BD Manager - AI Advisory

A&O Shearman; London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent law firm in London seeks a Business Development Manager to support its AI Advisory practice. The role involves driving growth through strategic support, client management, and marketing campaign coordination. Ideal candidates will have marketing experience in professional services and a passion for AI technologies. The firm offers a hybrid work model with competitive benefits.

Benefits

Occupational pension scheme

Private medical insurance

Onsite gym and wellbeing services

Emergency back-up care support

Holiday entitlement increasing with service

Qualifications

• Proven track record in a professional services environment.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects and deliver under pressure.
• Proactive and focused approach to client needs.

Responsibilities

• Identify new business opportunities and manage client relationships.
• Conduct market research on AI-related trends and technologies.
• Support the planning and execution of marketing campaigns.

Skills

Marketing experience

Understanding of AI

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Job description

Job Description

A&O Shearman are recruiting a newly created Business Development Manager to provide dedicated support to our AI Advisory practice.

Department purpose

A&O Shearman is at the forefront of guiding clients through the complex and rapidly evolving world of AI. We have a unique combination of deep legal expertise in all major jurisdictions globally and hands-on experience in building, deploying, and governing AI solutions as industry leaders in AI. Amidst a vast and rapidly evolving AI risk landscape, clients know that our advice is grounded in a sophisticated understanding of both the legal and technical dimensions of AI. This enables us to provide robust, trusted, and practical guidance to clients seeking to harness AI responsibly and efficiently.

Our advisory work spans every major jurisdiction and covers the full spectrum of AI risk management, including regulation and privacy, intellectual property, AI transactions and litigation, M&A and investments, antitrust, and export control. We are trusted advisors to leading technology companies, major financial institutions, and governments, offering insights that are unmatched in the market. Our commitment to innovation and our experience in building and deploying AI-powered legal products - both internally and for clients - means we understand the challenges and opportunities of AI from every angle. Clients all over the world want to talk to us about our own AI innovations, and this creates opportunities for and deeper relationships across AI advisory work.

Role purpose

This role is designed to support the business development and marketing activities of the AI Advisory practice. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in driving the growth of the practice by providing strategic support, managing client relationships, leading on new business opportunities and coordinating marketing campaigns specific to AI and technology advisory services. The role requires a proactive, organised, and commercially minded, instinctively curious individual with a genuine interest in AI and a deep understanding of AI technologies.

Role and responsibilities

Business and client development

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities, supporting the development of a robust pipeline of prospective clients and projects.
• Prepare and coordinate responses to client proposals, tenders, and requests for information, showcasing our unique AI advisory capabilities.
• Integrate our AI advisory proposition into the go-to-market strategies of relevant practices and products.
• Manage and nurture relationships with existing and prospective clients, ensuring exceptional client service and responsiveness.
• Coordinate client meetings, presentations, and follow-up activities, clearly communicating our expertise and value.
• Gather and analyse client feedback to inform service improvements and the development of new offerings.

Market research and intelligence

• Conduct research on market trends, competitor activity, and emerging technologies relevant to AI advisory.
• Prepare regular reports and briefings for practice leadership to inform strategic decision-making and thought leadership.
• Monitor industry developments, regulatory changes, and best practices impacting AI adoption and governance.
• Marketing and campaign management
• Support the planning, execution, and evaluation of marketing campaigns and thought leadership initiatives related to AI advisory.
• Assist in creating compelling marketing materials, case studies, and client communications that highlight our expertise and insights.
• Coordinate the practice's participation in industry events, conferences, and webinars, ensuring our capabilities are prominently featured.

Strategy and knowledge sharing

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the business plan and growth strategy, with a focus on expanding our AI advisory services.
• Support internal knowledge sharing and best practice initiatives, leveraging our experience in building and governing AI solutions.
• Support in the development and deployment of AI for marketing, including curating datasets (e.g. of previous pitches and client presentations) and leveraging our best-in-class AI systems and workflows.
• Assist with the preparation of internal and external presentations, reports, and strategic documents that reinforce our position as trusted AI advisors.

Key requirements

• Relevant marketing experience either in professional services or from a technology background
• Existing knowledge and keen enthusiasm to develop an in-depth understanding of AI
• Excellent communication skills - both written and oral.
• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Proactive, creative, tenacious and resilient; adopts a growth mindset and encourages others to do the same.
• High attention to detail and strong client focus.
• Professional, proactive, creative, good humoured and enthusiastic approach to all work and interactions.
• Ability to work to deadlines, juggle multiple projects and deliver under pressure.
• Ability to plan ahead, anticipate one's own workload and knowing how to work with busy fee-earners, balancing conflicting priorities and does not over-commit team and themselves - always manages expectations.
• A commercial and ambitious individual with a proven track record in a similar professional services environment, driven to work in a high-performance business development team at a global law firm where commercial insight, developing strong personal relationships and achieving tangible results are valued and recognised.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office. Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (i.e. three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.