Business Development and Proposals Manager

Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP (RSHC) is a national, client-centered law firm recognized for its commitment to excellence, diversity, innovation, and integrity. With 100 attorneys across offices in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles/Irvine, Ann Arbor, and New York, the firm handles high stakes litigation and sophisticated transactional matters across a range of industries. RSHC continues to grow by putting client needs, service delivery, and practical results at the forefront. Job Summary: The Business Development and Proposals Manager plays a strategic and hands‑on role in advancing the firm’s business development goals through the identification, evaluation, and management of Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Information (RFIs), and panel submissions. Working as part of the firm’s Marketing and Business Development team, the RFP Manager partners closely with attorneys and firm leadership to identify new business opportunities, develop effective go/no‑go strategies, and craft compelling, client‑focused proposals that highlight the firm’s strengths across its litigation and transactional practices. This role requires both strategic insight and executional excellence — blending business acumen, writing and project management skills, and a deep understanding of legal services procurement. The scope of responsibilities includes prioritizing, managing and following through on multiple projects, communicating effectively, courteously, and professionally with clients, attorneys, staff, and peers; collaborating with firm practice team leads involved in each opportunity and coordinating with other firm personnel contributing to the proposal processes; facilitating best practices and knowledge‑sharing across the Marketing team; serving as a “subject matter expert” for the firm’s RFP and pitch processes; and providing guidance, mentorship and development opportunities for Marketing & Business Development team members. This is more than a production role – it is an opportunity to grow strategic thinking, writing, and project management skills while contributing to high‑impact client proposals and marketing content. This role helps shape how we present the firm’s capabilities to clients around the world. In‑office attendance required. Supervisory Responsibilities: Support interns and lead other department team members based on projects/initiatives. Opportunity Identification & Strategy Proactively monitor public and private RFP platforms, client procurement sites, and industry sources to identify upcoming RFP opportunities. Collaborate with practice leaders and business development colleagues to evaluate potential opportunities and lead the “go/no‑go” decision process, ensuring alignment with firm strategy, profitability, and resource capacity. Maintain a centralized pipeline of pending and forecasted RFP opportunities, tracking deadlines, status, and outcomes. Provide market intelligence and competitive insights to inform pursuit decisions. Proposal Management Manage the complete RFP lifecycle — from opportunity qualification and strategy development through submission and post‑mortem analysis. Coordinate internal kickoffs to define client needs, win themes, and differentiators. Draft, edit, and format responses to ensure accuracy, compliance, and brand consistency. Gather and integrate content from attorneys and administrative teams (pricing, finance, IT/security, HR, DEI, risk). Oversee proposal production, including final review, approvals, and timely submission. Content Development & Knowledge Management Create, organize, and maintain the firm’s comprehensive RFP content library, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and ease of access for all business development materials. Identify and collaborate with subject matter experts within the firm to develop and validate technical, practice‑specific, and firm‑wide content. Maintain and continuously enhance the firm’s RFP content library, including standard narratives for firm overview, DEI, cybersecurity, insurance, and other firm‑wide information. Develop and curate representative matters, case studies, and attorney experience summaries for litigation and transactional practices. Partner with marketing colleagues to ensure consistency across RFPs, pitches, and credential materials. Reporting & Continuous Improvement Track proposal volume, success rates, and client feedback; prepare regular reports for the Chief Marketing Director and firm leadership. Conduct post‑submission debriefs and identify process improvements to increase efficiency and competitiveness. Contribute to business development initiatives, client presentations, and panel renewals as needed. Duties/Responsibilities Develop customized and responsive content for RFPs, pitches, and presentations, including practice area and attorney experience and case history, company research, coordinating collateral, proofreading, and assembling materials. Monitor, collect, and disseminate (to RSHC practice teams) news items related to attorneys, clients/potential clients, and industries that appear in various news and industry publications. Understand and identify the most applicable content, edit existing content, and draft new content for proposals and pitches. Advance the firm’s RFP/pitch content development and management process by working closely with internal clients & colleagues and firm professionals across various administrative departments, including practice teams, finance, billing, information services, human resources, attorney professional development, and the general counsel, to create, update and manage approved practice and industry descriptions, experience information, tailored content and other standard response language used for pitches and RFP responses. Develop and promote best practices for the firm’s RFP/pitch process, including proactively identifying issues and proposing solutions with colleagues in internal clients and finance as well as the Outside Counsel Guidelines Administrator to track pertinent information related to preferred provider RFP responses, and ensure timely information updates in the experience management platform for panel appointments. Develop and host workshops for internal clients & colleagues and proposal contributors by creating a forum to share RFP/pitch best practices and tools updates, and collect feedback to generate new ideas. Lead or assist with special projects or initiatives, as assigned. Required Skills/Abilities Experience creating and preparing pitches, presentations, and RFP responses. Demonstrated business research skills. Excellent writing and proofreading skills. Ability to prepare focused and specialized written materials. Demonstrated ability to prioritize and balance competing demands and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced professional environment. Strong organizational, team‑building, and communication skills. Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint; experience with CRM or proposal tools and database applications a plus. Dependable team player who works collaboratively and cooperatively with others in a team‑oriented environment. Superior attention to detail and ability to multi‑task in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment. High degree of motivation, with a driving sense of responsibility, accountability, and responsiveness. Flexible and willing to work hours needed to fulfill the responsibilities of the position. Strategic thinker that focuses on short and long‑term goals for the department. Ability to coach attorneys regarding best practices business development. Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four‑year college or university. Law firm or professional services experience preferred. Project management certification and/or other relevant business‑related certifications desired. Five or more years of proposal development experience in a law firm or other professional services organization with a strong track record at the manager level preferred. Ability to submit the following portfolio items for consideration: redacted writing samples demonstrating the ability to develop RFPs, RFIs, business plans, and pitches. The ability to produce a high‑level of quantitative and qualitative work in a fast‑paced legal environment. Personal/Professional References Required. Physical Requirements Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times. Salary Range $110,000 – $140,000 Benefits RSHC offers a comprehensive benefit package which includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short‑term and long‑term disability, and 401(k). Equal Employment Opportunity Statement RSHC is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. RSHC is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. No calls or solicitations from recruiters accepted. #J-18808-Ljbffr Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP