear strategies and business plans, and manage an aligned range of business development pursuits, marketing campaigns and communications, client events and sponsorships, and key account activity.

The Specialist takes an active role in learning about the service offering, lawyers, and clients of the assigned groups and related practices. They help develop and lead initiatives to enhance the groups' knowledge about our clients, their business needs, and relevant Sidley capabilities to foster cross-selling.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Proposals and Pitches
  • Serves as lead project manager for RFPs and pitches, both for the assigned groups and others, as needed
  • Spearheads briefing discussions to propose and/or understand the opportunity
  • Writes new business proposals, conducts matter research, and produces targeted, tailored responses to RFIs/RFPs
  • Supports follow-up, debriefs activities post-pitch, and reports results


Practice and Client Development
  • Supports practice/industry team leadership and other partners on development and coordination of marketing and client development plans for the group and individual lawyers
  • Attends and contributes to practice/industry group meetings and planning sessions
  • Develops and refines the groups' business development "infrastructure" (e.g., written collateral, experience database/matter lists, contact lists, opportunity tracking, etc.), exercising an acute level of quality control to ensure that all marketing collateral, communications, matter lists, and other materials are consistent, error-free, and up to date; ensures processes are efficient and the best possible use is made of available technology and other resources
  • Helps group leaders prepare and manage the group's BD budget; tracks and analyzes practice/industry initiatives, evaluating the ROI of activities to recommend and plan future efforts
  • Coordinates with the Market Intelligence team to conduct industry, client, and competitive research to support practice development initiatives
  • Facilitates the planning, implementation, and follow-up of new business or cross-marketing opportunities

Marketing and Profile-raising Activities
  • Leads the drafting and submission of rankings, awards, surveys, league tables, and other recognitions for assigned groups
  • Works with Regional BD and Marketing team members to plan client programs and Sidley-sponsored events
  • Works with the Communications and PR team to identify thought leadership topics and Sidley lawyers to engage in media commentary, article publication, podcasts, etc.
  • Recommends and facilitates the involvement of Firm lawyers in professional organizations that will enhance the visibility of the lawyers and the Firm in relevant practice/industry platforms


Education and/or Experience:

Required:
  • A Bachelor's degree from an accredited university
  • A minimum of five (5) years of professional marketing, business development, or other relevant experience
  • Supports follow-up, debriefs activities post-pitch, and reports results
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Outlook


Preferred:
  • Marketing, business development, or related experience in a law firm or other professional services organization
  • Working knowledge of customer relationship, pipeline, and experience management databases such as InterAction, Salesforce, and/or Foundation
  • Familiarity with relevant company/market research tools, as well as law firm rankings, awards, and league table publications


Other Skills and Abilities:

The following will also be required of the successful candidate:
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Good judgment
  • Strong interpersonal communication skills
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
  • Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
  • Able to work under pressure
  • Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

#LI-JW1

#LI-Hybrid

The target salary range for this role is:
$90,000 - $120,000 if located in New York, Washington, D.C. or Illinois

Salaries vary by location and are based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the relevant market, skills, experience, and education of the selected candidate. Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program. Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities above satisfactorily and meet the requirements. The requirements listed above are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email [redacted] (current employees should contact Human Resources).

About Sidley Austin LLP

Sidley Austin LLP is a global law firm with more than 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices worldwide. The firm provides a broad range of legal services to clients in a variety of industries, including energy, financial services, healthcare, and technology. Sidley Austin LLP is known for its expertise in complex litigation, regulatory matters, and corporate transactions. The firm's clients include Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Sidley Austin LLP is committed to providing its clients with the highest levels of service and has been recognized for its excellence by numerous legal publications and organizations.
Learn more about Sidley Austin LLP
Size
2,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2008

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