Business Development and Alumni Manager

Macfarlanes LLP; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Macfarlanes LLP is recruiting a Business Development and Alumni Manager to join the Marketing and Business Development department in London. The role split focuses on developing and managing the alumni programme while providing consistent BD support to smaller practice groups.

You will own relationships with 700+ alumni and help translate them into referrals, opportunities and recruitment advantages. You will work with partners and senior stakeholders to identify growth opportunities, coordinate

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years’ business development experience within a legal or professional services environment.
• Alumni experience is preferable but not essential.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness and business development planning skills.
• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Experience of alumni, membership, network or community programmes would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead the firm's alumni programme and build relationships with priority alumni.
• Act as the lead BD contact for a portfolio of smaller practice groups and connect them to firm campaigns.
• Coordinate business development activity including pitches, client targeting, events and thought leadership.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration and drive cross-selling across the firm.
• Track progress against objectives and measure programme effectiveness.

Skills

Business development

Alumni relations

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Job description

We are recruiting a Business Development and Alumni Manager to join our Marketing and Business Development department.

About Macfarlanes

We are a distinctive London-based law firm with a unique combination of services built and shaped around the needs of our clients. Our unrivalled blend of expertise, agility and culture means we have the flexibility to meet their most challenging demands and adapt to the changing world around us. While many of our services can be found at other firms, the mix cannot.

We find, recruit and train talented people from all backgrounds, building careers for the long term, to one day shape and lead the firm. We know each other personally which means we work together with more cohesion, and less formality. Our culture is thoughtful, challenging and supportive, and we are a place where everyone, at whatever level, can thrive. We remain focused on equal treatment in recruitment, retention and promotion.

What this means for you

Joining Macfarlanes means being part of a collaborative, approachable team who want you to succeed. You’ll be encouraged to get involved and recognised for your contribution.

We take your development seriously. Our learning and development programmes are second to none and are designed to help you strengthen your skills.

Above all, you’ll be part of a firm where we all work together as part of a cohesive and supportive team, value your efforts and help you to thrive.

The team

The Marketing and Business Development team consists of specialists across business development, CRM, digital, design, events, internal communications and PR.

This role reports to the Head of Business Development and will work closely with partners and colleagues across the firm, particularly within Employment, Financial Services and Products, Pensions and Insurance.

The role

This newly created role is split broadly 50:50 between developing and managing the firm's alumni programme and providing business development support to a portfolio of smaller practice groups. The role offers the opportunity to take ownership of the alumni programme, helping to strengthen relationships with more than 700 former lawyers and business services professionals, while also providing consistent business development support to a defined group of practices.

Working closely with partners and senior stakeholders, you will help identify growth opportunities, strengthen relationships and deliver initiatives that support the firm's business development and recruitment objectives.

What makes this role different?

• Newly created position with genuine ownership.
• Opportunity to build and shape the firm's alumni programme.
• Broad remit spanning business development, marketing and relationship management.
• Opportunity to influence strategy as well as delivery.
• Support from a well-established Marketing and Business
• Development team.
• Clear scope to make a measurable commercial contribution.

Key responsibilities

Alumni

You will lead the firm's alumni programme, building on the foundations already in place and helping realise its full potential as a source of relationships, referrals, introductions, advocacy and recruitment opportunities.

• develop and deliver the firm's alumni strategy;
• identify and build relationships with priority alumni;
• deliver alumni communications, events and engagement activity; and
• measure and report on programme effectiveness.

You will act as the lead business development contact for a portfolio of smaller practice groups. This reflects a new approach designed to provide consistent support, encourage collaboration and ensure these practices are fully connected to the firm's wider business development activity.

Responsibilities will include:

• coordinating key business development activity, including directories, pitches, client targeting, events and thought leadership;
• helping ensure supported practices are connected to firmwide initiatives and campaigns;
• identifying opportunities for collaboration and cross-selling across the firm;
• facilitating the sharing of ideas, opportunities and successful approaches across the supported practices; and
• tracking progress against agreed objectives.

This job description encompasses the main duties of the role and is by no means exhaustive. It is anticipated that duties may vary from time to time according to the needs of the practice area.

The candidate

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• a minimum of 5 years’ business development experience within a legal or professional services environment;
• alumni experience is preferable but not essential;
• experience working with senior stakeholders;
• strong commercial awareness and business development planning skills;
• excellent relationship-building and communication skills;
• strong organisational and project management skills; and
• experience of alumni, membership, network or community programmes would be advantageous.

Personal attributes

The successful candidate will be:

• commercially minded and relationship-focused;
• credible and confident with senior stakeholders;
• proactive, organised and outcomes-focused;
• collaborative and pragmatic; and
• adaptable and resilient.

Application screening

Any offer of employment with us is subject to our pre-employment checks which are conducted by a third‑party screening provider. These checks will be initiated with your consent, and your CV will be sent to the provider by us. The screening will include but is not limited to your employment references, professional and academic qualifications including grades and any criminal records. Your offer will be subject to the successful completion of these checks.

Our commitment to inclusion

Inclusion is one of our key priorities and it is a goal we are actively working towards. We believe that an inclusive, forward‑thinking culture is intrinsically important and enables us to provide innovative solutions to our clients.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, bringing different perspectives and experiences, making Macfarlanes an exciting and stimulating place to work. We seek to recruit the best candidates, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, social or economic background, religion, disability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic.

As part of this commitment, we will ask you certain diversity data questions. We would really appreciate you and/or your recruiter completing these questions when submitting an application to Macfarlanes as this data enables us to measure our progress and identify any actions needed to continue to support an inclusive culture. This data is anonymised to maintain the privacy of applicants. If you have any questions relating to how this data is used, please contact a member of the recruitment team.

Should you require any adjustments during the application and/or interview process, please do not hesitate to inform your recruiter or a member of the recruitment team. Please note, the job description is available in other accessible formats (for example, large print).

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria for the role. From pro bono work to mentoring and sustainability, we focus on what matters. We use our skills and resources to make a positive difference, for our clients, our people and our communities.

From pro bono work to mentoring and sustainability, we focus on what matters. We use our skills and resources to make a positive difference, for our clients, our people and our communities.