Job Description

We are recruiting a BD Manager to join our London office, providing support to the ENRI practice.

Department purpose
Our business development, marketing and communication teams contribute to the setting and achievement of the firm's business objectives, which includes 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 and most advanced law firm among the global elite law firms. The function works as one team across the globe with very close collaboration between the central groups - such as Communications or Events - and professionals supporting offices, practice groups, sectors and clients. We have business development (BD) team embedded in, and dedicated to supporting, the global practice and sector groups and this role supports the London Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure practice and assists the Global Head of BD for ENRI and the wider team with practice wide initiatives.

A&O Shearman's (AOS) global Energy team is at the forefront of this sector, providing clients with advice on matters relating to power and utilities (including IWPPs), transmission and distribution, carbon capture and storage, oil & gas (up, mid and downstream and LNG) and climate change. AOS provides pioneering advice on the entire lifecycle of these assets, from the consenting and planning process, through to the construction, financing, operation, maintenance and ultimately their refinancing or sale. We advise sellers and acquirers (on M&A transactions), project sponsors, corporates, financial/passive investors, suppliers, manufacturers, governments and debt funders (including banks, bond arrangers, ECAs, DFIs and multilaterals) on energy transactions globally.

Role purpose
This role is focused on the implementation of the BD strategy for the global ENRI group. The role will involve supporting the practice to win more work and the practice's broader energy activities working collaboratively across borders on sector driven BD activities (focusing on pitches), campaigns and initiatives. This is a great opportunity for someone with an interest in the energy and infrastructure sectors looking for a targeted role that spans one of A&O Shearman's core departments and two of its priority sector groups. The role requires a 'hands-on' approach to marketing and BD. Being adept at achieving results through detailed work and building relationships and influence within the practice will be essential to success.

Role and responsibilities

• Proposals and Credentials - leading in preparing proposals, pitch presentations and credentials statements for ENRI proposals. Creating and maintaining base documents to support the wider ENRI BD network to facilitate consistent go-to-market client materials. Capture proposal outcomes and prompt fee earns to act upon feedback.
• Strategy - work closely with the ENRI partners and Head of ENRI BD to develop a comprehensive and actionable strategy to facilitate revenue growth.
• Systems/Processes - liaise with the wider ENRI group to manage internal marketing systems and tools, including tracking and reporting marketing budget spend, maintaining effective mailing lists, ensuring team members are prompted to review and update intranet and internet pages and coordination the reporting of statistics on completion of experience records. The role holder will have a key part to play in making suggestions to enhance the efficiency and operation of these tools across the ENRI BD team.
• Directories, awards and league tables- lead in creating directory and award submissions to increase the market presence of the practice. Take the lead and be responsible for accurately capturing required league table information and submitting to various league table providers.
• BD Tactics - responsible for the timeliness, consistency and quality of BD tools. Works with PAs to ensure email distribution and target lists are kept up to date, maintain updated collateral, credentials, contact cards and CVs, and track and ensure deal information is regularly and accurately captured in the firm's experience system.
• Client events and hospitality - proactively identify appropriate client entertainment opportunities with fee earners and the CRM team. Challenge partners where appropriate on best use of hospitality opportunities and marketing budget spend. Track marketing spend against clients and individuals/teams within clients to ensure activities are aligned with overall strategic priorities.
• Internal communications - oversee the maintenance of a flow of market/client intelligence (e.g. pipeline deals, major players, market shares, key client contact moves and developments) to partners and associates.
• Campaign management - work with the BD and Communications team plus the partners, senior associates and the knowledge team to execute integrated business development campaigns, where appropriate. Plan relevant roundtables and client seminars to raise awareness of our expertise across the sectors. Liaise with the Communications/PR team to develop stronger external profile for the selected product areas.
• Additional projects - opportunity to assist in firm wide, local, departmental or practice area projects.
• Market and client research - to support business planning activities.
• Client account management - assist partners, associates and BD colleagues in the management of strategic client relationships and coordinate client targeting efforts across energy transition. Work with the central client relationship management (CRM) team on specific client tactics, including secondee briefs, client presentations and training etc. Develop an in-depth knowledge of the key clients in the market. Ensure regular sharing of information on client activities across the product groups.

Key requirements

• Experience and understanding of the energy, infrastructure and natural resources sectors.
• Relevant business development and marketing experience at an equivalent BD level within a professional service organisation or in the sector.
• Enthusiasm to develop an in-depth understanding of the projects, energy and infrastructure sectors (in terms of the market, the deals, the key players, the competition, and the actual structures and approaches involves in this area).
• Excellent communication skills - both written and oral
• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills - with partners, key associates, and business development colleagues, clients and suppliers. Ability to motivate fee-earners to engage on business development projects and to work with them to develop and implement business development plans.
• A proactive approach, balancing creativity, tenacity and energy.
• High attention to detail and strong client focus.
• Proven track record of achieving business objectives.
• Professional, creative, good humoured and enthusiastic approach to all work and interactions.
• Ability to motivate, develop and inspire both the team and fee earners to deliver business goals and change behaviour where required. Draws on experience to manage change.
• Ability to work to deadline, juggle multiple projects and deliver under pressure. The skill to plan ahead, anticipate one's own workload and knowing how to work with busy fee earners, balancing conflicting priorities and does not over commit to unrealistic deliverables - always manages expectations.

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.