Business Development Executive - Private Client

This role sits within the Client Development, Marketing & Knowledge function of the Firm. The Client Development, Marketing & Knowledge team supports partners in the development of our business, relationship building with existing and potential clients and manages our market profile.

There are c. 80 employees in the Client Development, Marketing & Knowledge team across London, Guildford, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris and Milan. The Client Development Executive is focused on our Private Client Division. The role is based in our London office, but there will be travel required to our UK regional offices, particularly Cheltenham. Our Private Client practices are market leading and have a high-quality reputation in all directories and private client related publications.

In broad terms, the team:

• Drives the positioning of our brand through client service and thought leadership
• Creates and manages the strategic business plans at a client, partner, sector and practice group level
• Manages the firm’s key client relationship and client listening programmes
• Creates and implements the firm’s digital strategy
• Provides strategic advice and co-ordination on pitching opportunities and manages the rehearsals process
• Works with our Research and Information Services Team to research and analyse companies, sectors and countries
• Works with key stakeholders and individuals on submissions to the main legal directories/awards and advises fee earners on how best to promote their capabilities
• Manages the production of bulletins and briefings from the conceptual stage through to distribution
• Delivers events that enhance our brand and provide opportunities to build relationships with clients, potential clients and intermediaries

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Pitches / capability statements and marketing materials: Create and maintain credentials statements, collaterals and pitch content (both formal and informal pitches), taking the lead where appropriate, or supporting senior CD colleagues. Implement standards and procedures to ensure that information on work experience, case studies and client testimonials is collected on a regular and timely basis and stored to be easily accessible by colleagues and fee earners. Produce and contribute to reports and populate pitch databases. Create ad-hoc presentations for clients and for internal purposes. Support senior team members on individual pitching and targeting, including drafting pitch documents, experience statements, case studies, fee earner biographies and answers to RFP questions; undertaking client research; organising meetings and producing agendas, notes and action points. Develop and maintain the materials required to create these documents. This is not a pitch-heavy area. Support fee earners in creating marketing materials, credentials, presentations and client communications as requested, working with the Design team where appropriate.
• Digital marketing: Create client newsletters and other e-marketing communications. Draft content and use the firm’s e-marketing platform ‘Vuture’ for distribution. Working with the central Marketing team, deliver Private Client campaigns and/or support the local delivery of firmwide campaigns.
• Directories and awards: Project manage and coordinate directory and award submissions e.g., Chambers and Legal 500, including following up on referees and tracking changing deadlines. Draft submissions with input from partners, associates, and Client Development colleagues. Co-ordinate research interviews for Directories and manage partner and firm profiles. Communicate Directory and awards results and check information included in Firmwide communications.
• Events: Working with the central events team, plan and deliver events from inception to completion, including event administration and support at the live event. Events to include receptions, seminars, webinars workshops, and other client hospitality. Manage suppliers such as caterers and internal resources. Manage and deliver the Firm’s attendance at non-London events such as the Cheltenham Races. Support PC intermediary/referrer relationships, adopting best practice principles from the central Relationships team. Organise intermediary meetings, joint events and team-on-team events and liaise directly with intermediary contacts, with direction from CDM.
• CRM and client data: Use the firm’s CRM tool, InterAction, to create and maintain marketing lists for events, newsletters and client targeting. Promote CRM systems to fee earners for reporting and recording client and BD activities and pull reporting. Support on data improvement and quality. Work with PAs to ensure partner contacts and BD activities are being captured and updated. Working with the central Client Data team, deliver reports on Marketing and Client Development activities. Undertake client research as required (presenting external and internal data).

Skills and experience:

• At least 2 years’ minimum experience in legal marketing and/or an international law firm or other professional services environment. Ideally with experience at Executive level.
• Experience of working with senior stakeholders and developing trust quickly.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills – the role involves liaison with internal and external stakeholders at a senior level and internationally.
• Ability to draft persuasive marketing and pitch materials, reflecting client expectations.
• Computer literate with a good knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of marketing databases (preferably InterAction/Vuture) would be advantageous.

Person specification:

• Positive, flexible, can-do attitude with a bias for action. The ability to take the initiative and ownership of projects, and the drive to get things done is very important.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, and a track record of building collaborative working relationships at all levels.
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to quality and accuracy. Able to produce materials to be delivered to partners and senior members of the CD team.
• Willingness to learn about our client base, our brand and our business priorities.
• The ability to deliver against competing priorities, demonstrating strong project management and organisational skills within an often-pressurised environment.
• Adaptability and resilience.
• A proactive, tenacious, and creative approach.
• The motivation to deliver excellence and exceed expectations.
• Ability to work on own initiative, show innovation and develop projects.

Working together:

• Integrity and respect
• Inclusive
• Personal impact and growth
• Driving high standards
• Client - centric
• Responsible Business

Hybrid working: We adopt a hybrid and flexible working approach, dependent on the requirements of the role and subject to manager approval.