Business Development Executive

Overview of the firm and function

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is a global law firm, providing business law advice of the highest quality. We want to be the law firm that clients turn to for legal advice where it most matters, wherever in the world that may be. The Firm has over 2,400 lawyers in 28 offices around the world, providing a comprehensive service to national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments.

Our people make our firm - we are a people business and want to create a welcoming and supportive environment where all can flourish. We see diversity as a strength which creates fresh perspectives and generates new ideas. We enjoy our work and are determined to do an outstanding job. We deliver best when working in teams.

We think and work globally - we don’t just say we are one firm; we act as one firm right across the world. We work wherever our clients need us. This is how we define ourselves, not by reference to where we have offices. Cross-border work isn’t just what we do, it is what we excel at. We understand what it really takes to work across different legal systems and commercial environments and to bridge language and cultural gaps.

We aim to add value in everything we do - we are passionate about helping our clients succeed. We use our experience and creativity to help clients make judgements and achieve their goals. In everything we do, we seek to make a real difference to the communities in which we operate.

About Marketing & Business Development (MBD)

MBD is a dynamic global team which includes business development specialists, research analysts, brand, marketing and communications experts. By working collaboratively, our team shapes the firm’s client strategy, completes analysis of complex business issues, targets opportunities, develops compelling proposals and creates content and marketing campaigns that lead our digital presence. Together, we define the client experience and shape the perception of Freshfields around the globe.

Role summary

This is a varied role requiring excellent teamworking and communication skills as well as the ability to build strong, trusted relationships with senior internal stakeholders and client contacts, and to work collaboratively with brand, marketing, communications, research and business development specialists across our global firm.

The Business Development Executive will have some experience of working for a global firm in a fast-paced, professional, and client-focused environment. They may have operated in a specialist team providing support to multiple practice groups, for example Pitching or Content, or they may have been focused on providing broader business development support to a particular practice group or sector. It is intended that any existing specialization, knowledge or expertise continues to be leveraged significantly within this role. However, they will have a propensity to learn and an interest in working with colleagues in newly formed teams to broaden their experience and skillset over the next year or so.

With this context, the role holder will be responsible for working collaboratively as part of the Global Business Development team for DR to:

- Understand the specific challenges and opportunities for DR, then support their Manager or Senior Manager to develop and execute a focused marketing and business development strategy that strengthens relationships with existing clients, targets new work and builds the global reputation of the firm
- Support the creation of compelling credentials, proposals and pitches to respond to fast turn-around bids, strategic panels or other opportunities to win work for DR
- Leverage marketing technology and tools to spot opportunities to develop existing clients and services, track key relationships, and measure the success of initiatives
- Help to develop DR content, campaigns or events to increase engagement with key clients and enhance the personal brands of leading practitioners and the firm’s global reputation
- Build trusted relationships with a specific group of senior internal stakeholders and MBD colleagues to achieve a ‘one team’ global mindset
- Be part of an agile and responsive bespoke service model based on mutual respect and appreciation of skillsets across the team
- Contribute to continuous improvement in the firm’s approach to business development, including proactive sharing of knowledge and data to centralised tools

Key requirements (skills/experience)
- Educated to degree level; with 2-4 years of working in a professional business environment (ideally legal, accountancy, technology, consultancy)
- Ability to work independently on own initiative, but also with strong teamworking skills
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, prioritize actions and meet strict, often quickly evolving deadlines
- Strong communication skills, with attention to detail in grammar and proofreading
- Good working knowledge of Microsof