Business Development Executive

Business Development Executive – Full-time – FTC (9m)

Standard hours – Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm

Owen Reed is looking for a confident and detail-oriented Business Development Executive to join a top London law firm and support high-level business development initiatives.

Your role as BD Executive will involve supporting the other members of the BD & Marketing team, with a range of BD and marketing tasks needed across our five practice areas. You will report into the Marketing and BD Director and will work with the wider BD & Marketing team that consists of a Communications and Marketing manager, a BD Manager and a BD assistant.

Your role will include supporting on pitching, client targeting, awards and directory submissions, marketing collateral, event management and digital content. You will have exposure to a cross-section of BD and marketing activities and will work with the BD team and others within the firm including partners and fee earners, across a number of varied projects.

Responsibilities

• Events: Organisation of BD events and attendance by fee earners at conferences and seminars.
• Directory and award submissions: Producing high quality awards and directory submissions as required by the firm.
• Pitching and marketing collateral: Supporting on pitches with the BD Manager and leading on pitches as appropriate with the fee earners - utilising best practice and producing high quality, tailored pitch and other marketing collateral as required.
• BD tactics: Responsible for supporting the BD team to deliver business development tactics and materials in a timely and consistent fashion and to a high quality. This will include maintaining updated collateral, credentials, and standard pitch text as well as any mailing lists relevant to each practice area. You will also be involved in producing and sending out newsletters and invitations using a number of systems including InDesign and the firm's e-marketing software.
• Campaign management: Working closely with the Communications and Marketing manager to support the fee earners with campaigns on topics relevant to their practice areas utilising the full suite of BD and communications tactics. This includes support with digital content, social media posts and internal communications.
• CRM system engagement: Show best practice CRM usage by utilising the current CRM system to deliver client intelligence to support any relationship management activities and provide any required data entry and data management as needed. Encourage best practice in the fee earners, supporting and nudging as required.
• Sector projects: Lead on sector projects as required, including scheduling calls with the relevant fee earners, helping to set the agenda, taking minutes and following up on the actions. With support from the wider BD and marketing team, deliver a range of BD and marketing tactics as appropriate.
• Other activities as required: Central business development projects and responsibilities as they arise.

Experience and Skills Required

The successful candidate will have:

• At least two years' experience of working in a professional services business development environment, preferably within a law firm.
• An understanding and track record of delivering effective business development support in professional services.
• Excellent written, creative and organisational skills and be highly IT literate.
• Ideally educated to degree level.

Person Specification

Required and Desirable

Interpersonal Skills

• Ability to build rapport easily with team members and fee earners
• Excellent, clear communication skills
• Proactive and keen to get stuck in
• Consistently delivers high quality outputs
• Ability to use initiative
• Team player
• Basic project management experience

Market Knowledge

• Interest in Private Wealth & Property sectors
• Law firm experience, understanding the business of law firms
• Experience of private wealth /property law firm marketing

Business Development Skills

• Understanding and track record of providing BD support and advice, having worked directly with fee earners
• Client focused in every output
• Clear and concise writing skills with experience in drafting directory and award submissions
• Pitching and proposals support
• Event support skills
• Managed and created marketing and BD collateral
• Commerciality
• Taken the lead on some pitches
• Coordinated awards and directory submissions

Organisational Skills

• Excellent organisational skills
• Flexible in approach
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to juggle multiple projects, hit deadlines and manage stakeholder expectations

IT Skills

Excellent skills in:

• Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
• Experience of using CRM databases

Knowledge of:

• Indesign design software (or similar)
• WordPress
• Vuture or similar email marketing system

Education

Required and Desirable

• Educated to A level or equivalent
• Excellent standard of both written and spoken English
• Educated to degree level
• Postgraduate Marketing qualification