At a Glance
- Tasks: Support the Bids team in preparing tender submissions and legal directory materials.
- Company: Join Harper Macleod, an award-winning Scottish law firm with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career development opportunities, and a supportive work environment.
- Other info: Gain hands-on experience and build relationships across the firm.
- Why this job: Kickstart your career in business development within a leading legal firm.
- Qualifications: A degree in any discipline and strong communication skills are essential.
The predicted salary is between 25650 - 31350 £ per year.
About the opportunity As our Business Development team continues to grow, we are looking for a curious, organised and enthusiastic graduate to join Harper Macleod’s award-winning Business Development department.
This is a great opportunity to start a career in professional services and gain hands-on experience in how a leading Scottish law firm wins work, builds client relationships and showcases its expertise.
The role You will join our Bids, Tenders and Legal Directories team, supporting the preparation of tender submissions, contract mobilisation work and legal directory submissions.
These activities are central to how the firm presents its experience, responds to client opportunities and competes for new work.
Working with Senior Associate Anna Maitles and the wider team, you will help create clear, persuasive and well-organised materials for bids, pitches and legal directory submissions.
You will also help maintain the information and processes that allow the team to work efficiently and deliver high-quality work to deadlines.
You do not need prior legal sector experience.
What matters most is that you are interested in how professional services firms work, confident working with written information, comfortable collaborating with others and keen to learn.
If you enjoy organisation, problem-solving, writing and working in a deadline-driven environment, this could be an excellent first step in your career.
- What you’ll gain
- Practical experience in business development, bids, tenders and legal directories within a leading Scottish law firm
- Exposure to partners, lawyers and business services colleagues across the firm
- The opportunity to develop writing, research, project management, commercial awareness and communication skills
- Support and guidance from experienced colleagues as you build confidence in the role
- A strong foundation for a career in business development, marketing, bids, legal operations or professional services What you’ll be doing
- Supporting the Bids team with new public and private sector tender opportunities
- Helping to prepare polished tender response documents and submission materials
- Creating and updating CVs, team profiles and organisational charts for bids and pitches
- Supporting the mobilisation of new contracts once work has been won
- Maintaining and improving the team’s tender knowledge and information resources
- Assisting the Legal Directories team with templates, submissions and supporting information
- Keeping trackers, reports and team information tools accurate and up to date
- Working collaboratively with colleagues across the firm to gather information and meet deadlines About you Ø Essential skills and experience:
- A degree in any discipline
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong attention to detail and the ability to produce accurate work
- Confidence working with information, documents and deadlines
- A collaborative approach and the ability to build positive working relationships
- Curiosity about how law firms and professional services businesses operate
- A willingness to learn legal terminology, processes and the wider Scottish legal market
- An interest in innovation, AI and technology, and how these can be used to improve efficiency and quality in document production Ø Desirable, but not essential:
- Awareness of the legal sector or professional services
- Experience using databases, Excel or document formatting tools
- Experience gained through part-time work, volunteering, university projects, societies or internships How to apply If you are organised, curious, collaborative and keen to start a career in business development within the legal sector, we would like to hear from you.
We welcome applications from graduates from all degree backgrounds and encourage you to tell us how your studies, work experience or extracurricular activities have helped you develop the skills for this role.
Let your ambitions grow with ours At Harper Macleod, ambition is what drives us forward.
We are a firm that cares about doing great work and making a real impact for our clients and for each other.
We believe in progress, not standing still.
That means sharing ideas, supporting growth and creating opportunities for everyone to shine.
If you want to work somewhere that values curiosity and collaboration, you’ll feel right at home here.
Our story so far includes recognition as Scotland’s Firm of the Year 2025, ESG Firm of the Year 2024 and a place in the Legal 500’s Green Guide for two years running.
But we’re not done yet.
The best is still to come.
We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, active colleague engagement, wellbeing, sustainability & CSR programmes and the opportunity to develop your career.
If you’re ready to shape the future with us, we would love to hear from you Harper Macleod LLP is committed to promoting equal opportunities and developing a diverse workforce.
Graduate Business Development Assistant, Harper Macleod LLP employer: Harper Macleod
Harper Macleod LLP is an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture, making it an ideal place for graduates to kickstart their careers in business development. With a strong commitment to employee growth, the firm offers hands-on experience, mentorship from seasoned professionals, and a competitive benefits package, all within the vibrant legal landscape of Scotland. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team that values curiosity and ambition, while making a meaningful impact in the professional services sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Graduate Business Development Assistant, Harper Macleod LLP
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We think you need these skills to ace Graduate Business Development Assistant, Harper Macleod LLP
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Analytical Skills:In the business intelligence field, showcasing your analytical skills is a must. Make sure your CV includes relevant experience with data analysis tools, programming languages like SQL or Python, and any projects where you've interpreted complex data sets to drive business decisions.
Showcase Your Business Acumen:Don't just focus on data; show us how you can apply your insights to real-world business problems. Highlight projects where you made a tangible impact on company performance, and be prepared to explain your thought process in your cover letter.
Tailor Your Documents for Us:When applying for a full-time role at Harper Macleod, tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect our organisational goals and strategies. Mention specific tools and methodologies that align with what we do—this shows you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in our mission!
Include Relevant Certifications:Certifications like Google Data Analytics or similar qualifications can really make you stand out in business intelligence. Include these in your application, as they demonstrate your commitment to the field and your willingness to stay current with industry standards.
How to prepare for a job interview at Harper Macleod
✨Show off your analytical skills
In a business intelligence role, you're going to need to demonstrate your analytical prowess. Be prepared to discuss specific tools you've used, like SQL, Tableau, or Power BI. Have real-world examples ready where you’ve turned data into actionable insights – this is what makes us shine in interviews!
✨Practice your technical know-how
Expect some technical questions during the interview that dive deep into your understanding of data modelling and analytics frameworks. Brush up on your knowledge of data warehousing concepts and be ready to tackle any real case scenarios they might present. They’ll want to see how you approach problems using your BI toolkit.
✨Portfolio of Projects
Since it's a full-time role, having a strong portfolio is key! Compile case studies demonstrating your previous projects, preferably showing how your insights led to business improvements. This can help us display how you think through complex datasets and your problem-solving process, which is what employers are keen on seeing.
✨Know their business model
Get familiar with Harper Macleod’s business model and recent data-driven decisions. Be prepared to discuss how your skills can specifically support their objectives or challenges. Understanding their landscape shows that you’re not just a data buff, but you’re also genuinely interested in how BI can impact their bottom line.
