Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager

The candidate is an ambitious, hands-on and commercially focused senior Marketing & Business Development (MBD) professional who proactively leads the local BD and Marketing function, working with local partners, fee earners, support staff and the central M&BD functions based in the UK and our Global Services Centre (GSC) in Warsaw.

This is a key hire. The candidate will be required to lead the MBD function to the next level. The right candidate will have the freedom and scope to make a significant contribution to the management and culture of DLA Piper's Belgian operation. This will include (but is not limited to) developing MBD plans and activity, in line with strategic priorities, that utilise the full marketing mix including: helping to shape an evolving market proposition, building market profile, and developing and driving marketing campaigns that create business development opportunities, where the individual will manage pitches, client development and targeting programmes.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Work closely with the European Head of Marketing & Business Development, the Country Managing Partner (CMP) and the local leadership team and partner group, to further develop the strategy and define how Marketing, BD, Communications and Events need to respond to those strategic needs in order to deliver the business strategy in Belgium
• Ensure the delivery of Marketing, BD, Communications and Events activities supports the local business whilst being aligned to the firm's strategy
• Ensure Marketing, BD, Communications and Events activities are delivered to support the global client and sector strategy: supporting most significant client relationships, aligning to global sectors and following the client focused growth approach
• Act as trusted business advisor to the Country Managing Partner, the Belgian Business Development Lead Partner as well as the Belgian leadership and partner team
• Be accountable for the delivery of a responsive, efficient, and business-aligned Marketing, BD, Communications and Events service to Belgium, ensuring that central and local colleagues work effectively together
• Contribute, as a member of the International Marketing & BD team to firm-wide strategies and initiatives and the sharing of best practices and lessons learned across the firm
• Work with partners and the team to develop a pro-active, entrepreneurial and collaborative BD culture
• Act independently and as a principal on occasion for Business Development meetings and activities in the Belgian market
• Assist the CMP and leadership in other related operational/support activities for the Belgian offices.

About you

• Degree/CIM Chartered Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing/MBA (desirable); 8-10 years+ of working including team lead experience, preferably in a law firm or consultancy environment
• Knowledge of Marketing/BD processes - a sound understanding of new business processes, CRM as a concept and the emerging technologies needed to help us win and retain clients
• Excellent sales techniques and coaching skills
• Fluent in English, French and/or Dutch would be an asset
• A professional approach, score highly in terms of commitment and internal client care
• Excellent communication and project management skills. You will be expected to have strong probing, consultative listening skills coupled with the ability to negotiate and persuade legal and client personnel
• Excellent understanding of sector and client marketing and be commercially minded
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to exercise tact and diplomacy
• A proven ability to deal with confidential and sensitive information
• Experience in dealing with a demanding workload and conflicting priorities
• Ability to see delegated tasks through to completion at a high standard
• Ability to stay calm and composed in often demanding situations
• Display a consistently positive attitude and adopt a 'can do' approach as well as being able to work well on own initiative and also as part of a wider team; collaborative working style
• Ability to understand and identify with the firm, and its objectives and values