Proposal Center Manager

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the world’s major corporations, funds, and financial institutions in their most important and complex transactions and disputes. We are recognized by our clients as strategic partners with deep commercial instincts and a commitment to creatively anticipating their needs and delivering excellence in everything we do.

We are a collegial, collaborative, and diverse firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support, and development they need to grow, thrive, and realize their greatest potential all while supporting the Firm’s client service principles of excellence, strategic partnership, commercial instinct, integrated strengths, innovation, and collaboration across our international firm.

If you enjoy working with team members whose defining characteristics are exceptional client service, initiative, professionalism, responsiveness, and adaptability, you may be the person we are seeking to join our Business Development and Marketing department in our Chicago office as a Proposal Center Manager.

The Proposal Manager leads multi-practice pitches, proposals and presentations, directing the strategy for opportunities and overseeing other departmental initiatives, as assigned. The position is primarily responsible for producing compelling proposals and targeted pitch and presentation materials, including responses to formal RFPs.

Essential Functions: 

• Leads multi-practice proposals, presentations, and cross-practice capabilities statements, drafting new content as well as compiling and editing content prepared by others to ensure that materials are high-quality, strategic, reflective of best practices in the marketplace and appropriately differentiated from those of the firm's competitors
• Manages the collaborative process of strategizing on new business opportunities with partners, including go-no-go discussions, and imparting strategic direction to business development colleagues and specialists. Leads kick-off calls with all stakeholders, including the development of a winning strategy
• Creates work plans and templates in concert with specialists, to support internal and client deadlines
• Provides overall quality control for all pursuit materials, including writing, editing and applying the firm’s style guide and brand standards to proposal documents
• Produces final submission documents and ensures the submission meets all RFP requirements and is submitted by the required deadline
• Oversees the daily operations of the US proposal team, including supervision and training of junior team members
• Contributes to the reporting of pitch and proposal activity and performance
• Contributes to the periodic refresh of firm content to include new writing, revisions and overseeing SME reviews on deadline
• Contributes to the firm's key BD&M initiatives and programs as assigned, which may include supporting industry group, client team and product group initiatives
• Performs other duties as assigned or required to meet Firm goals and objectives

Education/Training/Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Research or related field, required

Professional Experience: 

• Minimum of 5 years of demonstrated success in a Business Development or Marketing related position that involved proposal writing for legal services or in a comparable position in the professional services arena (e.g., accounting or consulting), required
• Prior experience working at a Law firm, preferred

Technical Skills:

• Strong MS Office experience (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Acrobat), required
• Experience with proposal generation system(s), preferred
• Knowledge of Foundation, a plus
• Experience with online RFP portals, a plus
• Strong research skills and familiarity with public and proprietary data sources, a plus

Performance Traits: 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate effectively and in a professional manner with all levels of the Firm and outside vendors.
• Superior organizational and project management skills
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to handle multiple projects.
• Effective work style collaborating with numerous Firm stakeholders on a given project
• Exercises solid strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Must be a self-starter with a high level of initiative.
• Strong work ethic and customer-service orientation.
• Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines with shifting priorities
• Maintains confidentiality and exercises independent judgment

Management Accountabilities:

• Excellent communication skills
• Coaches on process- and service-orientation
• Able to set priorities and delegate in an efficient manner

Physical Requirements:

• May require occasional lifting of up to 20 lbs

The above is a general description of the essential duties associated with this position and does not represent an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all duties.

The Firm may modify and amend this job description at any time at its sole discretion. Nothing herein creates a contract of employment or otherwise modifies the at-will nature of employment.

We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including medical/dental/vision/life/and AD&D insurance, 401 (k) savings plan, back-up childcare and eldercare, generous paid time off (PTO), as well as opportunities for professional development and growth.

Thank you for your interest in Mayer Brown. We are committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities and disabled veterans. To request a reasonable accommodation related to the application process and/or job interview, please email uslateralrecruiting@mayerbrown.com. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

#LI-HYBRID #LI-CG1