Description
The MBD department in MENA sits within the business services function and has 3 core dimensions to its responsibilities:
- Delivery of high quality product to support the partnership/fee
earners in winning, retaining and growing business in the MENA region
- MENA region implementation and execution of global MBD projects, campaigns, MBD systems and best practice processes
- Promotion and communication of the MENA region offices and activity internally with the firms global office network
The department currently has a small team with a mixture of practice group and geographic responsibilities.
Role Summary
The successful candidate will be responsible for a mix of practice
groups (predominantly disputes, construction and finance including some
project finance and restructuring as well as helping support the
corporate practice at times of peak demand). The role-holder will also
have ownership of a small number of geographies within the MENA region
where we do not have an office.
The role is broad-based across the business but it requires a clear
focus on writing proposals and credential documents, industry
submissions and awards, marketing materials (i.e. brochures), dealing
with requests from international offices and ownership of designated
global projects/systems to be implemented locally. There will also be
periodic event/seminar management and the opportunity to get involved in
key client planning and support.
This is a real opportunity for the successful applicant to take
hold of and drive his or her areas of responsibility and to shape them
from the ground up.
- Pitching and credentials: responding to
requests for and preparing tailored pitch and credentials documents for
assigned MENA practice areas and geography(s). Providing content (e.g.
relevant experience lists and CVs) to lawyers and other members of the
MBD team in the international network in relation to other office
pitches requiring MENA content. Ensuring all MENA pitch opportunities
are registered on the relevant databases and conducting regular win/loss
tracking of opportunities and reporting
- Deal collection/experience lists: own and
drive the collation of deal experience i.e. the “infrastructure” that
supports the timely and accurate production of pitch and credential
documents. Involves capturing deal information, verifying descriptions
and supporting information with relevant fee earners, and recording onto
the relevant experience databases. Preparing, maintaining and managing
experience lists for assigned MENA practice areas and geography(s).
Ensuring the lists are up to date and liaising with fee earners to feed
latest experience into relevant CVs
- Brochures, client guides/newsletters/practice group flyers/contact cards:
developing and maintaining an up-to-date suite of brochures and support
collateral involving, co-ordinating drafting, proofing and production
in line with brand guidelines and tone of voice. Working with London
creative and design teams
- Awards/directory submissions: driving the
drafting and completion of directory and award submissions for assigned
MENA practice areas and geography(s) e.g. Legal 500, Chambers, IFLR etc
and liaising with relevant fee earners ensuring submission/award
completion and that deadlines are met. Ensuring that quotes and positive
coverage is incorporated in fee earner CVs
- Integration in the MBD network: attending
international practice group/sector calls aimed at sharing information
relevant to those groups, be on top of client alerts and value add
materials produced elsewhere that may be of relevance and ensure fee
earners are aware of these and if relevant assist with client targeting
and distribution of them
- Non-office countries: ad-hoc support for a
small number of MENA countries (to be confirmed) where we do not have
an office but where the firm is active. Responsibilities likely to
include basic credentials monitoring etc, support for partner MBD trips
- Global campaigns/MBD projects: there are a
number of global campaigns on key business topics aimed at assisting
fee earners in their strategic conversations with clients. The
role-holder will be expected to own one of these campaigns for local
management
- Research and analysis: undertaking upon
request internal/external research and analysis (either directly or via
the internal Knowledge Centre) on clients, targets, markets, competitors
etc
- Opportunity spotting/current awareness:
regularly monitoring press and rumours (other external sources) and
feeding intelligence on opportunities in the market to relevant
partners/fee earners
- Website/WIKI: creating/updating content
relative to assigned MENA region practice groups and geography(s) for
the firm’s external website and internal Wiki sites
- Events/seminars: assisting in the
development and project planning of client events and seminars when
required relevant to assigned MENA practice groups and geography(s)
(note this will generally be a small part of the role). Providing
support as part of the MBD team in organising firm-wide MENA events e.g.
for annual/bi-annual local counsel relationship events, cross-practice
client hospitality e.g. sporting events, Ramadan etc.
In addition to having “own” responsibilities the successful
candidate will also play a role in supporting the senior manager
directly in the following areas:
- MBD global projects: there are a number of key
MBD projects in development from London being implemented regionally
including in MENA that the role-holder will be assisting with locally
- Budgeting and planning: assisting the
senior manager in collecting information for the production of the
annual marketing budget. Assisting in the production of annual practice
group and the MENA region annual business plan. Assisting in executing
actions from plans that are for/linked to the role-holders’ assigned
practice groups and geography(s)
- Internal communications: assisting with the development of key regional internal communications such as the annual newsletter
The successful candidate will also be expected to develop a good knowledge of:
- The objectives and strategy of the MENA offices
- The firm’s key clients in the region and globally and the overlap between them
- MBD colleagues in the network, their roles and
responsibilities with a view to facilitating information flow and
knowledge sharing from the network to MENA and vice versa when required.
In short: knowing who to speak to about what and when.
- Degree educated (possibly with CIM or business qualification)
- Experience of MBD in a partnership environment (ideally legal),
in an international professional services environment or possibly from
an organisation providing services to law firms
- Excellent communication skills (English written and verbal) with
the confidence and ability to build relationships quickly and manage
partners and senior lawyers
- A high level of personal responsibility demonstrated by a mature
and pragmatic attitude with a willingness to be flexible to meet the
business needs of a small team
- Excellent time management and prioritisation skills including the ability to work effectively and on own intiative
- Proactive, takes initiative
- Exceptional attention to detail
- Thinks commercially and can distill what is relevant to a given situation/opportunity
- Excellent organisation skills showing the ability to work under
pressure and deliver to tight deadlines and manage conflicting
priorities/demands
- Good systems and database skills including experience of windows-based packages such as Word. Excel and PowerPoint
- Must be an organised team player – reliable, flexible, helpful and willing to work beyond contracted hours from time to time
- Must also be happy to work at both the strategic and
operational/administrative level being able to work up and down this
spectrum of activity as required with a pragmatic outlook to the varying
demands on a small team covering a variety of responsibilities.
Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications
received by the firm will be considered by the firm on the basis of
their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably
qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment
will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work
in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as
required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to
employment commencing. Please note that, in line with the requirements
of the UK Border Agency, non-EEA candidates may not be appointed to a
post if a suitably qualified, experienced and skilled EEA candidate can
fill the position.
Freshfields is the official legal services provider to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (appointed February 2009)
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