Description

The Regional Business Development (BD) Manager for Asia will drive and implement the business development tactics for the firm's Asia region. Working directly with the Director of M&BD for Asia, this role will liaise across all practice groups, industry groups and diagonals with a primary focus on enhancing the firm's profile, strengthening relationships with key clients, and creating opportunities for collaboration within the region. While predominantly an Asia based role, the successful candidate will work with peers throughout the globe, liaising with both BD and partners worldwide on cross-sell initiatives and projects.

The highly detailed, organized and hands-on professional will provide strategic and tactical support to drive revenue through a full spectrum of marketing and BD efforts including pitching, client targeting, profile raising and events. This individual will carry through with project planning and ROI measurement, staying close to market trends and maintaining an awareness of competitors.

Reporting into the Director of Marketing & Business Development for Asia, this role is part of a larger Asia Marketing and Business Development team that includes two/three team members in Hong Kong and will supervise one BD Executive in Singapore.

The Firm

Reed Smith is a global law firm with more than 1,700 lawyers in 30 offices throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

Operating as one global partnership, we represent leading international businesses from FTSE 100 corporations to mid-market and emerging enterprises; advising clients on cross border transactions, international commercial disputes and regulation. We specialise in industries including financial services, life sciences, health care, energy and natural resources, advertising, technology and media, shipping and real estate.

We all share a common culture, with core values supporting the firm's commitment to add value, achieve excellence, and promote professional development.

In 2012, Reed Smith enhanced its position as one of the largest law firms in the Asian legal market with the opening of an office in Singapore. Singapore marks the firm's fourth location in Asia, having already established offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai, and brings the total number of lawyers in Asia to over 150.

Supported by our vast network of lawyers worldwide, our Singapore lawyers provide a seamless and personal service to address the full range of foreign law legal requirements, and through our Formal Law Alliance with Resource Law LLC we can also service all of our clients' Singapore law requirements. We advise local and global clients conducting business throughout the Asia Pacific region, including in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Our key practices in Singapore include:

• Corporate
• International arbitration and dispute resolution
• Energy and natural resources
• Trade and commodities
• Regulatory
• Structured finance and derivatives
• Shipping (wet and dry)

Our partners are highly regarded in their areas of practice by independent legal directories including Asia Pacific Legal 500, IFLR and Chambers.

Responsibilities

• Interact with key lawyers on firmwide BD activities; develop strong working relationships and maintain a high level of day-to-day interaction with lawyers.
• Drive the management of strategic conference sponsorships, client presentations, seminars and webinars.
• Prepare tailored, compelling pitches and responses for new business opportunities and requests for information and proposals. Develop regional-related pitch materials, such as profiles, experience lists, and case studies. Ensure follow up is sought from client post pitch; track and act on actions which arise; assess how feedback can be used to enhance win rate.
• Work closely with the selected local PR agencies on external market profile of the Asia practice and Reed Smith brand.
• Increase internal awareness of Asia capabilities across the firm.
• Proactively highlight internal and external practice opportunities from an individual and group practice perspective.
• Using internal and external databases, conduct market research and client analysis to identify industry trends, new business opportunities, and synergies with other practice and/or industry areas.
• Liase with Client Intelligence to prepare research to support cross-selling efforts for existing and prospective clients as well as relationship reports, relationship maps, and targeting plans.
• Maintain contributions and input related to lawyer experience and client information into business development systems including CRM and Foundation.
• Draft and edit marketing collateral, including practice area descriptions and lawyer biographies; facilitate posting updates to firm website and intranet as needed.
• Manage submissions for major awards and legal directories to further the awareness and positioning of the region; maintain repositories of group accolades and awards.
• Identify and drive cross-regional/department/group marketing initiatives that are aligned with Asia plans.
• Working with individual partners regarding the development and execution of their business plans, with a particular focus on enhancing utilisation.
• Tactical management of the Indonesia Business Team and support BD contacts of other Business Teams covering Asia.
• Ensure compliance with appropriate structures and department processes and procedures.
• Understand and be proficient in all facets of the Regional Marketing function in order to establish best practices, identify challenges and have context to provide appropriate resolutions.
• All other duties as assigned.

Key Skills, Attributes and Experience

• College degree in Marketing, Business, Communications or related field required.\
• Five to seven years of business development experience and demonstrated project leadership. Law firm or professional services experience preferred. Ability to interact and influence members of a large organization. Strong organizational and time management skills to handle competing deadlines and priorities. Self-motivated and capable of working independently.
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Extremely detail oriented, proactive and self-directed with ability to independently manage and appropriately prioritize multiple projects and competing priorities under tight deadlines, sometimes with minimal oversight.
• Able to demonstrate sound professional judgment and a high degree of poise and professionalism when interacting with internal and external contacts.
• Comfortable establishing effective firmwide working relationships with individuals at all levels.
• Possess, and be willing to continue to develop, strong organizational, project management and problem solving skills.
• Able to work independently as well as part of a team, and be flexible in approach.
• Possess a highly developed sense of commerciality; demonstrates knowledge of legal industry, Reed Smith's structure and practice groups, our strategic initiatives, our clients and the mechanics of business within which we operate.
• Personal computer, searchable databases and knowledge systems, and other office equipment such as telephone, calculator, copier, etc.
• Manual dexterity sufficient to operate standard office equipment
• Able to deal with stress associated with fast-paced work environment. Multiple priorities/tasks. Make judgment decisions and adapt to changing work situations.
• Requires the ability to multi-task and handle projects from various individuals. Must also address diverse issues on a daily basis. Must be able to handle stressful situations and interact with various personalities at all levels in the Firm. Must be able to make judgment decisions and adapt to changing work situations. Must be able to grasp and apply new ideas. Must be able to cooperate and work well with the others in the pursuit of team goals, shares information and supports others in helping to develop business.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This role will supervise a BD Exec based in Singapore and liase with other junior team members as necessary.

This position may require additional working hours in order to meet deadlines. Works in a typical office setting. Ability to travel (via airplane, car or train, as appropriate) may be required to offices throughout the Firm

At Reed Smith, we welcome direct applications either in response to one of our advertised vacancies or on a speculative basis. Please click the "Apply Now" button to submit your details and we will be in touch.

No search firms/agencies please.

Reed Smith's success depends heavily on the effective utilization of qualified people, regardless of their race, ancestry, religion, colour, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, veteran's status, or any characteristic protected by law. As a firm, we adhere to and promote equal employment opportunity for all.

*Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.