Global Proposals Manager

Company Description

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.

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.

Job Description

Clifford Chance has a global strategy which puts clients at the heart of everything the Firm does. We have a clear mandate around developing our existing strengths and relationships whilst increasing our share in new markets. Our Client & Market Development function ("C&MD") works strategically with our Global Business Units and local offices across all Regions – driven by our vision "to be the global law firm of choice for the world’s leading businesses of today and tomorrow".

The Global Proposals Manager is responsible for developing our proposals/pitch strategy to maximise the success of our proposals overall, and managing complex multi-practice proposals to enable the firm to win strategic opportunities.

Who you will work with

You will work with the Global Head of Bids and Pursuits, Central Pitch Team (based in London, Warsaw and Delhi) and the wider Client & Market Development teams in and across all the firm's core practice areas, sectors and geographies.

The role requires excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to work under pressure and to challenging deadlines. 

You will play a key role in connecting pitch / proposal teams with relevant business professionals in areas such as Commercial Pricing, Innovation and Document Production.

What you will be responsible for

• Leading the end-to-end proposal process in a complex matrix environment, including proposal strategy, development, writing, editing, production and delivery, presentations and feedback.

• To work as part of a Central Pitch Team leading the delivery of global panel pitches and complex / multi-jurisdictional high value matter RFPs across multiple practice areas, sectors, and geographies

• To support the development of world class proposals best practice and delivery

• To equip the Firm and Client & Market Development colleagues and Fee Earners with the tools, techniques and infrastructure required for excellence and efficiency in proposals development

• To support the Global Head of Bids and Pursuits on strategic initiatives aimed at increasing the efficiency and sophistication of our pitch responses, including helping to embed the effective use of AI within a proposals environment 

What you will do

Core activities include:

• Managing the end-to-end proposals process and acting as the lead and central point of contact on global RFPs and cross-jurisdictional/practice pitches at a high value/highly strategic level

• Providing end-to-end advice, challenge, direction, coaching and support throughout the proposal life cycle to stakeholders at all levels within the firm

• Scheduling and running proposal kick-off meetings, leading storyboarding sessions, facilitating key review meetings/final document review, coordinating proposal governance/sign off, document production, and delivery of the completed proposal

• Coaching, overseeing, and supporting more junior team members who have varying degrees of experience through pitch processes

• Drafting, reviewing, and editing pitch documents to shape and produce compelling, client centric propositions for clients 

• Identifying creative ways to communicate messages to our clients throughout the pitch process

• Building strong relationships and collaborating closely with a wide range of Business Professionals across the firm including, Commercial Pricing, Innovation and Document Production to drive the pitch process

• Acting as an advocate for and ensuring compliance with processes associated with Foundation (the firm's Pitch and Experience Management product) and assisting with the management of Standard Pitch Content and Pipeline Reporting

• Working with teams to drive the development of strong propositions at all stages of the RFP process 

• Assisting with ensuring that best practice is developed and shared with other Client & Market Development teams

• Delivering proposal training sessions to lawyers and other Client & Market Development teams

• Conducting win/loss debriefs for global proposals and pitches

In addition: 

• You will work closely with partners and Client & Market Development management to create and maintain momentum in winning new business 

• You will be expected to bring innovation and new ideas to proposals

• You will be responsible for the design of proposal training courses - delivered in-house via the Firm's academy and through external training agencies for both the global Client & Market Development function and lawyers

Qualifications

You will have: 

• Extensive experience of working on competitive proposals and pitches in several markets, ideally within the legal or broader professional services market

• Extensive experience working across functions in an international, regional, and local context

• Experience working at a senior level in a partnership

• Proven ability to build strong working relationships with senior management

• Proven ability to lead staff at all levels and delegate effectively

• Proven ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism and act discreetly when required

In addition, you will possess: 

• The ability to build relationships with senior stakeholders quickly

• Excellent listening, oral, and written communication skills

• A high-level of self-awareness and the ability to flex working style to different situations

• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple projects concurrently

• Highly developed analytical skills and a passion for problem solving

• Strong IT literacy: proficiency with Microsoft Office and exposure to Web Portals used for managing RFP processes

Additional Information

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.

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 here.