Senior Business Development Specialist - Strategic Transactions

About Ropes & Gray

Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's prestigious A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's UK A-List twice in the past three years - rankings that honor the "best of the best" law firms. The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring. Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.

Overview

The Senior Business Development Specialist (SBDS) will be an integral member of the Business Development Team. Working closely with the Business Development Director, Managers, and Specialists, this role will take the lead supporting the implementation of the practice group’s strategic and commercial priorities. This includes working with relevant partners who have Business Development (BD) responsibilities to provide practical business development and client development support.

Responsibilities

• Work with the DB Directors and Managers, lead partners and practice development colleagues, develop and execute the business and client development strategy for the Strategic Transactions Practice Group with a focus on growing revenue and relationships.
• Support pitching and new business generation by:

• Executing pitches, proposals and RFPs, including collaborating with the team and industry groups to develop a winning strategy, helping to identify ways to differentiate from the competition and assistance with writing aspects of the pitch.
• Maintaining up-to-date pitch content, materials and client information; identify opportunities to enhance content to promote innovation while still meeting client needs.
• Participating in scoping and preparation for in-person meetings and pitches.

• Collaborate with DB Directors (DBD) and Managers (BDM), marketing team and other business support colleagues to:
• Identify and recommend opportunities to create and implement integrated branding and profile-raising campaigns.
• Assess conference, events, and sponsorship opportunities, advise the lawyers on selection, participation and execution.
• Identify the appropriate client and market targets for the delivery of thought leadership and other materials.
• Help to drive the development of existing client relationships in collaboration with other relevant business support colleagues including:
• Organizing, participating in and maintaining business development meetings.
• Responsibility for certain aspects of client and target development efforts.
• Develop a strong knowledge of the STG practice including commissioning and conducting business research to keep abreast of industry/market intelligence and to support the BD strategy; share researching and learnings with the team.
• Develop an understanding of the practice group’s ambition, helping to identify, assess, and pursue new clients; leverage learnings to make thoughtful and strategic recommendations to drive business development efforts.
• Build a solid working knowledge of adjacent practices and industry group services and a clear understanding of relevant group's strategy, priorities and clients; act as an agent of the firm and BD department to break down silos and promote knowledge sharing across teams and departments.
• Communicate best practice business development activities and successes across the group; develop and host trainings for BD team as well as adjacent business support departments.

Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree is required.
• A minimum of five years of experience in business development within a professional services firm.
• Superior client service skills
• Quickly able to establish credibility with DBD, BDM and key stakeholders with a knowledgeable approach.

• Work effectively and efficiently as a team player with an enthusiasm for developing relationships. Able to engage with and support colleagues and stakeholders across all aspects of the business.
• A self-starter, when required, in a dynamic environment.
• Commercially minded and solutions orientated.
• Excellent organization, communication and project management skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in all aspects of role and responsibilities.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with all levels of attorneys and business professionals. Experience writing in a professional services environment.
• Able to work to clear goals and priorities, multi-task and meet multiple deadlines.
• Creative and flexible when managing individual workload and priorities, taking colleagues’ time into account, to respond quickly and positively to shifting demands and opportunities.
• Able to demonstrate creativity and initiative by continuously looking for areas to improve and ways to implement positive change to all aspects of role and responsibilities.
• Work effectively in a culturally and educationally diverse multi-office environment.

Compensation and Total Rewards Package

Ropes & Gray is proud to offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package to our business support team members. The firm also offers comprehensive health and well-being benefits, personal and professional development, career growth opportunities and a collegial and supportive culture. The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below and represents our good faith and reasonable estimate of the starting salary range at the time of posting. In addition, this role is eligible for a discretionary bonus based on performance. The actual offered rate for this position will be determined based on job-related, non-discriminatory factors, including qualifications and experience, geographic location, education, external market data and consideration of internal equity.

New York: $97,600 - $148,900

Working Conditions

This position requires hybrid on-site presence as an essential function of the role. Consistent and predictable on-site presence is required for ongoing business continuity, professional development and effective collaboration with colleagues and management.