Associate Director of Business Development

Associate Director of Business Development

Cooley is seeking an Associate Director of Business Development to join the Marketing and Client Development team.

Position summary: This role is part of the Business Development Team, which leads the firm's business development efforts in the market, in close partnership with Marketing, to build relationships, generate opportunities, and support growth across priority clients, prospects, and sectors. Responsible for partnering with Marketing and firm leaders to execute outreach strategies, create high-value connections, and convert engagement into a healthy and sustainable pipeline. Specific duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Market Relationship Management: Build and maintain a robust network of clients, prospects, referral sources, and key external influencers, proactively working within relevant market ecosystems to increase firm visibility.
• Strategic Marketing Integration: Coordinate closely with the Marketing team to execute outreach, manage events, and drive disciplined follow-up on campaigns to convert engagement into tangible business leads.
• Partner Force Multiplication: Act as a strategic bridge for firm partners by generating introductions, opening doors to key decision-makers, and creating access to high-value opportunities.
• Relationship Continuity & Transition: Ensure seamless relationship continuity through structured follow-up, managing handoffs between internal teams and maintaining ongoing contact with key stakeholders.
• Opportunity Identification & Qualification: Proactively identify growth opportunities across existing and prospective clients, focusing on moving early-stage conversations into a qualified, high-probability pipeline.
• Whitespace & Cross-Selling Analysis: Surface untapped "whitespace" and cross-selling opportunities within existing client relationships, connecting specific client needs to the firm's broader people and capabilities.
• Pipeline Coordination & Support: Ensure all identified opportunities are supported with the necessary internal coordination and tactical follow-up to move them through the business development lifecycle.
• Market & Pipeline Discipline: Maintain rigorous visibility into relationship activity by tracking all outreach, introductions, and meetings, ensuring clear documentation of next steps and pipeline movement.
• Operational Rhythm & Proactivity: Contribute to a consistent and proactive business development rhythm in the market, shifting the team from a reactive posture to a disciplined, lead-generation engine.
• All other duties as assigned or required

Skills and experience:

Required:

• After orientation at Cooley LLP, exhibit proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, iManage and other firm applications
• Ability to work extended and/or weekend hours, as required
• Ability to travel, as required
• 8+ years of applicable experience in the field (e.g., marketing or business development), with 4+ years management experience (some at the senior level preferred)
• Market-facing presence including a leverageable network
• Commercial instinct and proven relationship building skills, including strong working knowledge of enterprise CRM ecosystems (e.g., Salesforce)
• Bachelor's Degree

Preferred:

• Prior legal industry or professional services experience

Competencies:

• Entrepreneurial by nature
• Excellent attention to detail
• Approaches tasks through a lens of quality and consistency
• Approaches tasks through a digital first lens
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with ability to facilitate and solve problems
• Ability to organize, prioritize and coordinate multiple activities often under tight timelines
• Takes a consultative approach to set goals, drive projects, and achieve outcomes
• Strong judgment
• Team-player with collaborative spirit
• Unwavering ability to handle and maintain confidentiality regarding firm information, projects, client data
• High level of professionalism at all times
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and develop talent
• Proactive, analytical mindset
• Effective presentation skills

Cooley offers a competitive compensation and excellent benefits package and is committed to fair and equitable employment practices. EOE.

The expected annual pay range for this position with a full-time schedule is $260,000 - $320,000. Please note that final offer amount will be dependent on geographic location, applicable experience and skillset of the candidate.

We offer a full range of elective benefits including medical, health savings account (with applicable medical plan), dental, vision, health and/or dependent care flexible spending accounts, pre-tax commuter benefits, life insurance, AD&D, long-term care coverage, backup care for children and/or adults and other parental support benefits. In addition to elective benefit options, benefited employees receive firm-paid life insurance, AD&D, LTD, short term medical benefits as well as 25 days of Paid Time Off ("PTO") and 10 paid holidays each year. We provide generous parental leave and fertility benefits. New employees will attend a detailed benefit orientation to learn more about our many benefits and resources.