Director, Client & Business Development

Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP is one of Canada's leading business law firms. Advising many of Canada's corporate leaders, as well as U.

S. and international parties with extensive interest in Canada, our more than 1,000 firm members are based in offices in Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary and New York.

Osler prides itself on attracting and maintaining some of the brightest talent in the legal arena. Our lawyers, students, management and staff have created a unique firm culture which nurtures mentoring and the exchange of ideas.

Osler is a dynamic and exciting place to further your career or carve out a new path.

The Director, Client & Business Development provides strategic and tactical business development and marketing in support of the Corporate and other transactional practice group Chairs, working collaboratively with the Client Development & Marketing (CD&M) team.

This is a sophisticated client service role that works collaboratively with senior legal professionals, as well as CD&M and COO office team members to develop and execute business development strategies, targeting new client opportunities, and strengthening existing client relationships.

This role will also work with the CCO to understand the key priorities of the department and will actively seek opportunities to support and advance these priorities.

Major Responsibilities

Practice Organization : Support Corporate and other transactional practice group communication and operations through regularly providing data and other context to organize strategy and for analysis and planning purposes, and presentation materials for group meetings.

Work with group chairs to conduct business planning and practice strategy initiatives

Developing and tracking practice group business-development budgets consistent with the groups' business-development plans;

communicating budget status to Chief Client Officer and practice group legal professionals on a regular basis.

• Organize and keep current all business-development materials related to assigned practices and groups, including relevant databases and other practice data and statistics, league tables and contact lists.
• Strategic Planning : Facilitate the development of strategic business-development and marketing plans for the assigned practice groups.

Include competitive analyses, key target analyses, and the identification of internal capabilities. Promote increased visibility, media relations coverage, networking, cross-selling, and alignment with individual lawyer business-development planning.

• Analyze and provide ongoing updates about key industry and local market trends, consistent with the firm and practice group strategic plans, and update these plans as necessary.
• Set prioritized goals, timelines, milestones, and success metrics. Lead the execution of these plans to achieve key business development and marketing priorities.
• New Business Opportunities : Assisting in developing new business opportunities, including generating prospect lists and coordinating information gathering efforts such as researching and recommending new strategic target companies, industries, or localities.
• Seeks out networking / speaking engagement opportunities for legal professionals, consistent with their business development goals.
• Client Relationship Management : Guide client relationship partners in planning and executing firm-wide activities focused on strategic clients including monitoring investment and results of client facing activities.

Lead key account management activities to strengthen client relationships. Develop and implement client engagement strategies, leveraging our Client Relationship Management program and other available tools.

Organize post-matter interviews and annual strategic client discovery initiatives.

• Develop and coordinate the execution of client-related education and entertainment programs (including seminars, receptions, networking events, etc.).
• Proposals and Submissions : Advise on content and positioning for RFP responses, credentials, and other sales-related documents.

Using guiding best practices for RFP writing against client needs, coordinate RFPs, pitches and proposal responses and lead responsibility for opportunity management within the assigned practices.

• Lead the development of submissions to approved ranking services and directories (e.g., Chambers and Partners).
• Internal and External Communications : Coordinate with legal professionals and the marketing team on internal communications requirements, external marketing communications, including website content, and thought leadership activities.
• Ensure currency of bios, deal lists, and other hard-copy and specialized marketing materials required by his / her practice groups;

ensuring that related Web content is updated and always timely.

• Identify opportunities for increased visibility with business, trade, and legal media and working closely with the firm's media consultant, coordinating press strategy with lawyers.
• Promote and encourage collaboration among lawyers within and across practice groups. Within the firm, using appropriate internal communications methods, disseminate information about business-development activities, client accomplishments, lateral partners, speaking engagements, articles, alerts, and other relevant marketing activities.
• Training and Mentorship : Provide coaching and mentorship to team members to help them grow. Identify and implement training programs for business development and sales, cross-selling, client-retention, and other marketing-related activities.

Position Requirements

Education and Experience

• University degree (BA / MBA) in marketing, communications or English
• 10+ years of related marketing or business development experience within a professional services firm.
• An LLB is an asset, and an interest and understanding of capital markets and / or the legal space is mandatory.
• An equivalent combination of education, training and experience is acceptable.

Knowledge and Skills

• Highly organized, proactive, and confident individual with a strong client service orientation
• Well-developed leadership, collaboration, and management skills
• Ability to provide creative and collaborative solutions to support client and business development initiatives
• Ability to handle a fast-paced environment and rally people effectively
• Proven strategic thinking and analytical skills, with strong interpersonal skills and active listening capabilities
• Experience with project management, prioritizing objectives, managing competing service requests, meeting deadlines and being accountable for exemplary work product
• Knowledge of local market and business community, and ability to keep up to date with market and competitive trends, challenges and goals related to both internal and external client groups
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Knowledge of CRM technologies and integration with marketing communications platforms
• Ability to lead and mentor more junior team members in business-development and marketing activities
• Ability to keep current with relevant technology and marketing media
• General knowledge of how a law firm and individual practices operates
• Proficient in MS Office, including PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Outlook, and with AI tools and technologies (such as ChatGPT).

Proficiency with Power BI is an asset.

For the safety of firm members and visitors, Osler is committed to complying with the recommendations of public health authorities, including with respect to adopting mandatory vaccination policies.

Employment at Osler is therefore conditional on complying with any vaccination policies that Osler may adopt from time to time in response to the recommendations of public health authorities.

We are currently working in a hybrid work arrangement, which includes a requirement to work primarily in the office and flexibility to work remotely up to 2 days per week.

Accessibility and Accommodation

We thank all applicants for their interest in Osler; however, only chosen applicants will be contacted. Osler is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, and we welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities and people with diverse backgrounds, identities, and cultures.

Accommodations are available upon request for candidates in all phases of the selection process.

Background and Reference Checks

Please note that any offer of employment will be conditional upon background and reference checks, including a criminal record check, credit check, and employment and educational verifications.

If you have the required background with the ability to provide exceptional customer service and wish to work in one of Canada's leading law firms, please reply in confidence with a cover letter and résumé by the closing date.

No agencies or phone calls / emails please.

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