Purpose
The South East Asia BDM Manager is responsible for providing high-quality support to the South East Asian offices (Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia). Based in Singapore you will actively support and work alongside the partners and stakeholders across the South East Asia region on all aspects of BDM, principally to devise, implement and measure BDM plans aligned to the region, supporting partners in profile-raising and achieving profitable revenue growth across chosen markets, clients and targets.
You will have management responsibility for the BD team in South East Asia, and will work closely with the Asia Comms & Events and the Asia Pitch Team to coordinate the overall BDM support to the South East Asian offices.
Key to the successful execution of this role will include:
- Working with the partners to drive, challenge and own the execution of their business plans in line with the firm and regional strategy
- Leading and executing local BD initiatives and campaigns related to the relevant practice areas or offices/countries. It is important that the role has a significant execution element and you will therefore be responsible for directly managing a mix of practice areas and sectors
- Ensuring high quality management of the BDM fundamentals, including implementing infrastructure to maintain accurate and up to date collateral, capability summaries, credentials etc.
- Overall responsibility, along with the Asia pitch team, for ensuring the high-quality delivery of all pitches (informal, project, panel) across the region. Holding respective Advisors to account for delivery in their respective groups
- Horizon scanning and regular discussions with partners of relevant market and client intelligence. Share information, proactively suggesting use/application with partners or clients, other BDM colleagues and client/sector teams globally
- Ensuring we are doing the right type of marketing to raise the understanding of the practices and brand of Linklaters to our identified audience
- Project managing BDM requests, identifying ways in which requests can be most effectively executed
- Working closely with the regional COO and Partners to develop a BDM strategy, build relationships and drive forward BDM actions. As the most senior person in the BDM team, you will also be expected to support the COO on office wide initiatives and projects, as relevant
- Working with our other specialist teams to successfully complete BDM requests and connect the team to the wider business, ensuring your team benefits from expertise available elsewhere in the firm across practices and Business Teams
Key responsibilities and challenges
Overview:
BDM plans
- Support and work alongside the relevant office or practice to devise and implement BDM plans to support the strategy, profile-raising and profitable revenue growth for chosen markets, clients and targets
- In conjunction with the relevant Business / Finance Manager, set the BDM budgets and monitor & report on spend
- Manage and regularly feedback to key stakeholders on progress and ROI, working alongside partners to address any issues
Horizon-scanning and supporting identifying products and campaigns to take to market
- Horizon scanning and the regular discussion of relevant market and client intelligence. Share information with key stakeholders, proactively suggesting use/application with partners or clients, other BDM managers and client/sector teams globally
- Work with Partners and PSLs on K&L to increase provision of forward looking and tailored/packaged hot topic/training/briefings menus for the team to proactively suggest to partners and clients
- Package and promote the firm’s expertise to the relevant partners and teams to enable cross-selling of our expertise internally. This will include liaising with the client & sector teams, regionally and globally
- Raising the profile of the region and practices. Identify ways to cross-sell the practices and tap into the existing client opportunities presented in other practices, sectors and other offices to identify the best ‘internal route to market’
BD/CRM for clients
- Proactive BD / CRM for a number of clients, cross-selling the global firm as relevant through partners and associates
- Prepare partners for effective relationship and BD meetings for the clients. Increase proactive prompting of partners and clients to arrange relationship/BD meetings and ensure partners are prepared for these meetings and supported to deliver high level client service
- Provision of tailored client briefing notes and client relationship summaries with suggested BD messaging with targeted agendas aligned with key goals/initiatives/cross-selling objectives etc.
- Champion BD with junior lawyers. Work with MAs and Associates, as relevant, to develop individual BDM plans aligned to clients, actively encourage client/practice/sector partners to allocate and include non-partners in client relationships with accountability.
- Ensure relationship and matter feedback is captured, shared and acted on
Tailored pitches and credentials
- Overall responsibility, working side by side with the Asia Pitch Team, for ensuring the high-quality delivery of all pitches (informal, project, panel) led by your practice/office. Ensure all pitch and data systems are used efficiently.
- Alongside the pitch team, lead kick-off meetings, agree the pitch plan, craft original, client-focused content with clear key messages. Critically review each pitch that you lead on, and support at pitch meeting stage (including planning and running rehearsals). The pitch team will lead on the majority of pitch opportunities. However, the BDM team is expected to pitch, especially when pitch team capacity is limited.
- Ensure there is a considered go/no-go decision, and follow up after a win or loss
Communications, PR, website, events, directories and internal comms
- Overall responsibility, working side by side with the Asia Comms & Events team, for content/messages through the firm’s website, directories, etc
- Work with the partnership to ensure our key messages and positioning are well understood in the market and that we are perceived externally to have a market leading reputation
- Work closely with the Asia Comms & Events Team on defining the practice/sector/office brand in the marketplace, updating key messages as required and developing and executing an appropriate positioning and profile-raising plan
- Ensure the internal and external promotion of specific product areas, e.g. at conferences, sponsorships etc.
- Work with the local PSL community & lawyers to deliver timely client material in an imaginative and efficient way
- Ensure the successful delivery of client entertainment, client hospitality and client events which enhance our perception and standing
- Work with the partners, lawyers and secretaries to encourage and support the full utilisation of Client Book and other marketing systems.
Manage and mentor direct reports:
- Set objectives, seek and provide regular and timely feedback on performance, in addition to ensuring that quarterly performance conversations take place for all team members
- Provide strong management to the team, ensuring they are all well connected to the business and have in depth knowledge of the areas they support. Act as a positive role model, keeping a particular emphasis on their professional development
- Overall responsibility and accountability for team to deliver high quality work, ensuring all BDM contents are regularly maintained and up to date
- Manage BDM requests, identifying ways in which requests can be most effectively executed
- Be the main point of escalation for the team and partners to resolve issues of resource, quality and delivery
- Ensure the team’s needs are represented and met through the firm’s systems we rely on (Client Book, Matter Explorer, Pitch Perfect etc.)
Characteristics, Skills & Experience required:
Character
- Able to build trust and respect among colleagues
- Ability to coach and develop juniors of varying levels of experience
- Can-do attitude
- Highly self-motivated & self-starter
- Ability to work independently and confidently
- Robust - ability to bounce back when challenged
- Highly flexible
- Outstanding influencing skills – must take all parties with you
- Resourceful
- Driven
- Collaborative, teamwork mentality understanding that delivery can happen through other people and will reflect positively on own reputation
Education / Qualification
- University Degree
- Relevant professional qualifications (desirable)
Languages
- English
Practical experience
- Relevant experience in business development /account management experience
- Pitching
- Broad understanding of practice’s main products
- 5 years + of team management and coaching experience
Office skills
- Excellent time management
- Highly PC and IT literate
- Excellent communicator & presenter
- Ability to run meetings effectively
- Good resource manager – upward, across and below
- Outstanding account management skills
Commercial Skills
- A high degree of commercial acumen
- An understanding of how businesses operate and makes decisions
- Ability to think strategically
- Asian cultural and market awareness
