Role purpose
To lead strategic pitch enablement initiatives, focusing on leading the pitch content team, as part of the Global Client Pursuits (GCP) function. The Senior Manager will be the Firm’s go-to expert for the latest pitch content including staying updated on the latest pitch topics, creating high-quality write-ups for client solutions, and describing the firm’s services and areas of expertise through compelling value propositions. This role will also oversee processes and technologies that support content management, ensuring efficiency and adherence to best practices in pitch development. In addition, they will lead training and learning initiatives to enhance the firm’s pitching capabilities.
The role-holder will be passionate about content excellence, strategic storytelling, and enabling teams to succeed in competitive bids. This role will be instrumental in crafting strong value propositions, ensuring our proposals and panel submissions stand out, and making high-quality content accessible to key stakeholders across the organization through a strong content governance framework and content management best practices.
This position requires a skilled leader with expertise in content writing, project management, and the ability to collaborate with subject matter experts across various teams. Staying ahead of evolving pitch content trends and best practices is crucial. This role offers a unique chance to shape the firm's pitch content strategy and will crucially contribute to winning new business. The individual will also lead other key pitch enablement initiatives as the Firm's needs and organizational structures evolve.
Main responsibilities
Pitch Content Strategy & Development:
- Lead the creation and management of high-quality pitch content, ensuring alignment with the firm’s business objectives and competitive positioning
- Develop strong, client-centric value propositions for competitive bids, panel submissions, and key client proposals
- Provide strategic input on content development, messaging, and storytelling to enhance proposal effectiveness
Content management & process optimization:
- Lead the development, management, and implementation of a robust content repository and governance framework
- Oversee the processes, technologies, and platforms that support pitch content creation, storage, and accessibility
- Ensure all pitch content in the content library is up-to-date, well-organized, and easily retrievable by relevant stakeholders; Keep teams accountable for content management and regular updates through strong project management
- Develop and implement best practices for content reuse, content updates, and customization to enhance efficiency and build a scalable knowledge base
- Leverage data analytics for content tracking, management, and timely updates, ensuring the most effective messaging is amplified. Tracking winning content to identify patterns of success with optimized future pitches
Stakeholder engagement & subject matter expertise:
- Act as the primary contact for developing the latest client solutions, firm services, and industry trends to support pitches and proposals, in collaboration with partners, GCP, and BDMC teams
- Build and maintain strong relationships with subject matter experts across the organization to ensure content accuracy and relevance
- Stay informed on emerging content trends and competitive insights to refine and enhance pitch materials
- Develop and share regular content management reports with stakeholders to drive high content engagement and usage
Training & best practices:
- Lead training initiatives to upskill teams on best practices for pitch content creation and proposal development
- Develop guidelines, playbooks, and training materials to ensure consistency and effectiveness in pitching, using centrally available pitch content
- Foster a culture of continuous learning, improvements, and knowledge sharing across the organization
Travel requirements: Mainly office-based; occasional travel.
Function
The Firm's BDMC function works closely with our Partners and leadership teams to:
- Increase our revenue, profitability and share across markets, industries and clients
- Enable us to win, retain and grow business through powerful pitches, engaging thought leadership and strong relationship management
- Lead market & client intelligence efforts to create new service line opportunities in industry and practice groups
- Channel the Baker McKenzie brand, identity and culture through a single communications voice
The Global Client Pursuits (GCP) team enables the Firm to win, retain, and grow business through powerful pitches. The GCP is a globally integrated dynamic team of high-performing individuals located across the world, who manage the firm's most strategic and high-value proposals and panels for key clients and pursuits.
