IF YOU WANT TO DELIVER WORLD-CLASS ADVICE AND SUPPORT THAT ENABLES OUR INTERNATIONAL GROWTH STRATEGY, AND CAN MANAGE MULITPLE DIVERSE PROJECTS AND GROUPS OF PEOPLE, TURNING THOUGHTS AND IDEAS INTO RESULTS, WE HAVE THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU…

The Firm

Welcome to Addleshaw Goddard (AG). We are a London headquartered, international, full-service law firm that consistently delivers high-quality outcomes for our clients globally.

We have been advising clients for 250 years, and today we support over 5000 of the world's most respected organisations. We help them in over 50 areas of business law, across more than 100 countries. And while the opportunities and challenges they bring us vary, we solve each in a uniquely AG way.

Our clients enjoy working with us, we deliver a high-quality experience across everything we do, and we are known for award-winning innovation - all of which we harness to bring impact to clients.

In recent years we were recognised by the FT as one of the top 10 most innovative law firms in Europe; we have been named Law firm of the Year 2024, Litigation Law Firm of the Year, Real Estate Law Firm of the Year and Private Equity Firm of the Year in the UK; Corporate & Commercial Firm of the Year in Qatar; and Law Firm of the Year in Oman.

We are committed to inclusivity and sustainability and have a modern culture based on being approachable, collaborative and supporting each other.

International growth is a key pillar of our strategy, and we are committed to providing high quality, seamless, consistent service to clients wherever they need us. Alongside our network of international offices, an effective preferred firm network and international business group structure is critical for the firm's success.

In the last few years, we have successfully built out our presence in Europe with new offices in Germany, France, Ireland and Luxembourg, and we will soon be opening in Warsaw. We recently celebrated a decade in the Middle East where we have award-winning teams operating out of offices in Dubai, Oman, Qatar, and most recently Saudi Arabia.

The Role

This role sits within the Marketing and Business Development team, whose focus is on helping our expert Partners and other lawyers to win business and deliver excellent client service. We are ambitious to demonstrate the firm's quality, innovation and the impact AG can deliver to our clients.

The further internationalisation of AG is a key strand of our global strategy, and we are looking for an experienced business development professional to work with partners across multiple business development projects and the firm's global network to drive forward this important pillar of our growth agenda. The successful candidate will be able to bring a strategic perspective and a "hands-on" approach and understanding to marketing and BD.

The Senior International Business Development Manager has day-to-day responsibility for driving, promoting, facilitating, and reporting on the smooth development of AG's growing preferred firm network, Global Connect, and our international business group structure which currently spans several geographic areas where AG does not have an office presence. In both cases the role will ensure that there are relationships between AG's own offices and develop and manage the interface between them and the Firm's network of preferred firms and AGs clients and prospective clients in those areas. 

There is also a focus on managing diverse and high profile international growth projects, leading teams across locations, and delivering results that help AG deliver on its AG 2030 strategy.

The role is a senior and influential one within the BD team, very visible to the partnership and involves extensive influencing across all levels of the business. 

The successful candidate will work closely with the other members of the BD department (Bids, Marketing, Communications, Clients & Sectors and Groups) to ensure the international priorities are seamlessly integrated and executed and that there is effective teamwork and communication with other BD team members, other business services teams and fee-earners at all levels across AG's office network. 

The role holder will need to be an experienced BD professional with significant expertise in different geographical markets and cultures who can effectively manage multijurisdictional matters and someone who has credibility with both clients and other senior legal professionals.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Working with senior business leaders to design, lead and deliver special projects and programmes which support the delivery of the firm's international strategy.
• Taking lead responsibility for directing, managing, monitoring (and refreshing when appropriate) AG's international preferred firm network, (Global Connect), maintaining personal professional relationships with lead points of contacts and influencers and exploring ways to engage with our relationship law firms and clients to generate opportunities for the firm.
• Acting as an internal consultant to provide a professional business development and commercial perspective that complements the legal technical expertise of the fee-earners e.g. liaising directly with client teams to encourage them to scope the current and prospective international needs and aspirations of clients and then to recommend and deliver solutions to demonstrate how AG can help them to fulfil them
• Effectively capturing, managing and monitoring international activity and referrals to chart progress, communicate successes and to provide reports to AG's senior management to inform AG's strategy development
• Gaining and cascading knowledge of the international markets of primary interest and the best channels to access them effectively to inform future strategy considerations
• Collaborating with AG's own international offices, partners and local BD teams to influence and guide their collaboration with Global Connect and our international business groups.
• Supporting large and high profile cross-border bids and RFPs
• Maintain collateral, credentials, deal lists etc and ensure content is regularly updated
• Working with the international business groups – Africa, Asia, CEE, China, India, Israel, Latam, Nordics, Turkey, US – to identify and develop opportunities to grow our business and profile in those key markets
• Championing and evidencing AG as a leading international law firm to lateral hires in particular and more generally through proactive briefings to key internal audiences
• Proactively engaging with all our offices to highlight cross-office and other international opportunities
• Creating and delivering events and other programmes e.g. IBA, IPBA, client development – being the direct interface between clients and preferred firms
• Contributing international content and context to other forms of marketing communications and collateral and help to ensure marketing campaigns have an international focus where appropriate
• Managing requests for assistance and meetings from visitors from overseas law firms, recommending responses and evaluating outcomes

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

• Extensive experience in an international professional services firm with deep knowledge of the inner workings of such firms, both internationally and locally
• A legal background would be preferred
• A proven track record in managing diverse programmes and projects across borders
• An understanding of different cultures and how to manage them effectively to achieve mutually rewarding outcomes
• Commercial understanding and awareness combined with the ability to drive connections and translate strategy into action
• Ability to network independently and build rapport with key decision makers to create a platform for growth and gain buy-in
• Able to collaborate with specialist teams across BD, other Business Services teams and fee-earners to promote AG as an international firm and to align support for specific projects
• Highly organised with the ability to prioritise workload according to business need to ensure that tight deadlines are met
• Good communicator with confidence to interact professionally with all levels of seniority both internally and externally including in international markets
• Positive, 'can do' outlook and an 'enquiring' (and constructively challenging) mind-set
• Excellent attention to detail and tact and tenacity to ensure that international intelligence collection, input and reporting is as comprehensive as it can be and fit for purpose
• Strong people management and development experience with an ability to build relationships quickly, gain people's trust at all levels and to work effectively and efficiently in a challenging fast-paced environment
• Able to see things from a client perspective and brings a creative and innovative approach

Benefits

As a firm, we aim to provide a positive experience to everyone who works here and our focus on financial, lifestyle and wellbeing benefits ensures that this experience goes beyond the nine-to-five. As part of this mission, some of the benefits employees of AG can expect are:

• Life Assurance & Income Protection
• Competitive employer matched pension contribution rate
• Health and wellbeing subsidy, up to £180 per year
• One day per year to volunteer (as part of our CSR initiative)
• Buy/Sell holidays (up to 5 days each year)
• Mental health and wellbeing initiatives such as The Mindful Business Charter, Mental Health Champions and 1:1 sessions with an in-house professional
• Talent referral bonus incentives
• AG Excellence awards for the recognition of exceptional effort
• Opt in private medical and private dental insurance
• Opt in annual health screening
• Voluntary critical illness cover
• Annual discretionary bonus plan

AG is an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate on the basis of a person's gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We are committed to having a diverse team and actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and communities, particularly those from underrepresented demographics. We want our recruitment practices to be as inclusive as possible, so please let us know if you need us to make any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process to help you perform to your best.