Description
Director of Business Development and Marketing
Reports to: Chief Administrative Officer
Position Type: Full-time, senior leadership role
Role Overview
The Director of Business Development will lead the firm’s transition from a traditional marketing-centric function to a modern, growth-oriented business development engine focused on new client acquisition, market expansion, and revenue pipeline development, while maintaining strong, strategic oversight of the firm’s marketing, brand, and communications efforts. This role is responsible for designing and executing a firmwide growth strategy that systematically generates qualified leads, converts opportunities into engagements, and supports sustained revenue growth across multiple states and practice areas.
The ideal candidate brings deep experience building and leading business development and marketing functions within professional services environments, preferably a multi-state law firm or government affairs / consulting firm, and has a proven, data-driven track record of expanding revenue, entering new markets, and supporting senior professionals in closing new business.
Core Responsibilities
Strategic Growth Leadership
Design and lead a comprehensive business development strategy aligned with firmwide growth goals, market priorities, and practice strengths.
Shift the firm from brand- and event-centric marketing to a pipeline-driven revenue growth model.
Partner with firm leadership to identify priority industries, geographies, and client segments for expansion.
New Business & Pipeline Development
Build and manage a structured, measurable pipeline of new business opportunities across all markets.
Develop systems and processes for lead generation, qualification, pursuit, and conversion.
Support partners, principals, and senior professionals in identifying, pursuing, and closing new client opportunities.
Drive disciplined follow-up, opportunity tracking, and accountability across business development efforts.
Market & Client Development
Support VP of Market Expansion's efforts in new states and emerging policy/practice areas.
Identify cross-selling and upselling opportunities within existing client relationships.
Translate market intelligence, legislative trends, and client needs into actionable growth initiatives.
Oversee development of targeted pitches, proposals, and client presentations tied to real opportunities.
CRM Strategy & Pipeline Management
Own and continuously improve the firm’s CRM as the central system for business development, opportunity tracking, and revenue pipeline management.
Define and enforce pipeline stages, opportunity criteria, and data standards to ensure accuracy, consistency, and actionable insight.
Ensure disciplined use of the CRM by partners, principals, and senior professionals without creating unnecessary administrative burden.
Develop dashboards and reporting that provide leadership with clear visibility into pipeline health, market expansion efforts, and revenue forecasts.
Partner with marketing and operations teams to ensure the CRM supports lead generation, proposal development, and client lifecycle management.
Marketing, Brand & Communications Oversight
Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the firm’s marketing, brand, content, digital, and public relations functions to ensure full alignment with business development and growth priorities.
Serve as chief brand steward, ensuring consistent positioning, messaging, and visual identity across all internal and external communications.
Oversee integrated marketing strategies that enhance visibility, reinforce credibility, and support client acquisition and retention.
Guide thought leadership, advertising, digital presence, media relations, and social engagement initiatives to strengthen the firm’s market position.
Ensure marketing initiatives are data-informed, performance-driven, and effectively support revenue growth objectives.
Supervise senior marketing team leaders and ensure coordination across brand, content, and communications functions.
Firmwide Enablement & Culture Shift
Serve as a change agent, helping professionals adopt business development best practices without undermining the relationship-driven nature of the firm.
Train and coach senior leaders on business development strategy, opportunity management, and client cultivation.
Establish clear roles between marketing support and business development execution.
Data, Metrics & Performance Management
Implement tools and dashboards to track:
o New leads generated
o Pipeline value and velocity
o Win rates
o Revenue attributable to BD efforts
o Market and practice-level growth
Use data to continuously refine strategy and resource allocation.
Regularly report progress and insights to firm leadership.
Qualifications & Experience
Required
10+ years of progressive experience in business development or growth leadership within a professional services firm.
Demonstrated success building or leading a business development and marketing function that directly drove revenue growth.
Quantifiable experience:
o Generating new clients
o Expanding into new markets
o Increasing revenue and pipeline value
Strong understanding of relationship-based selling in complex, trust-driven environments.
Experience supporting senior professionals (partners, principals, practice leaders) in closing business.
Preferred
Experience in a multi-state law firm, government affairs firm, or policy-adjacent professional services organization.
Familiarity with public policy, regulatory, legal, or government relations environments.
Experience scaling BD efforts in a firm growing 10%+ annually.
Skills & Attributes
Strategic thinker with a builder’s mindset
Highly organized and metrics-driven
Strong executive presence and credibility with senior professionals
Collaborative, politically savvy, and comfortable influencing without authority
Able to balance structure and discipline with relationship-based business development
Comfortable operating across multiple states, markets, and service lines
What Success Looks Like (First 24–36 Months)
A clearly defined, firmwide business development operating model
A visible, measurable increase in qualified pipeline
Improved conversion of opportunities into engagements
Successful entry into targeted new markets or expansion of existing ones
Senior professionals actively engaged in a disciplined BD process
Business development viewed as a core growth engine, not a support function
About The Company
The Southern Group is a premier government relations and strategic advocacy firm with a 25-year legacy of delivering results for clients across the Southeast and now nationally. As one of the largest and most respected state lobbying firm in the nation, TSG combines deep expertise, strategic insight, and long-standing relationships to help organizations navigate complex legislative and regulatory environments at the local, state, and federal levels. The firm partners with clients across industries—ranging from healthcare, technology, and energy to education, economic development, and public safety—to shape policy, unlock opportunities, and advance their goals. With a team of experienced professionals located throughout Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., The Southern Group prides itself on innovative advocacy, disciplined strategy, and an influential network that drives meaningful impact.
Requirements
Qualifications & Experience
Required
10+ years of progressive experience in business development or growth leadership within a professional services firm.
Demonstrated success building or leading a business development and marketing function that directly drove revenue growth.
Quantifiable experience:
o Generating new clients
o Expanding into new markets
o Increasing revenue and pipeline value
Strong understanding of relationship-based selling in complex, trust-driven environments.
Experience supporting senior professionals (partners, principals, practice leaders) in closing business.
Preferred
Experience in a multi-state law firm, government affairs firm, or policy-adjacent professional services organization.
Familiarity with public policy, regulatory, legal, or government relations environments.
Experience scaling BD efforts in a firm growing 10%+ annually.
Skills & Attributes
Strategic thinker with a builder’s mindset
Highly organized and metrics-driven
Strong executive presence and credibility with senior professionals
Collaborative, politically savvy, and comfortable influencing without authority
Able to balance structure and discipline with relationship-based business development
Comfortable operating across multiple states, markets, and service lines