Client Relations & Business Development Specialist

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) is seeking a Business Development Specialist in Vancouver to support client relations and revenue growth. You will work with Vancouver and national groups to drive BD initiatives and strategic planning.

You will assist with events, submissions, educational programming, and budget monitoring while coordinating cross-functional teams to deliver impact. A strong client focus and market insight are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma in business/marketing or equivalent is required.
• Minimum of three to five years of BD/marketing experience or similar role.
• Experience in the professional services industry is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute BD plans with practice groups and clients.
• Coordinate submissions, events and client programming with teams.
• Draft pitches, RFPs and information packages for assigned groups.
• Monitor BD budgets and prepare periodic expense reports.
• Support business planning and performance reviews for practice groups.
• Research and synthesize market data to inform BD strategy.

Skills

Business acumen

Customer service

Communication skills

Coaching/mentoring

Interpersonal skills

Adaptability

Creative thinking

Collaboration

Judgement

Technology

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business/marketing or equivalent

Job description

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes), one of Canada’s largest and most successful law firms, is currently looking for a Business Development (BD) Specialist to join the Client Relations & Marketing department in the Vancouver office. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Client Relations and Business Development, the BD Specialist works with members of the Vancouver office and assigned national practice and industry groups to acquire new clients and expand current client relationships in order to drive revenue. This position will assist with the development of short- and long-term business development plans and strategies and inspire lawyers to focus on business development initiatives.

Primary responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Work and Project Management – Contributing to the development of work and project plans and delivering on owned accountabilities
• Directory and Award Submissions – Participating in table-setting conversations with assigned groups and preparing draft submissions for review and approval by the manager/director and accountable partners
• Events – Working in partnership with the Events team to ensure the successful preparation and delivery of events and provide onsite/logistical support
• Client Programming – Assisting with the development and execution of educational programming, such as seminars/webinars, tailored CPD sessions and women@blakes programming
• Sponsorships – Assisting in planning, monitoring and executing sponsorships and industry association events
• New Business RFPs and Pitches – Drafting information packages and other client-pitch and proposal materials for routine work for assigned groups; supporting the development of more complex RFPs in partnership with the Senior BD Manager and Proposals team
• Business Development Budget – Assisting with creating and monitoring annual BD expense reports and budget
• Business Planning – Working in collaboration with the relevant BD Director or Manager(s) to prepare agendas and all required materials for practice, industry group and client team meetings; taking the lead in initiating, framing and facilitating the delivery of business planning for assigned practice groups
• Business Evaluation – Assessing marketing investments/expenditures to optimize value and impact; drafting business cases that assess options and provide recommendations, as required
• Marketing Materials – Working with the Marketing Communications team to develop and deliver updates or new digital and printed collateral, and provide ongoing review and revision, of both existing and new materials
• Research – Sourcing and providing summary analyses from multiple in-house and external sources to support planning and initiatives for assigned groups

Qualifications:

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma in business/marketing or equivalent is required
• Minimum of three to five years of BD/marketing experience or similar role
• Experience in the professional services industry is an asset

Skills/Abilities

• Business Acumen – Understands the economic model and the operational flow and content of work in the Firm, and considers implications for the Firm’s business and assigned groups
• Customer-Service Orientation – Courteous, responsive and delivers with a sense of urgency
• Communication Skills – Strong verbal and written proficiency, and the ability to develop presentations
• Coaching/Mentoring – Coaches others on work deliverables and is a mentor to junior members of the team
• Interpersonal Skills – Strong interpersonal skills, supported by a foundation of patience, tact and confidence
• Adaptability – Ability to adapt to multiple areas of law, practice areas and industries
• Creative Thinking – Ability to share and embrace new ideas and consider creative solutions to challenges or barriers
• Collaboration – Demonstrates collaboration through actively learning from peers and employing best practices to improve consistency and effectiveness of BD delivery
• Judgement – Identifies and raises red flags when an external or internal change or event could impact assigned groups
• Technology – Strong proficiency with technology, and a willingness to learn and adapt to new technologies as required

Who We Are

At Blakes, we care about our people. We are committed to providing exceptional experiences for not only our clients, but also our employees by fostering an open and inclusive workplace culture. As a winner of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and Greater Toronto’s Top Employers awards, we understand the importance of fostering an environment that brings out the best in each person. Our success as a firm starts with the hiring, development and retention of top talent.Blakes welcomes applications from all qualified applicants. The Firm is committed to maintaining an inclusive work environment composed of people with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, identities and cultures.The Firm provides accommodation for applicants with disabilities and in respect of other protected grounds during the recruitment process in accordance with applicable laws. Please contact us to request accommodation.