Client & Market Development Associate Manager - Global Infrastructure

The Role

The Client & Market Development (CMD) Associate Manager will lead our Global Infrastructure sector.

The Global Infrastructure sector is a key sector for the firm and significant investment has been (and will continue to be) made to further enhance our capabilities across our network. It is a group with great ambitions, making bold choices and with growth in mind. This role will play an integral part in delivering on the sector's objectives and plans for the future.

The sector group comprises of lawyers who advise clients on the procurement, construction, operation, maintenance and acquisition or sale of infrastructure assets around the world.

We advise across all infrastructure asset classes, including:

• Digital and Smart Infrastructure
• Energy Transition and related Infrastructure
• Transport Infrastructure
• Water and Waste Infrastructure
• Social and Defence Infrastructure

We provide full-service capabilities at every stage of the infrastructure value chain from fund formation to the structuring and financing of projects through to disputes and litigation and mergers and acquisitions.

The global sector is across the entire infrastructure and transport sector: aviation and airports; defence; ports and shipping; post and logistics; public sector; road, rail and social infrastructure; water and waste; and energy and telecoms.

Who you will work with

This role will work across key product areas and key offices to deliver a truly global strategy, which will include driving client development, opportunity spotting, market analysis, overseeing profile raising activities and evaluating return on investment.

The global infrastructure group at Clifford Chance is a multi-disciplinary team of highly experienced lawyers who provide innovative legal advice, with expertise across all practice areas.

What you will be responsible for

Strategy

• Oversee the execution of the client and marketing strategy for the global sector, with a particular focus on the development of key client relationships.
• Ensure the sector and sub sectors are managing marketing spend effectively and in line with budget.
• Ensure that the firm's global sector expertise is sufficiently visible and leveraged by partners in their relationship-building efforts.
• Work with global stakeholders to lead on the product and sector strategy, ensuring the right partners are deployed on the right opportunities, ensuring partners are getting the BD support they need in key growth areas, and identify and address client development and marketing issues. 

Client and Market Development

• Ensure the above groups are investing the right amount of time and effort on their priority sector clients and prospects.
• Drive and support more disciplined client outreach and client relationship activity across the sectors.
• Foster and encourage more cross-product collaboration.
• Ensure client relationship building and reputation enhancing opportunities are maximised through flagship marketing and events programmes.
• Ensure lawyer teams are well prepared and rehearsed for pivotal business development and relationship meetings with clients and prospects through the support they receive from their C&MD leads.
• Leverage the Client Insight & Business Intelligence Team and other sector teams to provide insight on clients and sectors to inform strategic marketing decisions and support client development.
• Lead on/work on must-win matter-specific proposals.
• Foster a stronger client feedback/client listening culture across the sectors.
• Increase the visibility of upcoming and planned client meetings that, ultimately, drives more cross-selling.

Marketing Materials, Marketing Infrastructure and Processes

• Ensure core marketing and pitch materials for each group are kept updated and accessible on the Firm's pitch database ("Foundation").
• Ensure best practice is being implemented across the legal directory process with the aim of protecting top tier rankings and improving on others.

Collaboration

• Continuously raise the bar of the C&MD team in the way that they support the above groups and help their teams to build stronger client relationships and profiles in the market.
• Facilitate collaboration between the team and legal professionals to ensure a cohesive approach to market positioning and client engagement.

What you will do

• Overall, ensuring the Firm is viewed as a market leader in the Infrastructure sector and its sub-sectors globally.
• Managing all financial and wider business activities in the sector, acting as a point of contact between the Sector Leads and stakeholders and providing insight into the most essential projects. You will prioritise and coordinate critical issues and find essential information that is pertinent for the Sector Leads to have in order to make good business decisions.
• Supporting the Infrastructure Sector leadership in the creation and execution of the sector business development and marketing plan.
• Packaging and promoting the firm’s expertise across products and assets and creating and maintaining the marketing collateral necessary to cross-sell our expertise internally and to clients.
• Leveraging available resources to identify new sources of work, new business leads for the sector and proactively share and follow-up on opportunities with key client teams, offices and practice areas.
• Direct involvement in client programme and related initiatives (including client targeting and product specific business development).
• Working with an assigned member of our Brand, Communications and Marketing team who will be responsible for raising the profile of the Firm's Infrastructure capabilities in key markets across the spectrum of marketing and PR channels including social media, conference speaking slots and sponsorships; thought leadership reports, client roundtable discussions and seminars; PR opportunities; memberships of trade bodies.
• Overseeing and delivering on several international flagship events, including working with local teams to target clients and support on the ground arrangements.
• Management of global/cross practice pitches for key global strategic clients, working with the Central Pitch team where necessary.
• Ensuring that all key global and regional Infrastructure sector-related directory submissions, league table and awards submissions for the group are submitted.
• Being the key point of contact globally for sector related enquiries.

Your career experience so far

Extensive experience in business development, preferably within a law firm or professional services environment or within the infrastructure sector.

Proven track record of developing and executing successful business development and marketing strategies and initiatives.

Excellent relationship-building skills.

Exceptional communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal.

Strong technical proficiency and familiarity with tools like CRM and Mergermarket.

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and development your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

Our one firm global strategy is focused on targeted growth led by the needs of our core clients, those who we can best support with the breadth and depth of Clifford Chance expertise, across the sectors and geographies, which matter most to them.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Hybrid Working

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.

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