BD & Communications Manager - Responsible Business

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Business Development and Communications Manager to join our Marketing team, based in A&O Shearman's London Office.

Marketing Team - London
Our Marketing team helps the firm 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
You will support day-to-day business development for responsible business by converting strategy into tactical plans that you deliver in an efficient, disciplined and collaborative way across the global network.
Through client engagement, you will play a crucial role in advancing the firm's commitment to responsible business practices, including inclusion, well-being, social impact - including pro bono - and sustainability activities. You will work with partners and responsible business teams to advise the business on ways to elevate our profile, build our reputation and foster relationships to support and expand our responsible business agenda.
The role involves leveraging our responsible business narrative and supporting a bench of responsible business spokespeople and representatives - our inclusion, social impact and well-being partners, as well as engaged senior associates - to communicate the firm's responsible business strategy and actions. This is instrumental in building the firm's global reputation, deepening client relationships and attracting and retaining the best talent.
The role also incorporates developing and executing strategic client engagement initiatives with clients, and advising partners, supporting them to become credible spokespeople on responsible business, in order to build and strengthen client relationships.

Strategic planning and execution

• Lead the development of the firm's responsible business client engagement program
• Create and deliver a responsible business BD engagement strategy based on the firm's responsible business goals by
  • Establishing and managing multi-client events with priority and potential clients to create relationship building opportunities - both online and in person - and bring in fee earners to take part in the events to help them to build their networks.
  • Managing preparation and production of the Voices for Change podcast, including briefing the hosts and partnering with them to brief the guests, liaising with an external copywriter, the AV and communications teams to edit and produce the video and prepare communications for all internal and external comms channels.
• Report back on the performance of the client engagement program, and make suggestions for improvements and adaptations to further drive return on investment.

Client engagement

• Support the development and activation of alliances and programs, in line with the firm's current internal procedures and sign offs. Examples include managing participation in a client's inclusivity taskforce, the firm's involvement in a multi-client GC-led inclusion initiative or advising on bespoke client development opportunities.

AI and technology

• Use approved marketing function AI tools, including the function's agents for designated tasks, in line with the firm's AI usage policy.
• Complete the marketing function's mandatory AI capability program and develop applied AI skills relevant to the role, including the function's agents for designated tasks (in line with the firm's AI usage policy).
• Demonstrate progression in applied AI skills through tangible contribution to personal and team output.

Support a bench of responsible business spokespeople

• Help to upskill our inclusion, social impact and well-being partners - as well as rising star senior associates - to become advocates for responsible business both internally and externally, wherever they are in the world, e.g. through partner know how sessions, lunch and learns, etc.
• Guide those identified on how to optimize their social media presence (alongside the social media team) and share responsible business messaging and evidence points for their use with internal and external audiences.
• Match these fee earners with external and client speaker engagements and panel events, to help increase their profiles and skillsets.
• Work with subject matter experts to agree the best approach, content and spokespeople for client opportunities.

Advisory work

• Act as a trusted advisor to business leaders, partners, lawyers and communications teams to create opportunities for relationship building and business development around responsible business themes.
• Establish relationships with relationship partners for identified priority clients, to advise and equip them with messaging, evidence points and engagement opportunities (through responsible business client events and engagements) to help them build deeper, more meaningful relationships with clients off the back of our responsible business credentials.

Pursuit excellence

• Seek opportunities to input into pitches beyond the questionnaires, talking points, presentations, and relationship management meetings, in order to demonstrate our commitment to responsible business practices.

Market profile, content and campaigns

• Execute event and campaign tasks across channels; track engagement metrics and report simple ROI indicators.
• Brief an liaise with events team who will manage client event logistics and follow-up within agreed timelines and budgets.
• Ensure consistent, evidence-based messaging and in all client engagement materials and event talking points.

Collaboration and integration

• Work closely with colleagues across BD/marketing/comms team to:
  • ensure a unified and informed approach to responsible business communications and client engagement across the full suite of internal and external communications, and social media channels.
  • drive understanding and interest in offices holding their own local events.
  • roll out best practice templates to other countries and present in relevant meetings to drive awareness and engagement.
• Create client engagement opportunities aligned with the firm's key global responsible business campaigns, including International Women's Day, Pride, World Mental Health Day and the global social impact partnership.
• Bring the outside in by sharing insights and best practice with internal stakeholders to support the firm's overall responsible business strategy and objectives.
• Escalate blockers and propose practical fixes.

What you will have

• Proven experience executing business development activities in professional services.
• Understanding of the current inclusion landscape and a passion for developing and maintaining an inclusive working environment.
• Intellectual curiosity about responsible business practices, including inclusion, sustainability, well-being and social impact, and their application in a corporate environment.
• An understanding of client needs combined with a proactive instinct to shape business development activities in line with these insights.
• Strong project management and stakeholder skills; clear, persuasive communications style and experience with client and partner engagement.
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively convey complex information and strategies.
• Comfortable with data and research; confident using client data management systems (e.g., Dynamics), experience and pipeline systems.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data to affect decision-making and illustrate the impact of initiatives.
• Highly organized, proactive and resilient; strong attention to detail and follow-through across multiple priorities.
• Strong client focus and ability to work well with busy lawyers while balancing deadlines.
• A successful team player who can demonstrate initiative and the ability to be proactive, creative and tenacious.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Occasional travel as required.

What we can offer you
To learn more about the culture and benefits available at A&O Shearman, please visit: Culture and benefits | A&O Shearman careers
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.

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.

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Additional information - External

A&O Shearman is a global industry-leading law firm, with nearly 50 offices in nearly 30 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 an inclusive environment, 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.