Head of Business Development and Marketing

BCL is a top-tier law firm specialising in business crime, regulatory enforcement, complex tax investigations and litigation, serious and general crime, private client – high net worth representation, and data, privacy and cybersecurity law. We are experts in our field, consistently top-ranked by Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500, and recognised in The Times Best Law Firms, Who’s Who Legal and in GIR’s list of the world’s leading investigations firms.  We provide discreet, effective and expert advice to clients including companies, public bodies, public figures, senior executives and high net worth individuals.

Position Summary

A standout opportunity to join BCL as Head of BD and Marketing in this senior, strategic and advisory role and to be truly influential in advancing the direction and growth of the firm.

We have taken strides over the last five years in raising the profile of the firm through PR and marketing. To continue our development, we have identified the need for a dynamic and strategic Head of BD and Marketing to work collaboratively with senior management and our talented legal and business teams.

You will work with the Practice Development Director (PDD), the Managing Partner and partners to grow key relationships, identify opportunities for growth and implement the tactics and tools to make it happen. You will manage ongoing PR and marketing activities across the firm, aligning and driving our overall BD and marketing strategy and function, including managing outsourced specialist support.

This is the ideal role for a talented BD specialist, with excellent experience in the legal sector seeking a senior move. You will be naturally outgoing, self-motivated, possess strong communication and analytical skills. Grounded in the legal sector, you will bring natural influence and gravitas across the firm with the experience and ideas to challenge as well as advise and implement. The role will be high profile across the firm and externally across our networks and markets.

This is an outstanding opportunity for the right candidate to develop and build a pivotal role at the firm.

Key objectives and duties:

• You will be immersed in the world we operate in and continue to drive our brand and ensure that we are seen and known where we need to be.
• You will work with teams and individual lawyers’ on business development plans and activities including identifying leads, managing referral networks, collecting and sharing market and industry intelligence, creating opportunities and activities, tracking business development activity, identifying and ensuring the most is made of networking opportunities as well as identifying potential opportunities for new referral sources and business.
• You will advise and coach partners and lawyers in the strategy and tactics required to grow personal profiles and deliver personal BD plans as part of amplifying the firm’s growth plans and metrics.
• You will embed a firm-wide culture of business development, from junior lawyers to partners through strategic advice and ongoing development of lawyers’ BD knowledge and skills.
• You will play a demonstrable part in revenue growth through market intelligence, competitor analysis, the use of marketing data/intelligence and technology, and effective referral and client relationship management. This may include designing and implementing an Account Based Marketing (ABM) strategy and new key account/contact programmes.
• You will assist partners with developing and maintaining business connections/networks and provide advisory support to partners in identifying and achieving their objectives, including the use of external business consultants as required.
• Provide or assist with background market, network and client research, ensuring our lawyers have the tools and knowledge to be leaders in our field at all times.
• Work closely with the PDD, partners, lawyers and business service teams to develop and execute the marketing strategy and planning across all BCL’s markets to align with the firm’s business objectives.
• Encourage and lead greater collaboration between the firm’s practice areas through market intelligence and driving cross-practice BD and marketing.
• Manage external resources as well as playing a part in delivering integrated marketing campaigns across digital and traditional channels for the firm’s thought leadership, PR, speaking engagements, sponsorships, awards and recognition.
• Manage and lead the production and execution of the firm’s submissions to Chambers & Partners, Legal500, and other directories.
• Manage the marketing budget and take responsibility for both monitoring, reporting and ROI and managing external agencies.
• Work as a leading member of the firm’s management to ensure that the firm’s values are communicated and lived, differentiating BCL as a leading employer both externally and internally.

Skills and Experience

• A minimum of 8 years’ experience in the legal sector either as a lawyer and/or in BD roles with a proven track record of delivering growth and wider brand development.
• Educated to degree level (or equivalent) and have the intellectual capacity and curiosity required to understand how specialist law firms can help to solve complex issues within a commercial and legal context.
• Experience (and ideally innovative use) of data/CRM systems.
• Confidence and pragmatism to influence multiple senior stakeholders within a demanding environment. Skilled in managing multiple projects and competing demands.
• Accomplished strategic planning and delivery capabilities.
• Experienced in multi-channel marketing using compelling thought leadership, tailored specifically to the channel and the audience (either delivery or managing external agencies).
• Excellent communicator (both written and verbal) and able to demonstrate influence at senior level.
• Ability to work independently and to develop ideas and projects without supervision, as well as being effective as part of a team.
• Experience of managing BD and Marketing budgets and managing BD and Marketing specialists within law firms.
• Strong experience of CRM and digital marketing platforms, LinkedIn advertising, Google ads, SEMrush, MailChimp and other marketing monitoring and delivery services.

The salary for the role will be commensurate with experience.

We encourage applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to continuing to increase our staff diversity.

Please apply by emailing your CV and covering letter in confidence to our Practice Development Director, Karen Peacock (kpeacock@bcl.com).

No agencies please.