Business Development Manager - Disputes (12 month FTC)

Taylor Wessing

Taylor Wessing is a global law firm that serves the world's most innovative people and businesses. Deeply embedded within our sectors, we work closely together with our clients to crack complex problems, enabling ideas and aspirations to thrive. Together we challenge expectation and create extraordinary results. By shaping the conversation in our sectors, we enable our clients to unlock growth, protect innovation and accelerate ambition. 

With 1200+ lawyers, 300+ partners, 28 offices and 17 jurisdictions we are looking to expand our Business Development  team, with the addition of a Business Development Manager - Disputes (12 month FTC).

The opportunity for you

This is a fantastic opportunity to join our highly respected International Disputes & Investigations team.

This role is a maternity cover and will suit an established manager looking to build on their experience within a Disputes practice. You'll work closely with international partners and other lawyers to continue to implement the strategy, build on the client development and profile-raising work that has already been done and continue to create a more structured approach to BD activities. The role is also central to helping the firm develop a more commercial outlook to its clients and its work. You'll provide BD support, insight and advice to fee earners.

We'd want you to have a proactive attitude and an engaging and energetic style. We need someone who can get to know the business quickly and develop and manage a broad range of relationships skillfully and effectively. We need someone who will take a hands-on approach to tasks and who will get things done.

You'll report to the Head of Practice Management and Head of Business Development and have line management responsibility for a Senior Executive based in our Liverpool office. You'll also work alongside BD Managers covering Disputes and associated areas in other TW jurisdictions. In the UK you'll work alongside BD teams for other key areas such as Corporate, IP, TMC, Life Sciences, and Private Wealth.

You'll be a part of a BD, Marketing and Communications (BDMC) team that is already well-established and respected within the firm by partners and other fee-earners for its high standard of service and the ideas and commitment it brings to business development.

Key responsibilities

Business Development

• Overall management of BDMC activity with clients and targets for the Disputes & Investigations (D&I) group.
• Work with key partners to help articulate the strategic direction of the group, identify key priorities, and lead on the implementation development of the group's strategic plans.
• Facilitate the business planning process and turn objectives into BD and client actions.
• Advise on BD investment decisions, with responsibility for the practice group BD budget in the UK and internationally.
• Manage a team of one in the UK to ensure that BD initiatives are supported adequately.

International

• Launch of key D&I brand campaign alongside the wider BDMC team, head of disputes and BD partner, monitor ROI and ensure KPIs are met.
• Work closely with the international partner co-heads of D&I on the group's international strategy.
• Lead on cross-border BD initiatives with a core team of partners from across the Taylor Wessing international offices, connecting and spotting opportunities for international collaboration.
• Manage regular calls with local country heads of D&I to discuss and develop cross-border client and marketfacing initiatives.
• Proactively manage international participation at major industry events, speaking opportunities and international conferences (eg, on Product Liability and International Arbitration).
• Prepare regular reports on international group activity for the Global Board.

Key Account Management

• Guide and challenge partners on new opportunities, assessing whether opportunities fit with the strategy (doing fewer things better).
• Identify business leads and emerging opportunities through use of our industry memberships, market research and analysis.
• Proactively manage targeting programmes. Lead on the creation and implementation of targeting plans and initiatives to drive revenue growth.
• Advise client teams on strategies to enhance client relationships, identify market opportunities, network with key contacts and help cultivate a growth mind-set.
• Undertake analysis of the current client base and work with client partners to ensure that all business development opportunities are being thoroughly exploited.
• Work on the firm's client listening programme – including client service reviews and post-pitch and matter reviews.
• Develop and implement client plans to tackle Whitespace opportunities with the client teams. Lead on relationship mapping activity (internationally where necessary) and work with client teams to implement contact-marking plans.

Bids, proposals and credentials management

• Lead important bids, shape the narrative, help draft compelling sales copy and rehearse teams.
• Advise on pricing strategies, helping determine competitive and profitable fee arrangements.
• Develop junior team members and help them develop advanced and commercial bids skills.
• Thought leadership, marketing and communications
• Implement a profile strategy for the group, working closely with the PR and comms team.
• Drive the BD, marketing and communications plan for the D&I group and its various sub-groups – including oversight of content marketing, digital media, marketing collateral, events, speaking opportunities and legal directories.
• Launch the international leadership campaign and lead on their execution for profile and revenue growth, ensuring that each thought leadership project has a sales plan which is owned and driven by the partner sponsor and key stakeholders.
• Develop your own external network through intermediaries, industry events and attending networking events to sell the firm and connect attendees with appropriate TW lawyers.

Coaching and development

• Help partners and associates become more effective in their BD efforts through coaching and skills building, as well as through embedding enhanced processes and infrastructure.
• Support and coach associates through their promotion to senior associate and mentor senior associates through their promotion to senior counsel and partnership.

Measuring success

• Prepare reports for the Business Group Leadership Team, Sector Heads and Practice Area Leaders on client and business development performance.
• Lead on team communications and internal reporting using various dashboards, reports and systems as required.

Knowledge, skills and experience

This role is a busy and demanding position, but it's also hugely satisfying and rewarding to work as part of a dynamic and ambitious team. You should be able to demonstrate:

• A high level of personal credibility, impact and influence with proven ability to work effectively and persuasively at all levels of the business.
• An ability to provide commercial and proactive advice on business development, marketing and communications issues – based on knowledge of legal services and ideally Disputes & Investigations.
• Previous BD experience at manager level with practical experience of a variety of BD roles including pitches, account management, thought leadership and team management.
• A can-do attitude with a bias for action. The ability to take the initiative and ownership for projects, and the drive to get things done.
• Excellent team management and communication skills. Able to display empathy and emotional intelligence, especially in relation to working with international colleagues and understanding the different dynamics of international BD.
• A proactive, tenacious and creative approach and an ability to make tough decisions and follow through with them.
• A flexible mindset and an ability to work to deadlines, juggle multiple projects, work with ambiguity, and deliver under pressure.
• Strong organisational skills and an excellent attention to detail.
• A knowledge of CRM systems and a familiarity with generating meaningful data and reporting for business intelligence and targeting purposes.
• Ambition, drive, likeability and a strong work ethic.

Benefits

Here are a select few benefits that Taylor Wessing offer; 

• Hybrid working (Offering the opportunity to work remotely, while maintaining a social boundary by working from our award-winning offices for 3 days a week) 
• Holiday (Our basic annual holiday entitlement starts at 25 days, with a further discretionary day of paid leave in December. You may also purchase up to five extra days each year (pro rata). 
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity leave (After one-year service, you are entitled to up to 26 weeks leave full pay if you or your partner give birth or adopt a child). 

Along with these there are many more benefits we offer, with the addition of a comprehensive flexible benefits package available. 

Our culture

Nurturing a diverse, inclusive culture allows all of our talent to flourish, sparks creativity and powers innovation.  We continue to build a team that exemplifies inclusivity and reflects the firm's core values: creative, excellence, integrity, responsible, respect and team.  We value and celebrate the differences in who we are, what we have experienced and how we think, so all candidates will be treated fairly regardless of age, caring responsibilities, disability, gender identity, marital status, neurodiversity, pregnancy, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and socio-economic background.

The way we work

At Taylor Wessing, we never settle for average. We're creative thinkers, problem solvers and continuous learners who excel at what we do and believe our best work is still ahead of us. We are a firm that's large enough for you to achieve your ambitions, but connected enough to be a true community.  

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