About Smokeball

Who we are

Smokeball helps law firms bill more without their clients paying more. Intriguing, right? We were founded by technology leaders with more than 20 years of experience in delivering impactful legal technology products. Our leadership continually strives to develop a company, culture, and team that share a profound love for the law and is compelled to help small law firms find success. Our mission isn’t simple, but it is straightforward: help small law firms be successful businesses so that they can better serve our communities.

What makes us special? 

1. Culture is sacred. As a 'Best Places to Work' winner four years in a row, we believe company culture is the single most important ingredient to our success. At the end of the day, it is all about our people.
2. The best product in Legal Tech. We think deeply about the challenges small law firms face. We do not bother with simply delivering a “faster horse,” we drive innovations that truly enhance the lives and businesses of our clients. Check out our ratings on G2, Capterra, and Google.
3. Industry Opportunity. The Legal Tech industry is estimated to be worth around $15bn and is growing every year. Smokeball is growing right along with it, and we like to take our people with us.

Our working model 

At Smokeball, we believe there is nothing more powerful than a community of people coming together to work on a product that they, and our clients, love. When it comes to working as a community, we see the value in both coming together and allowing our “Smokeballers” the flexibility that remote work offers. 

All Chicago employees are in the office on Wednesdays and Thursdays. While our office is open 5 days a week, we allow you to choose what works best for you on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. 

Our office is in the heart of the Loop within 10 minutes of the Metra and all “EL” trains. And, we have lots (and lots) of snacks.

The Role

We are seeking a Partnerships Manager for the Bar Partnerships & Events Team to oversee relationships with our 20+ bar association partners. In this role, you’ll collaborate with partners to promote Smokeball, increase member awareness, and drive referral revenue. Key responsibilities include managing partner meetings, overseeing contract renewals, developing marketing plans, delivering advertising assets, scheduling webinars and events, reviewing KPIs, and strategizing growth initiatives with partners. 

While we have a preference for candidates within the Chicagoland area, we are considering applicants that are not located in Chicago. For those located in Chicago, we expect for the role to be hybrid with 2 days a week in our Chicago office.

Responsibilities

• Account Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with key bar association partners to drive partnership success. Focus on enhancing member awareness of Smokeball and maximizing revenue opportunities while serving as the primary communication liaison. 
• • Regularly meet with partners to develop marketing strategies, review partnership results, share promotional materials, and unlock opportunities for promotion.   
  • Develop annual marketing plans with partners and track results of those efforts. 
  • Develop, execute, and maintain partner contracts 
• Business Development: Support the expansion of Smokeball's partnerships with bar associations and other key organizations. Identify and cultivate strategic relationships to strengthen brand presence and drive revenue growth. 
• • Submit proposals to potential new partners, and assist in negotiating terms of new partnerships when applicable 
  • Prepare items for launching new partnerships 
• Marketing Campaign Management: Oversee the development and delivery of all advertising and marketing materials for partners, collaborating with internal teams to prepare and distribute assets. Responsibilities include managing partner promotional items such as digital ads, social media content, press releases, landing pages, webinars, email campaigns, event sponsorships, and more. 
• ROI analysis & Reporting: Track and update partner ROI reports and analyze results regularly to determine trends and growth opportunities.  
• Budget Management: Manage budgets and spending per partner, ensuring we remain on target.  

What You Bring

• 2+ years of experience managing partner relationships (or similar relationships) and developing and executing marketing plans to support partner goals and objectives. 
• Proven ability to create and edit marketing content, including promotional emails, digital ads, webinar materials, and newsletter copy. Experience collaborating with marketing teams to develop campaign collateral is a plus. 
• Ability to multi-task is essential. Efficiently organize and manage multiple deliverables and budgets for partners and internal stakeholders.  
• Experience with project management tools (e.g., ClickUp, Trello) and CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) is a plus. 
• Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to clearly present partner strategies and negotiate agreements. 
• Familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel 
• Occasional travel is expected 
• Legal industry experience or knowledge is strongly preferred, but not a requirement. 

Meet Some Teammates   

Your Manager

Emma Raimi-Zlatic: Hi, I’m Emma! I’m the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Events and I’ve been with Smokeball for almost 3 years. I’ve worked in the legal industry for over 15 years, transitioning from law school to legaltech. I love the work we do here at Smokeball in helping improve the lives of law firms through innovative technology so that they can spend more time on the work they love. I love that every day at Smokeball is unique, especially with the work we do in partnerships – it never gets old! We’re very lucky to be able to develop strong relationships with bar associations and other legal changemakers, while running creative marketing campaigns and working with all areas of the business. From the company culture and great benefits to the talented team at Smokeball, working here is no brainer. 

Teammate

Kathy Sandstedt: Hi, I’m Kathy and I’m a Partnerships Manager. I have years of experience working with partners, ranging from technology vendors at Microsoft to currently working with Smokeball’s bar association partners across the country. I’ve worked at Smokeball since 2021 and played a key role in creating our Bar Association Member Benefits Program which has been both successful and rewarding. My daily activities include meeting with our bar association partners, creating and executing on joint marketing plans, and analyzing data to determine which activities are working best. My favorite part about working at Smokeball are the people! It is a friendly environment where people help you and want you to succeed. 

Life at Smokeball 

• Great Culture: Named 2024'S 10th Best Place to Work in the Technology Industry nationwide!
• Work-Life Balance: 20 vacation days, 7 sick days, 3 reboot days, 10 paid holidays, birthday off, volunteer time, and more! 
• Career Growth: Smokeball believes in investing in our own people and promoting from within. Our own President started at Smokeball as an Account Manager!
• Benefits: Excellent medical coverage, 401(k) match, monthly wellness stipend, generous parental leave 
• Transparency: We keep employees in the loop through monthly global huddles and local standups where we discuss company goals, updates, new hire introductions, etc. 
• The Office: The kitchen is stocked with breakfast items, snacks, and beverages, and we have plenty of games to help you relax (ping-pong, billiards, pinball, board games, video games). We also offer free monthly massages provided by a licensed massage therapist! 
• Fun Events: In-person happy hours, virtual game nights, family-friendly events, and so much more 
• Convenient Transit: We’re located in the heart of downtown Chicago, in walking distance from all major modes of transportation 

The Values We Live By

Creating and fostering a great culture is just as important as providing a great product. At Smokeball, we don’t have Core Values for show, we live and breathe them every day.

1. Caring is not optional 
2. Make it happen 
3. Deliver legendary service 
4. Innovate for the client, not the press release 
5. Be frank 
6. Keep listening, keep learning 

These values inform every strategic decision we make and guide our behavior with every person we meet. When we are bringing new team members into the Smokeball Family, we look for compassion, drive, keen judgement, varied perspectives, and no egos. 

More, more, more! 

Why do we do what we do? Where did the name ‘Smokeball’ come from? How do we give back? Learn more here.* Frequently cited statistics show that women and underrepresented groups apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications! We encourage anyone who is interested to apply based on the responsibilities and requirements outlined. You may be the culture add that we are seeking! We look forward to your application.* Smokeball is an equal opportunity employer and committed to providing an open, welcoming environment for everyone 

The pay range for this role is:

$70,000 – $100,000