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