Marketing and Business Development Executive

Withers

Job title: Marketing and Business Development Executive 

Reports to: Marketing and Business Development Manager (Dispute Resolution)

Location: London

What are we looking for?

We are looking for an enthusiastic, creative and organised marketing and business development professional to join our global marketing team, with a particular focus on our dispute resolution division. The division is fast paced and dynamic, supporting market leading teams in commercial litigation, international arbitration, public international law, white collar crime and investigations, trust and succession disputes, family and employment. Much of our work is international, with specialists in Hong Kong, Singapore, Milan, London, New York, New Haven, Greenwich, San Francisco, Los Angeles and the British Virgin Islands. The global business development team play an important role in ensuring activity is well coordinated across our key locations.

This is an exciting full mix marketing and business development role, supporting our European teams. You'll be an ambitious self-starter, who is passionate about a range of activities and will enjoy variety. No two days are the same, with typical activities including developing marketing and business development campaigns, producing pitches and credentials information to secure new business, and supporting on profile raising opportunities for the division/firm. This role will suit someone who has well developed research and analysis skills, and has a proactive approach to following market trends and applying that understanding to the day-to-day elements of the role. 

Unlike many other law firm marketing and BD positions, this role is not narrowly focused on pitch production but plays a vital part in supporting our European lawyers winning work from prospects, existing clients and intermediaries. You will be a clear communicator, comfortable and confident talking to a range of people from senior partners to new joiners, and other law firm management professionals. You will be alive to opportunities and have the persistence and dedication to see ideas through to execution. You will also be a keen collaborator, willing to work across different marketing and business development disciplines, to deliver results for our disputes teams. 

Areas of focus and responsibilities

• Supporting the DR Manager on all aspects of marketing and business development activity to win work from new contacts and existing clients. This includes marketing and business planning, supporting fee earners on personal plans and advising at all stages of converting an opportunity to work.
• Being proactive in raising market awareness and understanding of our client base – proposing new ideas that can help to drive further revenue growth e.g. client and market analysis, client awareness, potential events and webinars.
• Helping to drive activity and engagement with some of our major campaigns and marketing projects. This includes campaigns focused on crisis management and succession.
• Building relationships with peers at complementary organisations (e.g. professional services firms, industry associations) and proposing ideas to help enhance our brand and market reputation.
• Preparing pitch materials, ensuring that our credentials reflect the strengths of the firm and are tailored to the intended recipients.
• Playing a lead role in relation to one of our core sector groups.
• Organising events, as well as attending them, and spotting opportunities for business development.
• Project managing the legal directories process for the European and BVI dispute resolution teams.
• Working closely with our CRM team on specific initiatives with the teams to enhance the quality of information they have access to and embed best practice in the use of our CRM system (InterAction).
• Supporting on central projects e.g. developing our approach to pitching or the way we capture information at client inception. There are lots of opportunities to play a key part in projects that improve the way we work, offering exposure to senior stakeholders and other areas of the business.
• Building relationships with marketing and BD colleagues globally, looking for opportunities to improve close working.
• Working alongside and project managing MBD initiatives that call upon the skills of the team's specialists in Digital, PR, Internal Communications, Campaigns, Brand and CRM to support our practice and sector groups. 

This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include undertaking additional tasks as required.

Skills and attributes

• Passionate, ambitious and enthusiastic, with a keen interest in the focus areas of the firm and the issues our clients are dealing with.
• A positive and pro-active attitude, adding creativity and generating ideas in your approach, and always looking for ways to improve what we do.
• Highly organised and happy to juggle multiple projects at any time – both day to day deadlines with longer term change programmes.
• Ability to stay calm and work under pressure.
• Good oral and written communication skills with meticulous attention to detail.
• The tenacity to follow up on ideas and to see projects through to their natural conclusion.
• Emotionally intelligent and able to flex your style depending on your audience.
• A strong team player, who works well with other people and ready to help colleagues where necessary.
• Ideally, experience working within either the professional services and/or the disputes sectors.

The essentials

• 9.30am to 5.30pm but flexibility is a must as this role will involve working alongside fee earning teams to meet pitch deadlines and attending events to support our lawyers in developing relationships with target organisations.
• 12-week probation period.
• 4-week notice period.
• Flexible benefits package including pension, private medical insurance, denplan, season ticket loan, discounted gym memberships, lifestyle discount scheme, the ability to buy and sell holidays, flu jabs, doctors consultation service, cycle to work scheme, on site café and more.

About Marketing and Business Development at Withers

• 25 marketers in London, 40 internationally. A team of specialists in their areas (BD, Digital, Events, Brand, PR, Internal Communications) but who are happy to roll their sleeves up to help each other out with all sorts of projects whenever needed.
• Whilst we are a busy team, we provide a supportive work environment. We invest in training and give people the opportunity to build and develop their careers with us. We are focused on developing a culture of excellence within our team. Many members of the team study to improve their knowledge of their areas. CIM and other marketing/business qualifications are also encouraged and supported.

About Withers

Withers has been acting for successful individuals, families and institutions for over 100 years. We advise clients on the full range of their business, personal and philanthropic needs, both at home and abroad. With offices in the key financial centres of Europe, Asia-Pacific, the United States and the Caribbean, we provide coverage and services that other law firms focussed on the needs of the individual cannot. We have represented 78% of the Top 100 in The Sunday Times Rich List, 25% of the Forbes 400 List, 35% of the Hong Kong Forbes Rich List, 54% of Forbes Asia's Richest Families list, and 24% of Forbes Middle East Top 100 Arab Businesses. In 2018, Withers became one of the first law firms to adopt fully agile working practices with people splitting their time between their home and the office. 

Information for recruitment agencies

Withers endeavours to recruit and fill vacancies directly. However, when we do need to engage with agencies, Withers operates a preferred supplier list and will not be accepting unsolicited applications from non-PSL agencies for this role.

Equal opportunities employment statement 

It is the policy of Withers to provide equal opportunities for all employees in relation to recruitment, training and promotion.  Decisions in these areas will be made only by reference to the requirements of the job and shall not be influenced by any consideration of ethnic origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability.