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Travers Smith

Travers Smith is an award-winning city law firm. We build lasting relationships with public and private sector clients. It is Travers Smith's purpose to provide the very highest quality of service to our clients whilst enabling our people to achieve professional fulfilment in a supportive, inclusive and enjoyable working environment.

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, the Manager, International BD & Relationships is responsible for supporting the International Board with the creation and implementation of the firm's international strategy, business development plans and marketing activities. The role is both strategic and operational, focused on executing the international plan and delivering an overall first-class service to the partnership.

Key Responsibilities

Business Planning and Business Development

• Working with the CMO, International Board and senior stakeholders across the firm, assist with the creation and implementation of the international BD strategy and business plan
• Collaborate with BD colleagues to ensure that international business is a key component of all practice group business plans - including, where appropriate, tying in any country "desks" - e.g. the Lux desk
• Take responsibility for managing the International Board and Next Gen International Board meeting agendas to maximise discussion of BD opportunities
• Keep track of major BD successes and developments, new referral instructions and client matters and feed back to the International Board
• Collaborate with the Pitch team and BD colleagues to ensure that any pitches, RFPs and proposals with an international element align with the strategic aims of the firm, including the choice of referral firm included in a pitch where appropriate
• Undertake ad hoc research on countries, market sectors, organisations and individuals to support business development initiatives

Reputation Building and Relationship Development with International Firms

• Work with the BD Managers and teams to raise the firm's profile in key jurisdictions and with key international 'best friend' firms through international trips, communications and regular newsletters, events and speaking opportunities and website/digital activity
• Collaborate with BD teams to suggest appropriate submissions for internationally focused directories, awards and other publications
• Lead on the relationship development with BD and Marketing peers in international best friend firms

Budgets

• Propose and manage the annual International BD budgets, reviewing and analysing spend on a monthly basis and reporting back to the International Board
• Where possible, calculate ROI on events, international trips and major expenditure - e.g. the annual IBA event

Data and Systems

• Maintain records of all referrals and referral opportunities in InterAction
• Refine process for international referral tracking and reporting
• Undertake website updates for the international pages
• Work with the Head of Client Relationships & Solutions, the Enterprise Data team and the Central Finance team to ensure that all appropriate data is captured during file opening, matter reviews etc. Collate source of business information on all international referrals
• Create a working process to ensure all components of an international matter is recorded appropriately (reviewing post-deal review forms, credentials database, InterAction, etc.)

Internal marketing

• Create regular documents, materials and Hub pages showcasing the firm's international strategy, work and credentials, to ensure that all partners and lawyers are fully aware of the firm's messaging and successes
• Create dedicated pages on the Hub for the IBA (including sub-groups and committees) and other major groups including USEN, AIJA etc.
• Ensure that the Hub always has updated details of IB members, Next Gen IB members and departmental representatives
• Produce cheat sheets for preferred international firms
• Ensure trip reports are uploaded to the International Hub page and ensure that PAs add the text for each law firm to the activity in InterAction

Trips/meetings/events

• Working with the team assistant, manage all international trip planning - to include arranging meetings, managing the itinerary and providing pre-trip information packs (activity report, country plan, bios, cheat sheet).
• International Board Administration:
  • Schedule and plan regular meetings of the International Board including agendas and noting action items
  • Schedule Departmental Representatives meetings
• Outbound trips:
  • Working with the International Board, plan 12/24 months in advance, a schedule of the international trips to be taken
  • On an ad-hoc basis manage the itinerary for outbound travel
  • Coordinate the production of marketing material
• Outbound trips:
  • Produce research packs (activity reports, cheat sheets, strategic plans)
  • Keep the rolling International Trip Planner up to date
• Manage the co-ordination of International Events:
  • International Programme(s)
  • International Associate Drinks
  • Annual IBA Conference
  • New Year Dinner
  • Dinners and other events for London offices of overseas firms
  • Seminars and workshops on international matters
• New joiner process:
  • Run the introduction to international workshop with new trainees (March + September)
  • Present the introduction to international presentation to new lawyers
  • Meet with new PAs on a quarterly basis

Key Stakeholders

• Line manager: Chief Marketing Officer
• Key stakeholders: International Board, Next Gen Board, international department representatives
• Other stakeholders: BD & Marketing team, Legal Operations teams, Enterprise Data team, all PAs, administrators and team assistants and KL group

• Direct reports: Team Assistant

Personal Specification - Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Experience & Knowledge

• 5+ years' experience working in a Business Development role in a professional services environment, preferably within a law firm
• Proven experience of managing international programmes within a professional services environment
• Commercially astute with a strong track record in growing existing and new business

Skills

• High level proficiency in systems skills - Word, Excel, PowerPoint and InterAction
• Ability to understand macro-economic issues and use them to define appropriate business development plans and activity
• Strong leader who is committed to 'trusted adviser' status
• Excellent communication and presentation skills - able to speak with confidence and influence change both internally with senior leadership and externally
• Experience of managing, mentoring, and motivating team members - desirable

Personal Attributes

• Robust and resilient - able to navigate relationships with demanding colleagues
• Able to inspire a team through a personal and energetic approach
• Strong team player with a positive attitude
• Strategic and analytical thinker, able to set and measure the success of programmes across business development
• Commercially astute
• Proactive in generating high quality strategic ideas to help the firm grow
• Credibility to advise partners, gain their confidence and challenge and change behaviour where required
• Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external clients
• Flexible, adaptable and resilient
• Comfortable providing recommendations with confidence to senior level stakeholders, even when there is ambiguity involved
• Excellent work management skills - capable of managing and coordinating a broad and demanding, fast-paced workload in an organised, controlled and efficient manner with the ability and confidence to prioritise as required
• A change agent who is comfortable with shaping, managing and delivering positive change
• Ability to listen, question and probe to elicit opinions and feedback from a variety of sources