Business Development Executive

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout.

You would join an ambitions firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business.

Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, "The Deal", between the firm and its employees.

Team Structure

The firm's business development team focuses on three main areas: winning new business; building the firm's brand; and developing fee-earner marketing and pitching skills. This role would suit someone who is keen on being involved in the full range of Business Development activities. This will include advising and supporting partners and associates on the strategic direction of marketing, business development and client development activities, working on pitches and proposals, as well as leading on events, award and directory submissions, and communications.

You will be responsible for supporting the Business Development function across the Greater China region. You will report to the Business Development Manager, Greater China and be supported by a small team. The team in Hong Kong will also work closely with our Business Development colleagues in Singapore and the office manager in Seoul to integrate our practice areas and general marketing across the Asia-Pacific region.

Our Chief BD And Client Officer is based in London. You will be part of a wider network of Business Development and marketing professionals around the world with team members (mainly in London) responsible for Business Development, key client development, media relations, web and communications, events, and CRM.,

• Pitch and proposals: Assisting with preparing pitches and proposals, in particular in Mandarin


• Award and directory submissions: To assist with preparing award and directory submissions for Legal 500, Chambers and other awards

+ Dealing with directory submissions, ensuring deadlines for entry are met and all the relevant information is supplied
+ Drafting submissions and preparing referee spreadsheets for each submission
+ Co-ordinating research interviews - liaising with the partners and the external researchers, building good relationships, providing the partners with all the necessary/relevant information, dealing with queries and last-minute requests for information, scheduling/rescheduling appointments, booking rooms and conference calls

• Marketing literature:

+ To assist with Business Development presentations
+ Creating, amending and updating profile sheets/CVs

• CRM system (InterAction): Creating, managing and quality controlling marketing lists via the firm's CRM system (InterAction) for BD activities, such as newsletter mailshots and event invitations


• Events:

+ Organising events on behalf of practice areas, including client seminars and social events
+ Co-ordinating sponsorships and partnerships

• Communications:

+ To assist with external and internal communications on platforms such as WeChat to enhance various practice group profiles
+ To work with the London BD team on maintaining SH website Chinese information
+ Assisting with media monitoring and collating press coverage
+ Managing press information going on to the website, QUEST and newsletters
+ Drafting press releases
+ Assisting with preparing briefing notes and the distribution of materials

• General BD team co-ordination and support:

+ Conduct research on existing and prospective clients, competitor's activity and industry or regionals trends
+ Stay attuned to news and business developments that may impact the practice/industry and apply that knowledge to identify opportunities for promoting the firm
+ Ensuring marketing literature is distributed to the international offices as and when required
+ Working closely with international BD teams and ensuring they are kept up-to-date with upcoming projects

• Brand ambassador:

+ To ensure that the format of marketing materials produced are in line with our brand guidelines
+ Be a BD representative at practice group meetings to share BD best practices, market knowledge, client insights and current activities

We are looking for a graduate with relevant marketing and business development experience in a professional services firm.
Other attributes or skills required include:

• Confident, robust, pragmatic and easy to work with


• A skilled written communicator with a good eye for detail and the ability to influence senior people in the business and develop relationships


• Well-organised and someone who delivers what they promise to a consistently high standard of quality


• Proactive and enthusiastic with a positive attitude


• A supportive and committed team player able to demonstrate experience of building a collaborative environment


• Innovative and open to new ideas, with the ability to challenge where necessary


• Commercially aware and knowledgeable and able to demonstrate that you consistently add value to business development thinking and activities


• Good MS Word, PowerPoint skills


• Fluent (verbal and written) in English, Cantonese and Mandarin
  
  With 8 offices worldwide and with our headquarters based in London, Stephenson Harwood is a law firm where our people are committed to achieving the goals of our clients - listed and private companies, institutions and individuals across the globe. Our mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service.


Our experience encompasses corporate, commercial litigation and arbitration, employment, pensions and private wealth, finance, marine and international trade, and real estate and projects.

We assemble teams of bright thinkers to match our clients' needs and give the right advice from the right person at the right time. Dedicating the highest calibre of legal talent to overcome the most complex issues, we deliver pragmatic, expert advice that is set squarely in the real world.

We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

Our values

Individuality
We encourage creativity and develop talent.

Commitment
To be the best and deliver the highest standard.

Teamwork
We work together to build close, long-term relationships

Straight talking
We say what we mean and do what we say.
These values express the personality of the individuals within our firm. They are the behaviours we encourage in our people and the standards which inform our decisions and actions.

Our vision into 2026

To be a successful firm where talented people work together in an entrepreneurial environment, building long term client relationships.
This vision is about who we want to be, as well as who we are. It is as much about our values as about our character - the attributes we want to see from all of our people. That's how we unlock our entrepreneurial spirit, advising our clients with top performing teams.

A key part of the 2026 strategy is to focus on five core sectors: decarbonisation, life sciences, private capital & funds, technology, and transportation & trade. These have been identified as crucial in the drive for accelerated profitable growth.