About Kirkland & Ellis

At Kirkland & Ellis, we don’t just meet the standard for legal excellence — we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 24 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers’ commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.

What You’ll Do

Are you a strategic business development professional who thrives on turning market insights into growth opportunities and delivering high-impact client experiences?

Kirkland & Ellis is seeking a Marketing & Business Development Specialist to join the Firm’s Marketing & Business Development (MBD) Department in our Dallas office supporting the Firm’s Texas offices and U.S. Energy & Infrastructure practice.

In this role, you’ll support attorneys across all areas of marketing and business development, including event planning, contact relationship management, branding, sponsorships, business and relationship intelligence, internal communications, pitches and proposals, and internal and external presentations.

The MBD department operates from a team-first position and values collaboration, accountability, intellectual curiosity and open communication. You’ll have success in this role by bringing a proactive approach, strong business judgement and commitment to delivering exceptional service to attorneys, clients and colleagues.

You will report to the Senior Business Development Manager in Dallas and collaborate regularly with an international team of problem-solvers and advisers dedicated to the broader business development, research, marketing and communications efforts of the Firm.

This role offers a hybrid work arrangement.

Responsibilities:

• Events & Client Engagement: Facilitate the planning and execution of client engagement events, including seminars, receptions, industry conferences, charitable sponsorships, speaking engagements, dinners and other events promoting the Texas and U.S. transactional practices, assisting with program design and execution, RSVP reporting, attendance tracking, ROI measurement and follow-up.

• Business Development & Strategic Support: Implement business development strategies and initiatives for the Dallas office, including tracking performance and effectiveness, enhancing office visibility through targeted community engagement and industry sponsorships aligned with the Firm’s strategic objectives and serving as a connector across internal teams and client stakeholders to support consistent and effective delivery of the Firm’s capabilities.

• Conduct Research & Market Intelligence: Conduct research and prepare intelligence on clients, prospects, competitors and industries to inform strategy and support growth initiatives.

• Experience, Deal Tracking, Rankings & Submissions: Draft and manage submissions for rankings, directories and awards, including coordination with partners on client recognitions.

• Content & Knowledge Management: Coordinate attorney biography updates, headshots and other web biography updates.

• Analyze Data & Prepare Reporting: Analyze and synthesize data to support internal stakeholders and informed decision-making, including tracking the performance and effectiveness of business development initiatives and providing regular reporting on Dallas MBD spend and ROI.

• Maintain CRM & Marketing Systems: Maintain and leverage CRM data to support targeted outreach, marketing campaigns and client development efforts.

• Provide Administrative & Operational Support: Manage and track the Dallas MBD budget, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, and perform other functions and duties as assigned by management.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree; 3-4 years of experience in a law firm or professional services environment.

• Relationship Management & Client Service: Excellent client service orientation and interpersonal skills, with the ability to establish rapport and maintain effective relationships with attorneys, clients, staff, guests and other internal and external stakeholders.

• Communication & Teamwork: Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively and collaborate with various levels of personnel.

• Organization & Project Management: Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and execute a diverse range of tasks, manage competing deadlines and maintain a high level of attention to detail.

• Research & Analytical Thinking: Ability to navigate ambiguity, evaluate options and apply analytical thinking to move initiatives forward, meet critical deadlines and achieve results.

• Writing & Content Development: Strong written communication skills with the ability to develop clear, polished and professional content for a variety of audiences.

• Initiative, Judgment & Adaptability: Ability to take initiative, adapt to change, work independently in high-pressure, deadline-driven situations and exercise sound judgment to make informed decisions.

• Professionalism & Executive Presence: Ability to interact professionally and confidently with high-level attorneys, clients, staff and guests of the Firm while demonstrating sound judgment and a strong service orientation.

• Technology & Systems Proficiency: Solid command of Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and SharePoint; experience with CRM/database platforms such as InterAction or Salesforce and working knowledge of Adobe and Chrome River preferred.

• Industry Knowledge & Market Intelligence: Working knowledge of market intelligence and legal research platforms such as BoardEx, Capital IQ and PitchBook.

If you're excited to support attorneys across all areas of marketing and business development while working alongside some of the most accomplished legal and business professionals in the industry, we'd love to hear from you!

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland.

Equal Employment Opportunity

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

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