Client Development Manager

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich, Sevenoaks and Bristol. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: property, corporate services, litigation and private client advisory.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do.  RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 40% of our partnership.

The Client Development Team is an integral part of Birketts’ Business Development & Marketing team which has more than 30 experts working across all 7 of our office locations, who work together as integrated team, in support of the firm’s strategic objectives.

The Client Development Team champion the voice of the client, seeking and acting on client feedback across the firm to make positive client-focused change. The Team are dedicated to key account management, driving the firm’s key client programme, Enterprise and pro-actively promote the discipline of rigorous client relationship management and delivery of an outstanding client experience.

This is a multi-disciplinary, hands-on role with a strong focus on key account management and client listening. The ambition is that the Client Development Team work collaboratively with Enterprise Client Partners and Client Relationship Teams across the business to pro-actively manage Enterprise client accounts for the benefit of the wider firm.

Specific responsibilities and accountabilities would be as follows:

Enterprise Client Programme

Strategy

• Pro-actively contribute to the evolution of the Enterprise Client Programme strategy aligned with the firm’s strategic objectives.
• Support the development of measurement and reporting of programme success against KPIs.
• Build an understanding of how the firm can best position itself in relation to Enterprise Clients.
• Contribute to the broader firm approach to client relationship management for Enterprise Clients.
• Actively promote and drive Enterprise firm-wide, sharing best practice for the benefit of the wider firm.

Key Account Management

• Drive revenue growth by providing proactive support, working in collaboration with Enterprise Client Partners and Client Relationship Teams to develop client plans for Enterprise Clients, driving action and executing tactics whilst promoting cross selling.
• Help client teams be more analytical about client needs, target profitable revenue streams and increase our share of wallet.
• Lead on relationship mapping activity and implement contact-marking plans, building connections with key decision makers and increasing the number and quality of touchpoints.
• Undertake comprehensive research, developing a deep understanding of Enterprise Clients’ business strategies.
• Establish communication and information flows across the client teams to share relationship intelligence and insights, discuss opportunities and review progress against the plans.
• Working alongside the Bids team on major new client wins to take forward pitch-promise actions.
• Work closely with BDM colleagues including BD, Bids, Digital and Design teams.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge in front of Enterprise Client Partners and senior management.
• Manage Enterprise Client budgets, ensuring return on investment.
• Intapp (CRM system) and data ambassador.

Client Listening Programme

• Drive our Client Listening Programme, promoting a culture of client feedback, using client service reviews and post transaction reviews to build stronger client relationships, and drive client service excellence.
• Deliver and embed the client experience survey across the business.
• Working alongside our research agencies to deliver any firm-wide client listening initiatives and bespoke client feedback projects, including analysis, data interpretation and report development.
• Identify and report to senior management on aggregate themes and trends.
• Promote and secure business change because of client feedback.
• Advise partners and client teams on delivering a leading client experience, developing relevant best practice and training materials.

Intermediaries

• Contribute to the firm-wide intermediaries’ strategy, with shared responsibility for implementation.

Client Relationship Management

• Champion for rigorous client relationship management, supporting the development of best practice and internal campaigns.
• Excellence knowledge of the tools and processes used to build client relationships and drive revenue.
• Supporting internal training programmes and initiatives.

Client Experience

• Supporting the development of best practice, toolkits, and internal campaigns to support our lawyers deliver an outstanding client experience.
• Leading continuous improvement projects to improve our client experience.
• Supporting internal training programmes and initiatives.

The ideal candidate will come from a large national or global law firm (or accountancy/financial services firm), with extensive client development experience conducted at senior level within the organisation.

Transferable sector experience is desirable, but not essential.

We are looking for:

• Proven, strong, prior experience of client development and managing key client accounts, gained within a fast-paced professional services or financial services environment.
• Excellent client management skills, with a real passion for delivering an exceptional client experience supported by client feedback
• Strong strategic thinking abilities, with the capacity to develop and execute relationship strategies.
• Ability to communicate with and influence the senior management team, partners and lawyer groups.
• Strong project management skills, able to work to tight deadlines and ability to assimilate information quickly.
• Ability to demonstrate a results-oriented, proactive approach.
• Strong research and business writing skills.
• Strong people skills, including confidence, positivity, tenacity, diplomacy, and ability to gain credibility quickly.
• Ability to work in collaboration with teams across the business.
• Demonstrates attention to detail, with a high level of accuracy.

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment, we offer the following core benefits:

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays (rising with service up to a maximum of 30 days). 
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme 
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
• Dress for your Day Policy

https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application. 

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.