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We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Client and Business Development Manager to join our Marketing team on a 12-month fixed term contract. The role is being recruited for within the A&O Shearman London office, with applications also welcomed from candidates across wider Europe. Marketing team – LondonOur Marketing team helps the firm to win and grow the right clients and work. We drive client development across the firm – deepening priority relationships, increasing share of wallet and converting strategic opportunities into profitable revenue. We equip partners with effective go-to-market strategies, tactics and processes, differentiated insights and disciplined execution. Alongside this, we strengthen the firm’s market profile and reputation to support client acquisition, retention, and growth. We work as one integrated global team, aligning central support and expertise with local knowledge and execution to maximize impact across offices, practice groups, sectors and client programs. What you will do This is a global senior business development role within our Global Sector Programme, responsible for leading the strategic direction and commercial delivery of two of the firm’s priority sectors – Consumer & Retail and Chemicals. This role will work alongside the Consumer & Retail and Chemicals sector lead partners to shape and deliver each sector’s strategic agenda.The role is built around three core objectives spanning both sectors:Working with the Consumer & Retail and Chemicals sector teams to execute their respective business plans, driving sustainable growth and increased revenue. This includes identifying market opportunities, shaping go-to-market strategies, and coordinating cross-practice initiatives.Identifying and managing the firm’s relationships with a defined set of priority clients across the two sectors.Raising the profile of each sector both internally and externally through targeted campaigns, thought leadership, events, and strategic communications to enhance visibility and strengthen the firm’s reputation in each area.The role also acts as a trusted advisor to colleagues in the BD, marketing and comms team on our positioning across Consumer & Retail and Chemicals. Together with the partner sector leads, this role will also build and foster a community of lawyers interested in these areas.Responsibilities; Work with the Consumer & Retail and Chemicals leadership teams to help them identify key priorities and lead the development and implementation of the sector’s business plans.Manage the priority client programme for both sectors, including facilitating regular check-ins between sector leads and client relationship partners (RPs) and gather data to support the review of RPs and client reviewsTake specific account management responsibilities for a defined set of the priority clients including: Support RPs in the management of priority client relationships.Develop a comprehensive understanding of the structure, operations and strategic direction of these clients; and build an understanding of how and where the firm can best position itself in relation to these clients and their position in the wider context of their relevant sectors.Execute client account plans to give structure to the relationship building efforts, and to continue to assess the opportunities and coverage.Produce client-related business analysis including: client strategy, client structures, revenue and profitability (including gap analysis), relationship mapping, market share, competitor activity, developments in the client’s markets and client needs analysis.Oversee the maintenance of a flow of market and client intelligence (including key client contact moves and developments) to partners and associates in order to help identify client talking points and engagement opportunities.Work on client listening programmes as appropriate; carrying out pitch debriefs, matter reviews, relationship reviews and market studies to inform our client and BD strategies. Assimilate the feedback into reports for the relevant partners, and proactively work with the partners to ensure that the feedback in the report is actioned appropriately.Keep current on commercial and legal issues affecting the two sectors, to help identify specific opportunities with clients and also to inform overall direction of marketing collateral, campaigns and thought leadership.Lead the development of sector campaigns, content and knowhow including through feeding back client intelligence and perspectives on key hot topics, priorities and strategies. Work with relevant partners, BD colleagues, knowledge lawyers and content teams as appropriate to assess and implement suitable campaigns to build the firm’s profile in each of sectors.Identify and manage A&O Shearman’s engagement with appropriate market facing opportunities for Consumer & Retail and Chemicals including conferences and industry associations with the overall goal of boosting market-standing and raising profile.Take responsibility for the global BD budgets for Consumer & Retail and Chemicals, ensuring that all external marketing and business development activities are delivered in the most cost-effective manner and within budget.Work with the sector leadership teams to create opportunities within the firm for sector focused lawyers to come together as a community to share information and insights.Identify and manage A&O Shearman’s engagement with appropriate market facing opportunities for Consumer & Retail and Chemicals including conferences and industry associations with the overall goal of boosting market-standing and raising profile.Take responsibility for the global BD budgets for Consumer & Retail and Chemicals, ensuring that all external marketing and business development activities are delivered in the most cost-effective manner and within budget.Work with the sector leadership teams to create opportunities within the firm for sector focused lawyers to come together as a community to share information and insights. What you will have Extensive professional services marketing and business development experienceAn understanding of the Consumer & Retail and Chemicals sectors, or a willingness to develop such understanding.CRM experience and client focus with the ability to cultivate direct client relationships.Self-motivated, proactive and tenacious; able to work under pressure.Commercially astute with a good understanding of financial metrics and profit levers.Strategic and creative thinker.Business analysis and desk research experience.Strong influencing skills coupled with the ability to challenge appropriately.Politically astute – can make tough decisions and follow through; anticipates future areas of risk for the practice and takes appropriate action to address these.Excellent communication skills.Strong attention to detail.Proactive, creative, tenacious and resilient; adopts a growth mindset and encourages others to do the same.A team player and highly collaborative. What we can offer youWe 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. 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.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.NO AGENCIES PLEASE – A&O Shearman does not accept unsolicited CVs. For further information, please see our UK Recruitment Agency Policy and our commitment to direct sourcing here.
