At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and manage pitches for high-value African opportunities, collaborating with legal teams.
- Company: DLA Piper is a global law firm with a commitment to diversity and innovative legal solutions.
- Benefits: Enjoy a supportive culture, training opportunities, and the chance to work on impactful projects.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team focused on strategic bids and make a real difference in Africa's legal landscape.
- Qualifications: Experience in managing complex pitches, excellent communication skills, and bilingual in French and English preferred.
- Other info: This role champions change and supports skill development across the African business.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
This newly created role offers an exciting opportunity to join our International bids team with a dedicated focus on Africa. As the Africa Pitch Manager you will work with lawyers across practice groups, sectors and offices to help the firm win new profitable business. You will be responsible for project managing the creation of pitches and presentation materials, developing impactful value propositions that respond to our clients' needs, with an emphasis on strategic, cross-border and high value African opportunities. You will also help to embed marketing systems and best practice bid processes and documentation across our African business, championing change and helping to develop skills. The role reports into the International pitch team – a specialist team that acts as a centre of excellence, leading on our most strategic bid opportunities – working closely with our Africa Marketing & Business Development team.
Main duties and responsibilities
- Advise and challenge legal teams on the decision to respond to pitch opportunities
- Lead pitches in accordance with our best practice pitch process
- Developing the pitch strategy including win themes and value proposition
- Scoping the pitch opportunity to understand client needs and to ensure our proposal is responsive
- Involving subject matter experts, for example the pricing team, to develop our proposition
- Creation and updating of Africa-focused pitch material across key practices and sectors
- Using our pitch automation tool to create first drafts which are then tailored to be compelling and focused on the client
- Briefing contributors to ensure their input is tailored, relevant and received on time
- Finalising and submitting pitches in line with the client's instructions
- Coordinate presentation rehearsals and offer advice and coaching on style, approach, messaging
- Conducting client debriefs to capture feedback
- Coach, mentor and support other Marketing & Business Development colleagues on best practice pitch techniques
- Deliver training to lawyers, secretaries and MBD on pitch best practice and our pitch tools and systems
- Provide recommendations on improving the pitch process
- Take responsibility for additional projects which support the pitch team and broader Africa Marketing & BD team's priorities.
About you
- Experience of working under pressure on complex pitches and proposals
- Effective time and project management skills
- Excellent communication skills and stakeholder management
- Excellent interpersonal skills, able to exercise tact and diplomacy
- Negotiation and influencing skills
- Commercial awareness and acumen
- An ability to deal with confidential and sensitive information
- Experience in dealing with a demanding workload and conflicting priorities
- A collaborative working style, able to work on own initiative and as part of a team
- Bi-lingual French and English language skills will be looked upon extremely favourably.
About us
DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers and business service professionals located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Our global reach ensures that we can help businesses with their legal needs anywhere in the world. We strive to be the leading global business law firm by delivering quality, service excellence and value to our clients and offering practical and innovative legal solutions to help them succeed. Our clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies, as well as government and public sector bodies.
Our values
- Be Supportive – we are compassionate and inclusive, valuing diversity and acting thoughtfully
- Be Collaborative - we are proactive, passionate team players investing in our relationships
- Be Bold - we are fearless and inquisitive, challenging ourselves to think big and find creative new solutions
- Be Exceptional - we are strategic and driven, exceeding standards and expectations
Diversity and inclusion
At DLA Piper, diversity and inclusion underpins how we live our values and everything we do. We believe that everyone has a voice, and that everyone’s voice counts. We know that the rich diversity across our firm makes us stronger, more innovative and creative, which helps us to better serve our clients and communities. We are committed to providing an inclusive working environment and culture across our global firm, where everyone can bring their authentic self to work.
Requesting Adjustments
At DLA Piper, we aim to make meaningful progress and build an inclusive culture where anyone affected by disability, neurodiversity or a long-term health condition has an equitable and accessible chance of success. If you think you may need adjustments or additional support to enable you to participate in our recruitment process, please contact our Recruitment team and we will be happy to support you.
Pitch Manager employer: DLA Piper International LLP
Contact Detail:
DLA Piper International LLP Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Pitch Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the specific legal sectors and practices that DLA Piper focuses on in Africa. Understanding their strategic priorities will help you tailor your approach and demonstrate your knowledge during interviews.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the legal marketing and business development field, especially those with experience in international bids. This can provide you with insights into best practices and potentially valuable connections within DLA Piper.
✨Tip Number 3
Brush up on your project management skills, as this role requires effective time and project management. Consider using tools or methodologies that are commonly used in pitch management to showcase your organisational abilities.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss your experience with stakeholder management and how you've successfully navigated complex pitches in the past. Be ready to share specific examples that highlight your negotiation and influencing skills.
We think you need these skills to ace Pitch Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Thoroughly read the job description for the Pitch Manager position. Identify key responsibilities and required skills, such as project management, communication, and stakeholder management, to tailor your application accordingly.
Highlight Relevant Experience: In your CV and cover letter, emphasise your experience with complex pitches and proposals. Provide specific examples of how you've successfully managed similar projects under pressure, showcasing your time management and negotiation skills.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a tailored cover letter that addresses the specific needs of DLA Piper. Discuss your understanding of the African market and how your skills can contribute to their strategic goals, particularly in developing impactful value propositions.
Showcase Language Skills: If you are bilingual in French and English, make sure to highlight this prominently in your application. Mention any relevant experiences where your language skills have been beneficial, especially in a professional context.
How to prepare for a job interview at DLA Piper International LLP
✨Understand the Role
Make sure you have a clear understanding of the Pitch Manager role and its responsibilities. Familiarise yourself with the specific needs of the Africa market and how your skills can contribute to winning new business.
✨Showcase Your Project Management Skills
Be prepared to discuss your experience in managing complex pitches and proposals. Highlight specific examples where you've successfully led projects under pressure, demonstrating your effective time and project management skills.
✨Demonstrate Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Since the role involves advising legal teams and coordinating with various stakeholders, showcase your excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Be ready to provide examples of how you've effectively managed relationships and influenced decisions in previous roles.
✨Prepare for Client-Focused Scenarios
Think about how you would approach scoping pitch opportunities and developing value propositions that meet client needs. Prepare to discuss your strategies for tailoring pitches and how you would involve subject matter experts to enhance proposals.