Manager, Client Development - Legal Directories & Rankings

Responsibilities

• Elevate the Firm’s directories content strategy to help build brand recognition and contribute to the Firm’s overall growth strategy.
• Own STB’s full directory calendar end-to-end: deadlines, submission drafts, referee outreach, researcher interviews, and results tracking across all ranked practices and geographies — US, Europe, and global.
• Serve as the primary connective layer between CDE’s practice-aligned leads and the submissions process — ensuring that matter flow, client relationships, and market narratives captured day-to-day are translated into compelling annual submissions.
• Partner directly with STB partners, practice group leaders, and CDE leaders to develop matter narratives, surface the right client referees, and position the Firm’s work in the context of what directories actually reward.
• Manage the researcher interview process for select submissions from prep through debrief — preparing partners for calls, attending where appropriate, and documenting outcomes to inform future cycles.
• Build and maintain a centralized matter and best practices database that functions as a year-round strategic asset, not a deadline scramble — integrated with CDE’s broader corpus and CRM infrastructure.
• Track and benchmark the Firm’s (and competitors’) rankings using Chambers’ BI tool; brief CDE leadership and relevant partners on results and trends.
• Advise and train CDE colleagues and partners on how directories work, what drives movement, and how STB’s work compares to our peers in key practice areas.
• Cook up and coordinate with STB’s communications function on results announcements and internal visibility of ranking outcomes.
• Build trusted relationships across the CDE team, practice teams, and firmwide departments to deliver coordinated and effective results.

Requirements

• 6–8 years of legal marketing, BD, or directory submission experience strongly preferred.
• An in-depth familiarity with Chambers, Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation, IFLR and Law Business Research (LBR) methodologies including how submissions are evaluated, what moves rankings, and where firms typically leave points on the table.
• Exceptional writer capable of turning complex, multi-party matters into clear, differentiated narratives under deadline pressure.
• Good judgment, critical thinking, and the ability to problem solve.
• A strong project manager who can run a high-volume annual calendar across a large, decentralized partner population without losing momentum or quality.
• Credible and low-ego with partners — able to push back on insufficient matter detail, secure the right referees, and build credibility with senior attorneys, conveying importance of consistent engagement with rankings processes.
• Familiarity with PE, M&A, funds, private credit and finance deal structures, as well as complex commercial, securities, antitrust and white collar disputes matters, is a meaningful advantage given STB’s core practice mix.
• Experience working within a matrixed BD/marketing organization is a plus.
• Advanced proficiency in internet research and equivalent resources.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required; JD a plus but not required.

Skills

Not specified

Benefits

Not specified

Pay

The estimated base salary range for this position is $180,000 to $220,000 at the time of posting. The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.

Schedule

Not specified