Business Development Executive

Based in either our Edinburgh, Glasgow or Inverness office. Our hybrid working approach allows the opportunity to combine working from home as well as in our offices.

REPORTING TO Business Development Manager

JOB PURPOSE Are you a Business Development Assistant ready for the next step in your career? If so, then our Business Development Executive position could be the right role for you. We are currently looking for two Business Development Coordinators to join our fantastic Business Development and Marketing team. This position forms a pivotal part of our Business Development team, offering proactive and practical support designed to strengthen existing client relationships while strategically pursuing new business opportunities for profitable growth.

Working collaboratively with the wider business development team, the role holder will ensure seamless coordination of client care programmes, targeted engagement with new clients, and effective management of intelligence relating to current and prospective deals. Their involvement may extend across multiple practice and sector areas, championing a unified, firm-wide approach to business development.

In addition, the co-ordinator will be instrumental in devising and implementing innovative solutions in support of our Highlands & Islands strategy. Recognised as an essential member of the wider Business Development and Marketing team, they will play a significant role in demonstrating to partners the critical value of business development as a driver of Brodies’ continued success and profitability.

CORE TASKS

• Business planning – drafting and reporting on the BD plan; creating the budget for and then management of BD costs for the group; and ultimately providing input on the strategic business plan for the group. Should have the ability to assess new projects against the impact of cost and profit, and adapt business plans in response to changing market requirements.
• Strategic Management – challenging the underlying strategic issues, questioning the rationale behind existing concepts and ideas from a strategic perspective; persuading and influencing others on implementation of new ideas.
• Marketing literature and events – Devising original approaches to generate new marketing communications initiatives. Organising marketing events (e.g. webinars and hospitality) in association with the events assistant and production of literature. Managing key marketing processes (e.g. CVs, reporting on deals, client database system, intranet and internet sites). Managing practice area website text, portal, blogs and communication commitments where relevant.
• Tender and Pitching Process – Co-ordinating and drafting proposal documentation and pitch presentations is an important part of this business development role. The Co-ordinator will be required to respond to requests for proposals (RFPs) and actively seek new opportunities, often working to very tight deadlines. Managing practice area credentials and team information is also key to the preparation of opportunity / meeting follow up material.
• Profile and Brand Building – Collaborating closely with the Marketing and Communications teams to enhance our market visibility. This includes implementing strategies such as securing impactful press coverage for significant deals, cases, and industry developments, elevating our thought leadership, and proactively pursuing PR opportunities across both traditional platforms and social media channels. Additionally, oversee the process for legal directory submissions to guarantee that entries are of the highest quality and submitted punctually, including drafting compelling and relevant content for these entries.
• Internal communications – Building and maintaining a flow of market intelligence (e.g. pipeline deals, major players, market shares, key client contact moves and developments) to lawyers (e.g. via an intranet site, team meetings); providing regular communication about planned marketing activity; work with business development colleagues responsible for related areas to co-ordinate client targeting activity and to help spot cross selling opportunities.
• Client care – Participating in a client care programme for major clients. Work with managers and partners to develop and co-ordinate client targeting / client care programme. Using market research and intelligence to identify new client or market targeting opportunities, recommend new business development ideas and suitable actions, and work with the managers and partners responsible to make them happen.
• Business Development training – participate in a programme of training on business development techniques firmwide.
• Cross practice integration – Using an understanding of Brodies’ partner and business development network to develop new opportunities and leverage innovative ideas from own practice area to others. Sharing ideas with colleagues in order to enhance quality of work and developing best practice for business development as a whole.
• Be aware of Brodies’ information security policies, and protect information assets from unauthorised access, disclosure, modification, destruction or interference at all times.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

This is an attractive opportunity for a graduate (or equivalent) with minimum three years commercial experience, looking for a new challenge to build on their existing experience. In addition to proven experience in the above areas of responsibility we seek.

• Graduate or equivalent (plus commitment to, or existing additional professional marketing / business qualifications).
• Enthusiasm to develop an in-depth understanding of the legal markets in the UK and across Europe and beyond (in terms of the market, the deals, the key players, the competition, and the actual financial / commercial structures and approaches involved in this area).
• A proactive approach, creativity, tenacity and energy.
• High attention to detail and strong client (commercial) focus.
• Professional in outlook and attitude.
• Politically astute – can make tough decisions and follow through; anticipates future areas of risk for the practice and takes appropriate action to address these.
• Experience of managing and developing the careers of assistants would be useful.

SKILLS

• Excellent communication skills - both written and oral. Ability to present to both lawyers and peers.
• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills - with partners, key associates, and business development and marketing colleagues, clients and suppliers.
• Ability to work to deadlines, juggle multiple projects and deliver under pressure. Ability to plan ahead, anticipate workload of the team and manage others’ time efficiently, balances conflicting priorities and does not over-commit team and themselves – always manages expectations.
• We’re looking for an individual who can work on their own initiative, is pro-active, persistent, robust and committed to "getting the job done".