Senior Manager Proposal Center

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the worlds 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 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 Firms 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 Commercial department in our Chicago office as a Senior Manager: Proposal Center.

The Senior Manager: Proposal Center leads and oversees the development of the firms most complex high-value proposals and strategic pitch materials shaping how the firm competes wins and positions itself in the global marketplace. This senior role acts as a trusted advisor to partners practice leaders sector leadership and Commercial/BD&M leadershipdriving pursuit strategy elevating messaging and influencing key decisionmaking. The Senior Manager consistently brings a proactive pointofviewdriven approach and ensures bestinclass pursuit execution across the firm.

During a period of purposeful change for the Proposal Center the Senior Manager partners with leadership to modernize processes expand the teams mandate and scale smart automation and knowledge assets across the team. The Proposal Center invites creative problemsolvers to help define its next chapter. The Senior Manager converts innovations and operational wins into a firmwide roadmap that enhances pursuit excellence process maturity and business enablement.

The ideal candidate thrives in a hybrid work environment based in Chicago and influences stakeholders across geographies balancing hand-on leadership with strategic oversight.

Essential Functions:

• Leads and strategically directs end-to-end responses to pitches and proposals with a primary focus on complex multi-practice panel RFPs
• Oversees and prioritizes key client account pitch activity and ensures alignment with client team strategies
• Chairs and steers pursuit meetings including kickoff meetings interim touchpoints and strategy sessions
• Oversees development of high-impact executive summaries and core narratives; provides coaching and editorial direction to team members and partners
• Shapes and enforces firmwide standards of storytelling tone messaging architecture and client-centric communication
• Coordinates visual storytelling in partnership with the design team
• Produces final submission documents ensures compliance with all RFP requirements and submits by the required deadlines
• Applies the firms style guide and brand standards to all materials and provides quality control for Proposal Center deliverables
• Coordinates cross-functional inputs with partners Business Development and Marketing (BD&M); Pricing; Content and Knowledge Management; and other stakeholders to align messaging and value propositions
• Serves as a senior liaison to partners and business leaders providing insights into trends client expectations and competitive dynamics
• Champions and scales approved generative AI (GenAI) and automation tools identifying new use cases and leading change adoption within the team
• Oversees the daily operations of the US proposal team including supervision and training of junior team members
• Performs other duties as assigned or required to meet Firm goals and objectives

Education/Training/Certifications:

• Bachelors degree in Marketing Communications Business English or another liberal arts discipline required

Professional Experience:

• Minimum of 7-10 years of demonstrated success in a business development or marketing role involving proposal writing for legal services or in a comparable professional services environment (e.g. accounting or consulting) required; prior experience in a law firm preferred
  
  

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 is required; experience with proposal generation systems and online RFP portals (e.g. PERSUIT) preferred; knowledge of iManage and Foundation a plus; strong research skills and familiarity with public and proprietary data sources

Performance Traits:

• Demonstrates exceptional project management writing editing and storytelling skills with a strong client-centric orientation
• Builds and maintains productive relationships with teammates partners and professionals across BD&M and other firm functions
• Prioritizes effectively and manages multiple concurrent pursuits under deadline pressure
• Responds quickly to shifting demands and navigates ambiguity with sound judgment
• Embraces the use of GenAI and automation to streamline routine and repetitive tasks enabling greater focus on strategy messaging and other higher-value activities in accordance with firm governance
• Possesses or is eager to develop an understanding of legal market trends and the competitive landscape and shows curiosity about economic legal and political developments globally and encourages these behaviors in junior team members
• Collaborates effectively in a professional services environment exercising discretion and maintaining confidentiality
• Interacts with all levels of the firm and outside vendors in a professional manner

Management Accountabilities:

• Coaches and develops junior team members including at least one direct report to elevate team performance
• Manages processes for direct reports in regards to performance appraisals annual compensation goal setting and performance counselling
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience
• Operational budget analysis and recommendations
• Conducts analysis of staffing levels and participation in the recruitment process
• Able to determine and implement change processes to improve workflow efficiencies
• Process- and service-oriented with strong leadership and project management skills
• Able to set priorities and delegate in an efficient manner
• Leads strategic planning for the Proposal Center including resource allocation capability development and multiyear roadmap execution
• Acts as secondincommand to the Assistant Director and serves as leadership proxy when needed

The typical pay scale for this position is between $150000 and $200000 although the actual wage or salary could be lower or higher if the candidates education experience skills and internal pay alignment are different from those specified.

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. 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.

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