Business Development Executive (12-month FTC)

Practice Group / Department:

Norton Rose Fulbright is a global law firm with more than 3,000 lawyers advising clients across locations in the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. We provide a full scope of legal services to the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions.

Our vision is to be a world class business, profitable, ambitious, cooperative and considerate, supporting our clients and people through our global business principles of Quality, Unity and Integrity.

With over 7,000 employees worldwide, our culture is the thread that connects us. Our strategy and culture are closed connected – defined by shared ambition, global collaboration and a one-team mindset. We believe pioneering work happens when people are empowered to think beyond boundaries, explore new opportunities and grow through diverse experiences. Alongside the right skills and experience, we are looking for people who are innovative, commercially minded, and motivated by the impact of the work they do – ready to share in our ambition and help shape what comes next.

Because while individuals can do well, together we achieve something extraordinary.

The Role

The Business Development Executive (BDE) role is a permanent role within NRF’s London office in the Marketing & Business Development (MBD) function and the Europe, Middle East & Asia (EMEA) region at Norton Rose Fulbright.

The role reports to a Senior Business Development Manager responsible for strategic growth initiatives across sectors and practice areas, and will work closely with the Business Development Manager supporting the Real Estate, Tax and Employment practices.

This position offers the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge within these practice areas while also contributing to initiatives and campaigns that span multiple sectors, practices and regions. The role holder will work with a diverse range of colleagues across the firm, building a strong internal network and gaining valuable insight into how collaboration drives client relationships and business growth.

Working closely with business development managers and partners, the role holder will contribute to the delivery of the team's business development strategy. This includes supporting client development initiatives, marketing campaigns, events and profile-raising activities, while building effective relationships with stakeholders across the firm.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone developing their career in business development. The role provides exposure to a wide range of strategic and client-facing activities, regular interaction with partners and senior colleagues, and the opportunity to develop commercial awareness, relationship management and project management expertise.

The role holder will also work in close co-operation with colleagues across the global and EMEA Marketing and Business Development teams as well as our support team in Newcastle.

Key Responsibilities

• Producing bespoke bids, credentials, pitches, presentations and other client development and marketing content (formal and informal).
• Working with the relevant practice leadership and BD managers to create and implement business plans, budget proposals and campaign plans for the EMEA region.
• Assisting with all aspects of the planning, development and implementation of BD and marketing activity. This includes, but is not limited to, business development, client development, profile raising, marketing, communications, bids and event management.
• Acting as a key point of contact and ambassador for the practice.
• Establishing a close and effective relationship with the lawyers and partners within the practices.
• Working closely with other MBD teams, including the client relationship team, strategic bids, events, design and digital, and our Newcastle-based marketing services team.
• Coordinating and drafting directory and award submissions.
• Ensure marketing materials are kept up to date.
• Supporting the management of relevant MBD budgets, including reporting of ROI.
• Contributing and leading on best practice.

Key Skills and Experience

• Graduate calibre with demonstrable and/or professionally recognised BD, marketing or communications qualification (such as CIM, etc).
• Experience in marketing and business development is desirable, as is experience of working in a legal/professional services/partnership environment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including strong attention to detail.
• Confident and willing to take on additional responsibility as required.
• Highly organised with a professional, confident, collaborative and proactive approach to their role.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, multiple tasks and stakeholders.
• Experience in managing and writing bids or similar sales writing is desirable.
• Understands the need, and has the ability, to manage expectations.

To attract the best people, we strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work, have a sense of belonging, and realize their full career potential. 
Our new enabled work model allows our people to have more flexibility in the way they choose to work from both the office and a remote location, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of service. We offer a range of family friendly and inclusive employment policies and provide access to programmes and services aimed at nurturing our people’s health and overall wellbeing. Find more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion here.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams. We strive to create an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all candidates. If you require any tailored adjustments or accommodations, please let us know here.