Marketing And Business Development Adviser – Middle East

Marketing and Business Development Adviser – Middle East

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Department: Marketing & Business Development

Location: Dubai

Reports To: Director of M&BD – EMEA

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Additional hours may be required.

Firm Description: Hogan Lovells is a leading global law firm. Our distinctive market position is founded on our exceptional breadth of our practice, on deep industry knowledge, and on our 'one team' global approach. Formed through the combination of two top international law firms, Hogan Lovells has over 40 offices in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

With a presence in the world's major financial and commercial markets, we are well placed to provide excellent business-oriented advice to our clients locally and internationally. Our people are the key to our success, which is why we seek to recruit and retain the most talented individuals in all regions of our global practice.

Department Description: We have a well-established global M&BD and Corporate Communications team, which supports the firm on a wide range of business development, client relationship management and reputational activities. The function is divided into several key areas including Practice M&BD, Sector M&BD, Regional M&BD, Client Development, Corporate Communications, which comprises Public Relations, Brand, Design, Events, and Digital; Pitches, Pursuits and Business Intelligence; and M&BD Operations & Systems.

Role Overview: The Marketing and Business Development (M&BD) Adviser in Dubai will work closely with the M&BD Manager in Riyadh and our Head of M&BD for the Middle East, as well as with the local lawyers in Dubai. They will also support the wider Middle East Practice Group (MEPG). They will manage the delivery of projects and goals identified in both the Middle East business plan, EMEA business plan and in line with the firm's global strategic goals.

The role will encompass the full range of business development and marketing activities including: pitching, credentials and other marketing collateral; client targeting and cross-selling; client/sector and competitor analysis; profile raising and marketing campaigns including communications such as directory submissions, online content (intranet, hoganlovells.com, social media), and BD evaluation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Managing responses to RFPs, proposals for specific opportunities and credentials whilst ensuring the best practice pitch approach is applied. This includes researching relevant market, industry, competitive, and business information for the preparation of successful pitches.
• Collaborate with other administrative functions within the firm, including the finance team, pricing team, compliance team, and the general counsel's office, to ensure alignment and gathering of relevant information for pitch completion.
• Write and produce other bespoke materials, including client presentations.
• Collate and maintain information on the firm wide pitch system, monitor success rates and make recommendations for improvements.
• Undertake and maintain post pitch feedback where appropriate.
• Support the Dubai practice teams on client relationship management initiatives.
• Champion client listening/feedback, including identifying client listening/feedback opportunities and conducting client listening/feedback interviews, ensuring that best practice principles are embedded across the practice and feedback is acted on.
• Collate information and maintain pitches/proposals, credentials, intranet/web content, etc. and leverage firm systems.
• Maintain and regularly analyse key M&BD information systems and library of materials centrally including the pitch log, intranet, hoganlovells.com, credentials.
• Encourage full and effective use of the firm's CRM database (InterAction) and other infrastructure and marketing systems (e.g. iPublish, Engage/Our Thinking, our Finance Hub and IntroHive).
• Provide input and support on the firm's experience management system, Foundation.
• Co-ordinate, shape and deliver local client events/seminars. Tasks include (but not limited to) mailing list creation, event promotion, management of in-person or online event logistics, and development of invitations and other client communications.
• Lead on the development of local practice area entries in directories, award submissions and legal supplements.
• Write, edit and produce marketing communications including e.g. internal and external newsletters, thought leadership and web copy.
• Liaise and collaborate with other M&BD teams and PR to cross-sell capabilities and credentials including proactively coordinating with PR to raise the profile of individual partners and go-to-market propositions/products.
• Support the M&BD team in marketing programs, thought leadership campaigns and social media efforts to raise the profile of our practices in Dubai.
• Contribute to the wider Middle East projects as required.
• Deal with ad hoc enquiries about the Dubai practice or its clients from other parts of the firm or members of the M&BD team.
• Participate in our Responsible Business program.
• Any other tasks that may reasonably be required.

Specific duties or responsibilities may be reviewed from time to time to reflect changes in personnel and management structure, staff location or services.

Person Specification:

Skills & Experience:

• Previous experience in working in a business development/marketing environment, ideally in Dubai/the Middle East.
• A solid understanding of the commercial world and its drivers.
• A solid understanding of marketing and business development processes.
• A keen interest in self-development and bags of initiative.
• A proactive team player with a 'can do attitude'.
• Ability to create a positive impact with colleagues, peers, partners and clients and to demonstrate diplomacy, listening and influencing skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a keen eye for detail and the ability to write in a compelling way.
• Effective project management skills including the ability to plan ahead and prioritise conflicting demands to meet deadlines for the team.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure.
• An understanding of the firm's business and marketplace.
• Experience of, and comfortable in, a partnership or equivalent professional services environment.

Desired:

• Prior knowledge and experience of working in a law firm role would be advantageous.
• A general understanding of the legal market (in terms of key players and product areas) to aid familiarity with terminology and to add as much value as possible when talking with partners.

Qualifications & Training:

• Essential: Candidates must be educated to graduate level and hold a good degree or equivalent from a reputable institution. Four to five years of relevant experience.
• Desired: A relevant marketing or sales qualification, such as the CIM or equivalent.