You will report to: Director of Global Client Pursuits
Your direct reports, if any: Potentially will manage Senior Manager/s, Manager/s, and Specialist/s Teams
Key relationships:
- Partners, lawyers
- GCP team members
- BDMC colleagues
- Business Professionals’ colleagues in functions such as Pricing, Legal Project Management, Finance, Human Resources and Knowledge Management
Technical skills, qualifications and experience:
- A bachelor's degree
- Proven experience in pitch delivery, pitch content development, proposal writing, or related business development roles, within a competitive, client-focused professional services industry
- Strong leadership experience, able to manage teams, influence stakeholders and drive content excellence
- Exceptional writing, storytelling, and communication skills, able to translate complex solutions into compelling client narratives
- Expertise in content management tools, proposal automation software, and knowledge-sharing platforms
- Strategic thinker with a results-driven mindset and a keen understanding of competitive positioning
- Experience in training, coaching, and developing best practices for pitch and proposal writing
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across multiple business units
- Excellent project management skills, keeping multiple projects on track and meeting deadlines
- Client service focus, flexibility, can-do attitude; motivated and enthusiastic; personal drive and energy
- Gravitas to train and influence groups of partners or senior members of the Firm
- Serve as a role model for all team members
Personal qualities
These personal qualities represent the shared characteristics of high performers across Baker McKenzie, regardless of job level and location.
Know how
- Keeps across key developments in all relevant areas and demonstrates the ability to develop substantive authority in relation to the Firm's specialist fields
- Demonstrates the ability to identify the real issue, and to anticipate requirements and potential consequences; distils a range of possibilities by thinking in a considered, prudent manner
- Able to move through a variety of tasks requiring different approaches, knowledge, and expertise, with agility of mind and capacity for analysis and synthesis
Dedication
- Driven by a strong personal sense of integrity and upholds exemplary quality standards
- Prepares thoroughly, takes responsibility, uses initiative and is self reliant to ensure work progresses to the fullest extent possible
- Hardworking and diligent with a keen understanding of client demands
- Demonstrates composure when dealing with difficult situations
Personal Impact
- Creates a positive impression at all times; develops relationships through collaboration and reciprocity
- Negotiates to achieve outcomes that are mutually satisfactory; shows good judgement on when to stand strong and when to compromise
- Invests in, nurtures and builds a network of productive relationships
Humanity
- Respectful to others, regardless of their position, and earns the respect of others by being transparent
- Has care and concern for others and a genuine interest in others as people
- Treats delicate or confidential issues with grace and discretion.
Why Join Us?
Baker McKenzie is a truly global law firm. Founded in 1949, we advise many of the world's most dynamic and successful business organisations through our 13,200 people in 78 offices in 46 countries. Yet big does not mean impersonal. We work hard to ensure that everyone knows their role and has the support they need to perform it to the highest standard. Our culture encourages this - how we work, think and behave in a collaborative and fulfilling way.
In Johannesburg you will be part of an office with over 100 people. Originally opened in 2012, Baker McKenzie South Africa is well established in South Africa as a leading international law firm and is regularly involved in some of the country's most high-profile legal matters. We can offer you the work, pride and experience of being part of a leading law firm but in a local office environment that is hardworking, yet friendly and supportive.
Have a look at our YouTube channel to find out more about us!
To Apply
At Baker McKenzie, we welcome direct applications.
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NO AGENCIES PLEASE
Please note Baker McKenzie does not accept unsolicited CVs.
Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Baker McKenzie has a culture of diversity and inclusion in its DNA - since our beginning, the differences of our people have helped us to work fluently across borders, cultures and practices. This is intrinsic to everything we do and underpins Baker McKenzie's vision to be the global law firm of choice. We understand that organisations work best when people with different backgrounds and points of view are brought together. We also know people perform at their best when they can be themselves at work. Baker McKenzie is committed to serving our clients with innovative solutions brought about by a diverse talent pool and an inclusive community.
The Johannesburg office mirrors the wider firm in encouraging the best people, regardless of race, culture, religion or belief (if any), gender, gender identity and expression, disability, sexual orientation or age, to fulfil their professional aspirations with us so as to create an exciting and diverse legal environment.
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