Walker Morris is a Leeds-headquartered UK law firm, operating internationally through a network of high quality, likeminded firms around the world. More than 25% of our work has an international element and our clients are household names spanning a variety of sectors most notably in energy and infrastructure, financial services, logistics, manufacturing, pharma, real estate and retail and consumer.

Those who know us say we are a different type of legal business. One not bound by convention, but one with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for breaking with tradition to deliver real competitive advantage. It is an approach that is getting us noticed and introducing opportunities from existing as well as new clients for more complex, higher value work. The firm is growing at pace and we are expanding the team in response to this demand.

This newly created role is a really pivotal appointment. It will play an influential role helping to drive the business forward towards Ambition 27 – an ambitious strategic vision which is underpinning significant double-digit growth.

It will be attractive to BD all-rounders excited by the opportunity to play a really hands-on role taking our Markets focus to the next level.

You'll be joining at a crucial time for the business and will work in a dynamic and friendly team who are involved in every new major business development opportunity.

As the Senior Business Development Executive, you will:

You will support in the development of strategic business development plans, identification of BD opportunities and pipeline management and driving our strategic client and targeting programmes.  A key part of the role will require you to provide high quality and effective commercial BD advice for partners and lawyers across the business. You will take ownership of managing multiple projects and initiatives, ensuring they are executed successfully whether by yourself or by other members of the BD & Marketing team.

General BD

Contribute to the successful implementation of business development and marketing plans through:

• Development and implementation of our focus Markets and practice group business development plans, in collaboration with the Senior Business Development Manager and Clients & Markets Senior Manager.
• Support lawyers in relation to Market Group BD and marketing initiatives, to support our strategically important client relationships including maintenance of account plans where appropriate
• Collaborate with wider BD and Marketing team to promote our Markets both internally and externally, and identify cross/Market and cross/department opportunities
• Driving BD best practice across the firm, including the management of the new internal hub of resources for lawyers to have client conversations (including development of content)
• Developing and leveraging own external network to promote Walker Morris and our activities
• Maintenance of the business planning and pipeline management tool within the firm's CRM system
• Share Markets insights/Bd activities with Digital, PR and Comms leads to leverage for external/internal communication channels
• Improving how horizon scanning intelligence from Senior Knowledge Lawyers feeds into wider content generation and is utilised in the document generation system
• Supporting on monthly reporting with the BD Leadership team

Bids

Support the generation of new revenue through:

• Leading on the project management and preparation of ad hoc informal proposals and credentials statements in liaison with the Business Development Manager and Bids Manager
• Contributing to the development of best practice within the Departments/Markets including logging of opportunities on the firm's CRM system, and supporting on multiple opportunities
• Uploading Market-based content to the firm's document creation system
• Input to informal bid strategy and creative input to bid documentation
• Involvement in internal projects to improve bid information flow, analysis and best practice within the firm

Research

Contributing to the collation of the firm's knowledge base through:

• Working with our lawyers and our Knowledge Support Lawyers to undertake market research to identify target organisations and their business issues, new opportunities and cross selling; and devising ways to communicate them to key internal stakeholders and clients as appropriate
• Leveraging data and insights to identify and support on the planning and implementation of BD campaigns and projects
• Management of relevant key memberships, including the promotion of our marketing campaigns/events to their members to facilitate lead generation
• Track/monitor forthcoming projects such as BD/marketing campaigns and horizon scanning via our Knowledge Team and input to marcomms/internal client conversations portal as appropriate
• Champion the use of InterAction to manage client relationship plans

Events

Working alongside Business Development and Marketing colleagues and PAs to deliver successful Market and firmwide events through:

• Ensuring Market Groups are engaged in our programme of events/hosting events to achieve the highest number of attendees from the target audience
• Manage pre and post-event support through identifying clients/targets to invite through the pipeline management on CRM
• Analyse events activity with the Events team to monitor ROI against budget and feed into bd budget reporting
• Support with client relationship plans, meetings and portfolio analysis
• Help develop tools and materials for client engagement and cross-selling
• Support on the firm's client listening programme

Key contact for Markets and practice groups

• Drive agendas and pipeline reporting at regular meetings with your Market and practice groups.
• Ensuring awareness of all marketing/business development taking place within Market and working with marketing team colleagues to ensure delivery of aligned projects
• Be the ‘go to’ person for business development expertise and raise this through the Sales Enablement Hub and internal coaching/use of MSTeams and CRM, alongside our CRM team
• Working alongside Marketing and BD team members to share intelligence, knowledge and experience

We are looking for:

• A marketing qualification such as CIM would be preferable
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to work effectively with a broad range of internal and external clients and suppliers.
• Ability to work confidentially and on highly confidential matters; respecting and maintaining the confidentiality of all information relating to Walker Morris and clients' matters and maintaining a high standard of the Walker Morris brand.
• Previous Business Development experience in professional services environment would be helpful
• An understanding of Marketing and BD; and CRM data, and how to use it to elevate our client relationships and targeting activities
• Time management and organisational skills where you will be working on a high volume of projects simultaneously

Some of our benefits include:

• Salary reflective of your experience, circa. £40,000.
• Earn up to 10% of your salary with our annual bonus scheme.
• Minimum of 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays per year increasing to 31 days with length of service, with the opportunity to buy/sell up to 5 days holiday per year.
• Auto enrolled into the workplace pension scheme, and we'll contribute a minimum of 6% of your salary. 
• 4x your annual salary in the event of a death in service.
• Hybrid and flexible working for most roles with 40-60% of your time spent in the office.

Find out more about working at Walker Morris here.

Company Values

Our shared values represent our culture and the things that are important to us. They define who we are as a Firm, as an employer and what we expect of our people. They provide direction and purpose by influencing the decisions that we make and the actions that we take. It’s really important that all candidates and employees demonstrate these values in their day-to-day activities:

• Embrace the fact everyone is different and unique.
• You can be serious without wearing a suit.
• Never lose sight of the bigger picture.
• Two heads are better than one.
• Take the bull by the horns.
• We win & lose together.

Walker Morris is committed to being an inclusive employer. Our aim is to ensure our workforce represents our diverse society. We recognise that everyone brings their own unique capabilities and experiences to their work. We welcome applications regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, neuro diversity or disability status, family or parental status, race, religion or ethnicity.

We take great pride in being a Disability Confident Employer. If you need any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to ask.

Click here to find out more about our diversity and inclusion work.