Business Development Assistant (12-Month Ftc)

About Pinsent Masons

Pinsent Masons is a multinational global professional services firm with a purpose – to make business work better for people. We empower our people to question how things are done and to be bold in their ideas. To encourage this we provide an environment where you can drive your career development, work flexibly and learn fast.

While legal services are at the heart of what we do, we are at a firm with a diverse array of teams and skillsets. We are a firm that relies on the work of our talented business operations teams in information technology, finance, Business Development and human resources to continue to drive the growth we have experienced since arriving in Australia in 2015.

With offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, we work on major projects and matters that are driving the building of key infrastructure and the transition to renewable energy across Asia Pacific. You will collaborate with our teams across the United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa and you will be supporting the work of 2000 lawyers widely considered to be leading lights in our sectors of focus. 

About our BD, Marketing & Communications team

You will be a member of Pinsent Masons’ APAC Business Development, Marketing & Communications team which currently comprises 20 professionals based across our seven (7) Australian, Singapore and China offices. We have three Business Development Assistants, who, between them work, across all teams and groups with a variety of team members. We offer on-the-ground training and development opportunities for all team members.  Our team has a clear vision, focus and ambition for what, we as a team, are here to deliver to the firm to support its strategic growth vision.

About your role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Business Development Assistant to join our Sydney office on a 12-month FTC (parental leave contract). 

Our Business Development Assistants are responsible for supporting how our APAC Business Development, Marketing and Communications team delivers the client growth strategy for the firm’s APAC region. They work closely and collaboratively with stakeholders on a wide range of Australian and regionally-based operational BD and Marketing projects to help the firm build brand and promote the firm’s service offerings to its clients.  Working with guidance from senior team members, you will be responsible for supporting the execution of such projects.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Business development (client-focused responsibilities)

• assisting and supporting our PAs to captures firm credentials 
• updating relevant documents with credentials and new matter summaries
• sourcing the credentials database for content to include in bids, proposals and presentations

Bids and capability statements

Assist in preparing materials to support how the firm wins work for Australia and other offices in Asia Pacific. This includes but is not limited to:

• locating relevant firm experience and collating team CVs
• identifying and sharing Australia/APAC-based materials with international colleagues as required supporting global bids and capabilities statements
• ensuring all bids across Asia Pacific are accurately recorded and fully updated on the firm’s CRM database
• assisting with tracking and reporting on bid activity and outcomes in the Asia Pacific region.
• client relationship management and client targeting 
• assisting with the client relationship, targeting and development initiatives across Australia and the wider region
• supporting the development and implementation of Business Development plans 
• carrying out research and other activities to help the team identify market opportunities across sector teams, practice groups and strategic areas of focus.
• working on activities that support stakeholders when producing relevant practice or sector-focused content communicating thought leadership to our clients and on social media

Brand and marketing activities 

• conduct research to uncover interesting and significant news relevant to our core sectors of energy and infrastructure
• gather, corroborate, and interpret data to support content production 
• support and project co-ordinate the delivery of Melbourne-based events working will colleagues to ensure a memorable experience for attendees
• assist with the creation of marketing materials including flyers, banners and other promotional materials as required, working with our central brand team to ensure successful production and delivery 
• assist in preparation of the firm’s legal directory submissions (e.g. Legal 500 and Chambers) as well as firm award submissions
• identify and share information relating to Australia with colleagues is shared internally promoted on the firm's website, social media via the firm’s internal communications channels and relevant APAC internal intranet pages are kept up to date.

General BD Administrative assignments 

• developing strong relationships across the firm, and where required, attend meetings to understand and support global and regional brand and marketing initiatives
• liaising with our legal PA team to ensure all lawyer CVs, credentials and contacts on our CRM database are being are kept up to date by them
• assisting with internal/external communications projects as required of the Comms Manager
• maintaining appropriate BD processes and objectives aligning to the overall strategy of the region
• collaborating with other groups across the firm around clients (for example Vario, Responsible Business)
• being a champion and supporter of operational improvement changes to process within the regional BD team and, as required for global projects 
• being a CRM database ‘champion’ user for the purposes of supporting the firms events and direct mail campaigns activities
• providing BD training for Legal PAs, junior lawyers and others across the business.

About you

As a high performing team, we want to attract people who are like-minded in their goal to have fun, do great work, learn and grow professionally and be open to new experiences in their role. 

To be considered for the role, you will have: 

• Relevant qualification (i.e. business, communications, journalism, marketing/events)
• Prior work experience in either a marketing agency, event management, not for profit, industry association or professional services environment 
• Demonstrated ability to deliver projects end-to-end (either independently or with supervision)
• Excellent writing /editing skills, with high attention to detail and ability to proof documents
• Strong document production skills (MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint) 
• Experience drafting proposals and/or client-facing marketing material - desirable
• Event co-ordination experience – desirable

We’d love to talk with you if you are:

• Enthusiastic with a positive ‘can do’ attitude with a healthy degree of humility and willingness to embrace new experiences and further personal learning and development 
• Motivated and confident, with strong communication skills and ability to articulate thoughts, ideas, processes or recommendations either within the BD and marketing team or across the broader firm 
• Adaptability and flexible in what can be at times, a fast-paced environment

What makes Pinsent Masons a great place to work?  

• We have a global reach and a local feel. With 28 offices and 2000 lawyers operating across Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, you'll be exposed to domestic, international and multi-jurisdictional high-profile work, yet be in an office where everyone knows your name.
• We do things a bit differently. Legal services are at the core of our business, however we have diversified into other areas providing complimentary services to clients through offerings like Vario flexible services.
• We like to be flexible. Our firm is professional and allows you to bring our whole self to work. Dress for your day and in your own style and participate in practices that support your wellbeing, mental wellness and work/life balance so that everyone can thrive at work and at home.
• We're lots of fun and very inclusive. You'll also have plenty of opportunities to participate in, and even run, social activities, diversity and inclusion networks, and charitable initiatives.

Diversity and Inclusion 

At Pinsent Masons we value diversity and inclusion. We are committed to creating a better workplace where all our talent can succeed and feel like they belong. We want to attract, retain and develop people at all levels and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates whatever your ethnicity, religion, age, physical or mental disability/long term condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristics protected by local law in the jurisdictions in which we operate.

Contact Details

If you're interested in learning more or discussing this opportunity in further detail, please contact Internal Recruitment Advisor Gemma Feeney via ************@pinsentmasons.com.