Marketing & Business Development Manager

The department

HFW’s Marketing & Business Development Department is comprised of teams that look after the regional offices, industry groups, and marketing operations (including communications, events, graphic design and the CRM system).

Our commodities lawyers act across the spectrum of the international sale of goods, including soft commodities, oil and gas, coal and steel, and non-ferrous and precious metals. Our worldwide clients include multinational energy and chemical companies, coal and metal traders, soft commodity trading houses, trade finance banks, governments and their agencies, brokers, insurers and trade associations. Our focus is on assisting our clients to finance, develop and grow their businesses, to guard against risks, to help them to seek access to new markets, to deal with fast-changing international regulations and to assist them to resolve disputes.

The role

Interested in working closely with some of the industry’s leading practitioners alongside a collaborative business development and marketing team? This role provides an opportunity for the right individual to see their good ideas become a reality with a flat management structure that will give you visibility at the top of the organisation.

Our firm’s entrepreneurial spirit means that you will be working with proactive partners and will be provided with an environment to develop your business development and marketing skills further.

Job purpose

Using their understanding of the Commodities sector, the Marketing & Business Development Manager will take a lead on business development and marketing activities for the international Commodities group in order to:

• Further its profile and position in identified markets and in response to market developments and opportunities
• Develop key client relationships
• Contribute to driving revenue growth. 

Working collaboratively with the central marketing team, the Marketing & Business Development Manager will be responsible for delivering on the group’s M&BD plan and priority actions – managing a range of strategically aligned marketing and client development activities, and ensuring plans are delivered in a timely and efficient manner. To do so, the Marketing & Business Development Manager will be expected to develop strong and influential relationships with the international Group Head, partners, fee earners, marketing and other colleagues internationally.

Key responsibilities

• In consultation with the international Gorup Head, key partners and the Head of M&BD, lead the development and delivery of the agreed M&BD strategy and priority objectives for the Commodities group.
• Aligned with the above, develop and implement international business development and marketing campaigns, including budget recommendations and the subsequent management of approved budget.
• Support the group’s London-based fee earners on their general M&BD activity.
• Working collaboratively with the central marketing team, ensure the Commodities practice is effectively integrated in international cross-practice business development, communications and development client activities.
• Utilising internal and external sources, including working with Knowledge Counsel and other specialist in-house resources, understand and research the Commodities sector in order to proactively create business development opportunities, including researching client and target activity as well as trends in specific market segments, and harnessing cross-sell opportunities whenever appropriate.   
• Draft high impact value-add pitch, RFP/ITT and capability documents which respond to specific client/target requests and position HFW as the go-to lawyers in the Commodities sector.
• Actively manage the Commodities practice’s participation in the firm’s client development programme, including the continued development and implementation of those client accounts relevant to the practice.
• Working collaboratively with the Director of Communications (and Knowledge Counsel when appropriate), devise and implement an effective PR plan with a view to positioning the Commodities practice as a thought leader on particular topics/themes.
• Working with the central marketing team, manage the requirements for all marketing materials and activities in support of the business development programme for the Commodities practice, including (but not limited to) brochures, client/market research, directory submissions, website content, client bulletins/briefings, seminars, conferences, reporting/ROI.
• It will be expected that the Marketing & Business Development Manager:
  • Seeks to understand the business as a whole and is able to consider the impact of other BD/client activity taking place across the firm impacts the Commodities practice and respond accordingly and vice versa. 
  • Ensures that our branding approach is implemented consistently and effectively and that messaging reflects national, regional and international requirements as appropriate.
  • Develops effective relationships with specialist in-house resources. 
  • Internal systems (such as InterAction and Vuture) are used to full effect.
  • Understands the international legal sector in general and the firm’s competitive positioning in core sectors.
• Works collaboratively with the central marketing team to maintain and develop best practice processes and knowledge sharing, including regular reporting of business development activities and ROI.
• Any other ad hoc duties as may be required

Key skills & experience required

• Degree level and professional services (ideally legal) industry experience.
• Ideally, an understanding of the Commodities sector.
• Proven ability of working across all levels of business, preferably within a multi-jurisdictional environment.
• Demonstrable experience of initiating and implementing successful business development and marketing communications activities, including managing and leading integrated sector-focused and client development plans; developing and implementing business plans; managing pitch process;
• Strong delivery focus, with a track record of doing so to deadlines.
• Proactive individual with excellent organisation/project management skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills including oral/written communications, influencing, diplomacy, flexibility, tenacity.
• Ability to work on own initiative, show innovation and develop projects.
• Strong IT skills including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, InterAction (or similar CRM database).

Additional information

Please note that this job description is not contractual, and may be amended periodically to meet the changing needs of the Firm.

HFW aims to ensure equality of opportunity and we are actively working towards improving the diversity of our staff. All applications will be considered only on merit and the applicant’s suitability to meet the requirements of the role.

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