Marketing Officer

The marketing officer function supports the firm in attracting, retaining and growing clients through a range of activities. Marketing (sometimes also known as business development) work with and alongside the partners and attorneys of the firm to raise the external awareness of the firm, the services it offers and the expertise of its people.

Activities can vary depending on the size of the firm, size of the marketing team and experience and seniority of the marketing colleagues, though many will be involved in some way with core tasks including:  managing the website and social media channels; arranging and managing webinars and in-person events; creating marketing communications and content; and working with attorneys on their marketing objectives and plans. Some experienced marketing officers may also accompany attorneys to larger events in a coaching and relationship building capacity.

You may end up specialising in certain technical fields such as digital communications, have a role supporting a particular subject matter team such as chemistry, or be a generalist covering all aspects of business development and marketing.

You’ll find marketing officers in most firms with double-digit fee earners.  Generally, though not always, the larger the firm the bigger the marketing team headcount, as a range of skills and experience may be beneficial to support the marketing strategy of that firm. If a firm has more than one office, you may have a ‘base office’ and travel to other locations (including events) regularly.

This will depend on the level and scope of the role. While it’s useful to have some qualifications, experience and skills play a significant part in gaining and progressing in a marketing role. A creative mind, attention to detail, project management/multitasking skills, and being a confident communicator are good attributes for this role.

Training is often done on the job, though you may find opportunities to attend workshops or courses to assist with any skills development – the world of marketing tends to evolve with new technology and channels.

The role can be varied and helping a new client to connect with your firm or seeing your marketing ideas come to life are good highlights.

Managing projects that require fee earner input. The reality is that marketing will be secondary to client work, so you have to plan ahead and negotiate internally for peoples’ time.

This varies, though do check out recruitment websites that specialising in the legal sector or marketing jobs in legal or professional services. Sometimes recruiters get involved, and of course check out the website of the different firms. Another proactive angle is to get in touch with the senior marketing people at firms you hold an interest; LinkedIn can be a useful initial step to start the conversation with them.