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. 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 an experienced Product Partnerships Manager to lead and grow our product partnership ecosystem, enhancing the value of our award-winning legal tech platform. In this cross-functional role, you will own technical partnership from evaluation and onboarding to ongoing relationship management and optimization. You’ll collaborate closely with internal stakeholders, including Product, Marketing, Sales, and Client Success teams, while serving as a technical expert and trusted advisor for both partners and clients. If you thrive in a dynamic environment, have a passion for innovation, and are excited by the opportunity to shape how small law firms leverage best-in-class integrations, we’d love to hear from you.

This is a hybrid role with our office being in Chicago, IL. 

A Typical Day Involves

• Conduct demos and training on strategic integrations, such as Smokeball Payments.
• Provide technical expertise during client discovery and onboarding processes. 
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of Smokeball's integration ecosystem and serve as the go-to resource for internal teams. 
• Collaborate with the Strategic Partnerships Advisor to identify integration and partnership opportunities that enhance Smokeball’s feature set delivering value.
• Review and vet API access requests from law firms and potential partners, ensuring alignment with Smokeball’s policies and use cases. 
• Manage the API integration onboarding process, including issuing agreements, answering technical questions, and ensuring compliance with API policies. 
• Oversee the approval process for new partners, including reviewing demo videos and ensuring all requirements are complete prior to launch. 
• Monitor integration adoption and provide feedback to improve processes and partner engagement. 
• Collaborate with internal teams to streamline API-related workflows and address any partner or client concerns effectively. 
• Work closely with internal teams to align partner and client product strategies with Smokeball’s broader goals.

What You Bring

• 5+ years in partnerships and/or product management with integrations.
• Experience with technical partnerships and/or product integrations.
• Proficient knowledge of product methodologies (e.g. Agile, Scrum)
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Comfortable with a high-paced, evolving environment

Meet Your Manager

Your manager is Victoria, who lives in Chicago with her partner and makes the most of every season, whether it’s sailing in the summer, skiing in the winter, or planning her next travel adventure. With over 14 years of global experience launching products and crafting go-to-market strategies, Victoria brings a wealth of knowledge, a collaborative spirit, and a genuine love for helping people grow in their careers. She’s all about smart execution, creative thinking, and getting outside whenever possible. Bonus points if you can swap travel stories over coffee!

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:

$95,000 – 120,000 base salary