Senior Business Development Executive

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.

You can expect:

• A competitive salary and a host of family friendly policies
• Life assurance, private health and dental care for you and your family
• A range of flexible benefits including gym discount and retail vouchers
• Tech, cycle and electric car schemes
• The opportunity to support the firm's charity through volunteering leave
• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when our people experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects.

Responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership and support, the key responsibilities of the role include:

• Business planning and implementation
  • Coordinate the formulation and implementation of the Stephenson Harwood Wei Tu China association's business development plan
  • Develop a strategic, cross-practice approach to the association in Shanghai and Guangzhou, working in conjunction with relevant members of the GC BD team and other key stakeholders
  • Drive firm-wide or regional BD initiatives as appropriate 

• Pitches, proposals and tender submissions
  • Assist in the preparation of pitches and proposals in both English and Chinese, working with partners and legal teams on pitch strategy and approach
  • Develop strong key selling messages for the practice, to be deployed consistently in pitches and submissions
  • Monitor the updating and maintaining of pitch support material for the practice group including credentials, pitch templates and CVs

• Marketing literature
  • Working with secretaries to create, amend and update profile sheets/CVs for lawyers, maintaining and updating the profile sheet log
  • Liaising with designer/studio in London BD team to support the production of marketing collateral
  • Managing reception area displays of marketing literature
  • Proofreading of marketing literature
  • Uploading and maintaining documents on the Intranet (QUEST)

• Legal directories and awards submissions
  • Dealing with directory submissions, ensuring deadlines for entry are met and all the relevant information is supplied
  • Drafting submissions and preparing referee spreadsheets for each submission
  • Maintaining and updating the directories log
  • Co-ordinating research interviews - liaising with the partners and the external researchers, building good relationships, providing the partners with all the necessary/relevant information, dealing with queries and last-minute requests for information, scheduling/rescheduling appointments, booking rooms and conference calls
  • Updating rankings and commentary documents (including profile sheets) for practice groups following publication

• Client relationship management
  • Keep abreast of client issues to enable proactive identification of business opportunities
  • Working with the GC BD team & learning & development team to support the development of client relationship skills of the lawyers
  • Undertake client research and analysis as required
  • Support the implementation of the global key client programme, including potentially taking CRM responsibility for one or more clients
  • Liaise with lawyers on articles for external publications and with PSLs and knowledge management on content for client materials.
  • Creating, managing and quality controlling marketing lists for newsletter mailshots and event invitations via the firm’s InterAction system

• Management of information, projects and budgets
  • Contribute ideas to improving processes and systems within the team and take responsibility for such projects as appropriate
  • Coordinate the practice group's BD budget and ensure suggested BD activities represent best possible return on investment

• Internal and external communications, social media platforms
  • Drafting news update and work with lawyers and London communication team to prepare QUEST, LINKEDIN, WECHAT posts
  • Managing the firm’s WeChat account

• Events
  • Assisting events from start to finish on behalf of practice areas, including client seminars and social events both in Greater China
  • Monitor events budget and ensure suggested BD activities represent best possible return on investment

• General BD team co-ordination and support
  • Checking presentations for brand compliance and making amends/recommendations as appropriate
  • Updating various practice group related memberships and directory listings
  • Maintaining order of the BD storage space. Keeping a log of items stored
  • Assisting global BD teams with requests for information and marketing literature

Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.

• Appropriate undergraduate/postgraduate degree qualification(s)
• At least five years' experience working in a BD role in a law firm or other professional services environment
• Strong written English and Mandarin
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a broader team
• Self-motivated and proactive
• Confidence in dealing with partners and lawyers
• Excellent organisational and communication skills
• Ability to prioritise and manage workload under pressure
• High degree of attention to detail
• Proven ability to establish professional credibility
• Excellent team worker and able to work well within a job share capacity
• Flexibility of working outside normal office hours where necessary

This job description is indicative only and does not represent an exhaustive list of responsibilities. The firm reserves the right to alter or change the responsibilities at any time, in line with the firm's strategy and business needs.

We are an equal opportunity organisation, committed to having a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, culture, or any other protected characteristics. We aim to create a culture where everyone can be themselves and is valued for their strengths and unique perspectives .

Stephenson Harwood is an international law firm, and we're committed to creating 'positive partnerships' with our clients. We represent listed and private companies, institutions and individuals, building lasting relationships to help them succeed in a complex andever-changing world.

Our focus is on five core sectors: Energy Transition, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Private Capital and Funds, Technology, and Transportation and Trade.

With more than 1,400 people, including 210+ partners, across eight offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we combine deep legal capabilities and broad commercial expertise. We have also forged close ties with high quality law firms around the world, blending local knowledge with global savvy for clients in over 100 countries.

We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

Our brand strengths:

• GO FAR, GO TOGETHER
• EXPERTS IN MORE THAN LAW
• CAN DO PERSONALITIES
• ALWAYS READY