BD Support Senior Manager

Accountabilities: Lead and manage the central Business Development support team, including team leads and senior professionals, with responsibility for performance, engagement, accountability, and service quality. Establish a culture of professionalism, trust, collaboration, and high performance through clear expectations, regular communication, coaching, and constructive feedback. Develop and retain talent through structured training, individual development plans, succession planning, and coaching in both technical BD and broader professional skills. Partner with HR on recruitment, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, and other people-related matters. Act as a visible, hands-on leader, supporting the team directly when needed and resolving complex people or service issues with sound judgment and emotional intelligence. Translate department and organizational initiatives into clear priorities and actionable expectations for the team. Work closely with BD Operations to manage incoming requests and allocate resources through workflow platforms such as ServiceNow or equivalent systems. Balance competing stakeholder demands by monitoring workload distribution, capacity, utilization, and overtime, making timely adjustments to maintain sustainable service delivery. Serve as an escalation point for team members, attorneys, and BD stakeholders, resolving concerns promptly and professionally. Coordinate and oversee special projects, ensuring clear objectives, ownership, deadlines, and accountability. Collaborate with other BD teams to ensure effective handoffs, aligned priorities, and consistent execution. Establish and monitor key performance indicators covering service delivery, workload, capability development, and team health. Analyze operational data to identify workload trends, performance issues, and skills gaps, translating findings into actionable recommendations for senior leadership. Apply sound financial and operational judgment, including effective expense and overtime management. Identify and implement practical process improvements that enhance efficiency while considering their impact on people and service quality. Standardize best practices, templates, and approaches for recurring workstreams such as pitches, credentials, directory submissions, and events. Promote the adoption of AI and other technology-enabled tools to improve the quality, speed, and consistency of BD support, including evaluating new solutions and training the team on updated processes and systems. Perform additional duties and support ad hoc projects as required. Requirements: 10+ years of marketing or business development experience, preferably within a legal or professional services environment. 3+ years of people management experience, including direct leadership of managers or team leads. Four-year college degree or equivalent professional experience required; an MBA is preferred. Proven track record as a people leader, with the judgment, growth mindset, and leadership skills needed to build and manage a cohesive, high-performing team. Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to earn trust and collaborate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders across Business Development. Broad understanding of BD priorities and the ability to identify where a central support team can deliver the greatest organizational value. Demonstrated experience managing operational workflows, resource allocation, competing priorities, and service delivery in a complex environment. Strong analytical and business judgment, including the ability to define KPIs, interpret performance data, identify operational challenges, and communicate recommendations to senior leadership. Experience driving process improvements, standardizing workflows, and implementing consistent service standards. Ability to manage sensitive employee matters and resolve complex situations with professionalism, discretion, and emotional intelligence. High proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. Experience using business development systems, workflow platforms, and online databases, or the ability to learn new tools quickly. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to provide clear direction, coach team members, and engage effectively with senior stakeholders. Comfortable leading a team while remaining hands-on and responsive to day-to-day operational needs. Benefits: Annual base salary ranges by location: New York City, Silicon Valley, and San Francisco: $160,000–$210,000. Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Orange County, Santa Monica, Sacramento, Boston, and Seattle: $155,000–$200,000. All other U.S. locations: $150,000–$185,000. Potential annual discretionary merit bonus based on organizational and individual performance. Hybrid or fully remote working arrangements, depending on location. Flexible Time Off program and paid holidays. Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance options. Mental well-being programs. Child, family, elder, and pet care benefits. Short-term and long-term disability coverage. Parental leave benefits. Health Savings Account contributions, where applicable based on the selected medical plan. Flexible Spending Accounts. 401(k) retirement program. Competitive total compensation and benefits package.