Senior Business Development Executive in Edinburgh

Shepherd and Wedderburn is currently recruiting for a Senior Business Development Executive to join our Business Development team based in Edinburgh.

Reporting to a Snr Business Development Manager (BDM), and working as an integral member of the wider Marketing & Business Development (MBD) team, this Senior BD Executive role is responsible for providing strategic and practical BD support to the firm’s Employment, Immigration, Private Client and Family Law practice groups and the Private Wealth sector group.

The role will help drive sustainable revenue growth by identifying opportunities, strengthening priority client relationships and converting the firm’s practice and sector strategies into focused business development activity.

• Supporting, as part of the wider BD team, to respond to the varied requirements of the business and its clients.
• Undertake market, sector and client research and analysis to support client engagement/development, events, tender responses, prospect identification and other BD activities.
• Assist the Snr BDMs with the delivery of activities required under BD plans.
• Working together with lead partners to develop and implement market-specific BD strategies and plans for the sector, in line with the firm’s strategic priorities.
• Assist partners and other lawyers to carry out the activities required to meet practice and sector group objectives, including assisting them to develop and maintain client networks and tracking BD activity.
• To assist in the mentoring and training to support the ongoing development of lawyers’ BD knowledge and skills.
• Proactively seek to build relationships with lawyers and other colleagues as required to execute BD activities and plans.
• Assist BDMs with the development of business development/marketing materials.
• Support the ongoing development and maintenance of databases of relevant information for BD purposes, such as credentials, testimonials, marketing materials etc.
• Serve as a member of the wider Marketing and Business Development Team and proactively contribute to, and where appropriately lead or project manage, team initiatives and projects.
• Undertake any other reasonable assistance duties as requested.

Candidate Profile

• At least 5 years of business development experience, ideally gained within a law firm or another complex professional services environment, with evidence of increasing responsibility and direct support to senior stakeholders
• Strong team player, integrated within Marketing/BD and fee-earner teams
• Highly efficient and organised
• Can do attitude
• Able to act and promote oneself as a trusted advisor, including to senior members of the firm
• Demonstrable track record of success
• Excellent IT skills
• Strong communicator with excellent written and verbal skills
• Multi-tasker able to project manage variety of inputs and stakeholders
• Knowledge and understanding of developments within the events marketplace
• Clear understanding of the firm’s marketing objectives and ability to advise accordingly
• Negotiating skills
• Networking skills
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with external suppliers
• Any other reasonable duty as directed by the line manager

HR Contact

If you would like further information on the role or require accommodations to make your application please contact marc.mcrae@shepwedd.com

Equal Opportunities

At Shepherd and Wedderburn we strive to provide a supportive, inclusive and high performance working environment, where everyone feels they belong. Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of our business and we therefore welcome applicants from different backgrounds to all levels of the organisation. To foster inclusivity we particularly encourage applications from those who may be from underrepresented groups, including candidates from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBT+ people, people with disabilities or who are neurodivergent and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Data Protection

Shepherd and Wedderburn is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information that we collect as a “controller”. The information provided by you will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Notice for Applicants. If you are successful in obtaining paid employment with us we will hold your information in accordance with our Privacy Notice and Data Retention Policy for Personnel, which will be provided to you at the relevant time.

Relevant information will be disclosed to the interview panel and Human Resources staff members. We may contact any referees provided for the purposes of discussing your application and will ask your permission before doing so.

If you provide any information deemed to be “special category” information under the General Data Protection Regulation, we may use this as follows:

• We will use any information provided in relation to reasonable adjustments to make appropriate arrangements for interview or other selection processes.
• We will use any information provided in our diversity monitoring form to ensure meaningful monitoring and reporting. Any analysis of this data will be done on an anonymous basis.

Should your application be unsuccessful, the information provided will be deleted on the basis of the timescales set out in our Privacy Notice for Applicants.

If you have any further questions about how we process and store your information, or your rights in relation to this, please refer to our Privacy Notice for Applicants.