Global Head of Pitching & Pursuits

A&O Shearman; London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A global law firm seeks a Global Head of Pitching & Pursuits in London to lead a centralized pitch team dedicated to enhancing proposal quality and win rates. This strategic role involves fostering best practices, using technology and AI, and ensuring client-focused pitching. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership, communication skills, and senior pitching experience within professional services, contributing significantly to business development goals.

Benefits

Occupational pension scheme

Private medical insurance

Mental health resources

Onsite gym access

Flexible working opportunities

Qualifications

• Substantial relevant senior pitching experience within professional or financial services.
• Proven track record of implementing successful pitch strategies.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the global and centralized pitch team to enhance efficiency.
• Develop and maintain client feedback mechanisms for pitch improvements.
• Automate and streamline tasks within the pitching process.

Skills

Communication

Stakeholder Management

Analytical Skills

Client Focus

Job description

Job description

We are recruiting for a Global Head of Pitching & Pursuits to join our Marketing, Business Development and Communications team.

Department purpose

Our Marketing, Business Development and Communications (MBD&C) team contributes to the setting and achievement of the firm's business objectives, which include supporting our partners and associates in their pursuit of becoming our clients' trusted advisers, building and maintaining long-lasting, deep institutional client relationships, winning new clients, increasing the visibility of the firm globally, and positioning the firm as the thought leader among the global elite law firms. The function works as one team across the globe with very close collaboration between the central groups and professionals supporting offices, practice groups, sectors, and clients.

Role purpose

This position is a leadership role focused on the delivery of pitches and proposals and the management of a global and centralised pitch team. The creation of A&O Shearman provides a compelling opportunity for the right candidate to make a material difference in terms of how we win business. In this global role, you will be an agent for change, positively disrupting the way we have traditionally approached pitching by focusing on driving a support model that improves the efficiency of the pitch process, ensures quality and alignment with the firm's strategy and materially improves our win rate. Additionally, you will provide senior leadership and advice on pitches and pursuits of strategic importance to the firm.

Key relationships

• Chief Marketing Officer
• Managing Director – Global Business Development
• Chief of Staff – MBD&C
• Head of Marketing Services
• Global Head of Change Management
• Regional and departmental BD Heads
• Marketing leadership team
• Pitches and proposals team
• Learning and development team
• Members of the wider MBD&C team

Role and responsibilities:

Client centricity:

• Facilitate high quality pitches that address clients' current and future needs.
• In conjunction with the research and insights team, ensure we are always pitching with an informed view of our client's strategy.
• Embed systems and processes for monitoring success and loss rates.
• Conduct debriefs and analysis of feedback on our performance on strategic global pitches and pursuits. Use this information and analysis to improve the quality of our future proposals.
• Develop client feedback mechanisms to continuously refine and improve pitch strategies.
• Work with offices and practices that need to improve their win rate.

Best practice and continuous improvement:

• Working closely in conjunction with the Head of Change Management, lead the ongoing development and implementation of a global and scaled team of dedicated pitch specialists operating a '24/5' follow-the-sun resource model that provides a competitive advantage to the business.
• Deliver best-in-class pitch training and coaching across relevant areas of the business encompassing all aspects of the pitch process ensuring best practice is adopted and followed across the globe.
• Focus on the evolution and innovation of the approach to pitching with continuous process improvement and quality assurance.
• Implement a set of criteria to pair the size of the opportunity with the level and type of resources applied (e.g. central v local and lawyer time).
• Develop and maintain a repository of best practices and successful pitch templates to be used across the firm.

Technology and AI:

• Automate and streamline global, scalable, repetitive tasks that are part of the pitching process by deploying relevant technology.
• Explore how generative AI can be incorporated across the pitching lifecycle.
• Ensure alignment of our approach to pitching with the firm's CRM system.
• Implement advanced analytics tools to track and measure the effectiveness of pitch strategies.
• Stay up to date with the latest technological advancements and integrate new tools that can enhance the pitch process.

A winning mindset:

• Set and deliver against targets to achieve a higher overall win rate on our pitches.
• Align our approach to pitching with our global and local client strategy. This includes advising on go/no-go decisions.
• Play an active part in the development of the pitching pricing strategy, working with the lead partners and finance team to create competitive alternative fee proposals.
• Maintain an informed view of the firm's sales pipeline, and overall win/loss/pending statistics.
• Prepare regular analysis reports on our pitching performance for the CMO, Marketing Leadership Team, and the firm's Executive Committee.

Team leadership:

• Lead by example, act as a member of the BD leadership team.
• Line management of relevant team members.
• Motivate, develop, and inspire both their own team and lawyers to deliver business goals and drive change.
• Encourage a collaborative and inclusive team environment across the global virtual team that values diverse perspectives and ideas.

Key requirements

• The ability to influence, challenge persuade and manage key stakeholders.
• Outstanding communicator, writer, and storyteller, who can bring creativity to how we win business.
• A proactive approach laser-focused on increasing the firm's pitch conversion rate.
• Strong client and market focus.
• Substantial relevant senior pitching experience, likely to be within a professional or financial services organization.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, act with autonomy, and influence senior stakeholders.
• Politically astute with the ability to make tough decisions and follow through.
• Experience of managing and developing the careers of a high-performing team.
• Ability to thrive under pressure, and work to tight deadlines.
• Proven track record of implementing successful pitch strategies and managing successful pitch teams in a global context.
• Strong analytical skills to assess pitch performance and identify areas for improvement.

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.

We recognise the value of flexible working and embraces hybrid working, allowing our people to work from home up to 40% of their working time. We do however remain committed to working together in person for the remaining 60% of time so that we can learn, grow and succeed together.

Additional information - External

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in 29 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world’s leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.