Director, Client Engagement (Knowledge & Legal Research Services)

Harbor is seeking a Director, Client Engagement & Market Development (Knowledge and Research Services) to help grow our Knowledge & Research Services practice by creating and shaping new client engagements. This role builds relationships across the legal market, turns client needs into well-scoped engagements, and stays connected through delivery so that each engagement is set up to succeed. The Director will also oversee our market-facing programs, including BLISS and LINKS, and lead the practice’s thought leadership. 

This role works closely with Harbor’s Client Engagement team and partners with Knowledge & Research Services delivery leaders from first conversation through to successful completion. 

This is a fully remote role that can be worked from anywhere in the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada, with an expectation of approximately 20-30% travel. 

Responsibilities: 

New Engagement Development 

• Build a pipeline of new Knowledge & Research Services engagements through market relationships, existing clients, and referrals 
• Lead discovery conversations to understand client priorities, challenges, and desired outcomes 
• Shape client needs into practical engagement approaches, bringing in subject matter and delivery experts as needed 
• Partner with Client Engagement on opportunities and identify ways to extend existing client relationships 

Scoping, Proposals & Commercial Support 

• Develop scope, assumptions, and resourcing for proposals and Statements of Work in partnership with delivery leaders 
• Contribute to pricing and commercial models that support margin objectives 
• Maintain consistent, high-quality proposal and scoping materials 
• Track opportunities and contribute to pipeline reviews and forecasting 

Interim Research 

• Own growth, performance, and P&L for Interim Research services 
• Oversee delivery quality and placement success across engagements 
• Define strategy for improving utilization, margins, and scalability 
• Position Interim Research as a strategic entry point for broader services 

Delivery Alignment 

• Lead the handover from engagement development to delivery, making sure scope, assumptions, and client expectations are clearly understood 
• Stay connected to engagements through delivery to support client communication and resolve scope questions 
• Identify follow-on opportunities as engagements progress 
• Apply lessons learned from delivery to improve future scoping and positioning 

BLISS, LINKS & Thought Leadership 

• Oversee the planning and delivery of BLISS and LINKS 
• Use insights from BLISS and LINKS to inform the practice’s point of view and open new client conversations 
• Lead the Knowledge & Research Services thought leadership agenda, including content, presentations, and webinars 
• Partner with Marketing to align messaging with our service offerings 

Market Engagement 

• Build relationships with library, research, knowledge, and innovation leaders across the legal market 
• Represent Harbor at industry events, client meetings, and roundtables 
• Bring market trends and emerging client needs back into service development 
• Help Harbor colleagues understand our offerings and recognize opportunities for Knowledge & Research Services 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS), JD, or other relevant advanced degree preferred 
• Significant experience in knowledge, research, or information services within a law firm, professional services, or consulting environment 
• Proven experience developing client relationships and shaping new engagements, ideally in advisory or managed services 
• Experience developing proposals, Statements of Work, and scoping or pricing inputs 
• Strong understanding of the priorities of law firm library, research, and knowledge functions 
• Experience with thought leadership, events, or market-facing programmes 
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage credibly with senior stakeholders 
• Strong commercial judgement and a collaborative approach to working with delivery teams 
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM platforms preferred 
• Reliable internet connection for virtual working