Chief Client Development & Relationship Officer

Goodwin Procter•Boston, NY

22h

About The Position

Join Goodwin’s Global Operations Team, and make a real impact on a global scale. At Goodwin, we work with some of the world’s most successful and innovative investors, entrepreneurs and disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology and financial industries, and where they converge. As part of the Global Operations Team – all business professionals at the firm – you’ll collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds and experiences, fostering an environment where cross-functional learning, networking, and collaboration are at the core of what we do. Here, we’re not just supporting a law firm; we’re partnering with attorneys and clients to deliver cutting-edge solutions in high-stakes litigation and dispute resolution, world-class regulatory compliance and advisory services, and complex transactions. Our commitment to integrity, ingenuity, agility, and ambition drives us, and we’re proud to have been recognised as the “Best Business Team” by The American Lawyer. This is your opportunity to grow professionally in a dynamic, global environment, surrounded by forward-thinking peers. Goodwin, the first elite, industry-built law firm that fuses legal excellence with strategic and business advisory, is seeking a Chief Client Development and Relationship Officer ("CCDRO"). The CCDRO is responsible for launching, deepening, and expanding the firm's client relationships across its six core industries: Healthcare, Investment Funds and Capital, Life Sciences, Private Equity, Real Estate, and Technology. Reporting to the firm's Chair and to its Managing Partner unless and until a Chief Operating Officer is identified, the CCDRO leads a global team of client development professionals. The role is accountable for client retention and growth, cross-industry and cross-practice collaboration, relationship health, and equipping the firm’s lawyers with the skills and strategies to build and sustain institutional client relationships. The CCDRO owns the client experience and the client portfolio and ensures the conversion and retention of clients. The CCDRO works in close coordination with the firm's Chief Growth Officer (CGO). The CGO is responsible for generating awareness and demand among new and prospective clients — encompassing brand strategy, communications, thought leadership, market and competitive intelligence, and demand generation programs. The CCDRO translates that demand into lasting client relationships. Together, the two roles ensure continuity across the full client lifecycle, from initial market engagement through long-term relationship development, with clear accountability at each stage and no gaps between attracting new business and maximizing existing relationships.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required, post-graduate degree preferred.
Fifteen or more years of client development leadership in a global professional or financial services organization.
Extensive experience in client development, at least partly in a professional services environment.
Demonstrated ability to drive change and build a collaborative, accountable team of client-focused professionals.
Deep understanding of the client relationship cycle in a professional services environment.
Intellectual capacity, business acumen, and sound judgment to lead in complex, matrixed, and evolving environments.
Strong executive presence and interpersonal skills, including clear and precise oral and written communication.
Ability to engage effectively with lawyers and professional staff at all levels.
Demonstrated track record of delivering results in a matrixed environment with multiple stakeholders.
Superior management and leadership skills, including the ability to build, mentor, and develop a geographically distributed client development team.
Experience with strategic planning and analysis.
The discipline to balance long-term strategic vision with effective day-to-day execution.

Responsibilities

Client Relationship Strategy and Execution Lead and develop a high-performing global client development team, with a focus on building a collaborative, accountable culture oriented around client outcomes.
Design and implement a comprehensive strategy for deepening existing client relationships and identifying prospective new ones. Operationalize this strategy globally and across the firm's six Industry Groups.
Develop a deep understanding of the firm's value proposition and translate it into client development strategies that produce measurable results.
Enhance and scale the firm's strategic client relationship function, including client feedback programs, post-matter reviews, client visits, and relationship health monitoring.
Coach lawyers on client strategy, business development skills, and relationship management to institutionalize client relationships and reduce key-person risk.
Build and oversee a dedicated pursuits function that raises the quality and consistency of the firm's pitches, panel appointments, and client engagements – with clear accountability for win rates and execution standards across the firm's industries.
Establish measurable goals, KPIs, and accountability frameworks to track client development performance. Establish systems for capturing, analyzing, reporting, and utilizing data for all client development purposes.
Scale a systematic client feedback program that captures input at critical moments – including post-pitch, post-matter, and relationship health reviews – and ensures those insights directly inform strategy, partner behavior, and client team execution.
Develop and lead a strategic account management program for the firm's most significant client relationships, coordinating cross-practice teams and driving portfolio growth. Extend the infrastructure and discipline of that program to broader client portfolios within each industry, calibrated to the scale and scope of each.
Cross-Practice Collaboration Work with firm leadership, Industry Group Leaders, and Practice Group Leaders to develop client development strategies that drive collaboration and revenue growth.
Review and, as necessary, refine the client development and relationship function to align with the firm's operating structure.
Facilitate client retention and growth strategies, including client feedback interviews, post-matter interviews, client forums, and client visits.
Evaluate client teams in collaboration with group leaders to identify and act on emerging client development opportunities.
Work with the firm's learning and professional development team to train lawyers on purposeful client relationship development.
Coordination with the Chief Growth Officer Work closely with the CGO to ensure continuity across the full client lifecycle. The CGO generates awareness and demand; the CCDRO converts and deepens those relationships over time.
Leverage the CGO’s thought leadership programs, market intelligence, and demand generation initiatives to inform client development strategies and support pitch and retention efforts.
In close coordination with the CGO, participate in and support scalable client engagement programs — including salons, executive forums, and industry convenings — that position Goodwin as a destination for clients seeking integrated legal expertise and strategic advisory.
Collaborate with the CGO to identify and act on emerging client development opportunities surfaced through the firm's market and competitive analysis function.
Partner with the CGO and the firm’s Digital and Technology Department to effectively capture and act on the marketing pipeline, from capturing leads at the top of the funnel through converting them to active clients.