Business Development & Marketing Manager

Gowling WLG • Ottawa, ON

60d • Hybrid

About The Position

The local office BD & Marketing Manager works closely with the Office Managing Partner (OMP) to elevate the Firm’s visibility, reputation, and competitive position in the local market. This includes maintaining a vibrant presence through impactful brand positioning, community and client engagement, and alumni relations. The individual will also support the OMP with office culture, engagement and collaboration initiatives.

This role functions as a strategic two-way connector ensuring: (a) local market intelligence, opportunities, and capabilities are meaningfully integrated into national departments, practice, sector, and international programs and plans, and shared across the Business Development & Marketing (BDM) team for insight, and (b) relevant information, opportunities and capabilities flow from departments, practice groups, sectors and international to the OMP for consideration in the local office, market and community.

As a member of the BDM team, this market-focused role requires a passionate and experienced leader who excels at building meaningful relationships within the Firm and valuable connections with community partners – a can-do champion with business acumen, good judgement, and a strong understanding of both marketing and business development disciplines and best practices. You will act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, a connector across the Firm and BDM team, and a visible ambassador in the local community.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in business development, sales, or marketing within a professional services environment; law firm experience is beneficial.
• Deep BD and Marketing expertise with local market knowledge, experience, and relationships.
• Skilled collaborator with the ability to connect and bring people and groups together in a fast-paced matrixed environment, while also efficiently working independently.
• Highly organized with the ability to work cross-functionally with colleagues at all levels of the Firm and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Strategic thinker with a results-oriented mindset and curiosity to understand clients, markets, and opportunities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal skills – a skilled storyteller with the ability to persuade senior audiences.
• Proven ability to turn data and insights into actionable, measurable brand-to-demand strategies.
• Accountable and proactive self-starter focused on delivering results and high-quality execution.
• Superior analytical and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong project management abilities with a track record of supporting senior leaders.
• Proficiency using CRM systems and other business development tools.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Law firm experience is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead the ongoing assessment of the local business and legal landscape, sharing and analyzing industry developments, market trends, and competitive shifts to identify opportunities that increase visibility and deepen local influence in alignment with the Firm’s strategic plan.
• Develop and implement an annual and quarterly local market engagement plan with meaningful community participation, outreach, and success metrics.
• Position and strengthen the Gowling WLG brand in the local market through beneficial strategic sponsorships, events, charitable giving, and partnerships.
• Provide strategic guidance and input into the assessment, approval, planning and implementation of market-facing activities, such as sponsorships, partnerships and charitable giving, and events, ensuring alignment with priorities, while collaborating with other offices and national BDM teams for maximum impact.
• Establish measurement frameworks to assess the ROI on sponsorships, partnerships and promotional spend and guide investment decisions.
• Serve as a visible and confident representative of the Firm in the local community.
• Collaborate with the OMP to strengthen key client relationships through research, insights, and recommendations for collaboration opportunities.
• Shape and recommend high-impact client events, roundtables, and office-hosted programs that pursue growth, differentiate the Firm, and highlight key strengths and capabilities.
• Provide local market intelligence to support planning and execution across departments, practice groups, and sectors.
• Support and facilitate cross-practice and cross-office collaboration to identify and pursue client opportunities that grow multi-service, multi-office accounts.
• Support local alumni engagement activities in alignment with the national program.
• Leverage available financial and CRM data and tools to inform BD, marketing and promotional strategies in addition to providing leadership with actionable insights and recommendations.
• Oversee the development of marketing materials, presentations, and communications in support of the OMP’s leadership and outreach activities; ensure alignment with Firm-wide branding and messaging.
• Manage and jointly oversee the office’s local engagement budget with the OMP, ensuring disciplined tracking of actual and forecasted spend and management of vendors, sponsorships, and community partnerships.
• In collaboration with the People & Culture team and BDM colleagues, support the OMP with planning and execution of initiatives that reinforce a people-first, collaborative, and high-performance culture; assist with coordination of office-wide events, meetings, and communications that strengthen engagement and reinforce the Firm’s values.
• Support BD & Marketing-related professional development and training initiatives delivered within the office.
• Support OMP leadership communications and strategic messaging, engaging Internal Communications as needed.

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and mental health coverage, plus an annual lifestyle spending allowance
• Benefits coverage for Firm members and their dependents from day one!
• 15+ vacation days and hybrid work flexibility
• Parental leave top-up for 26 weeks (after 12 months of full-time employment)
• Group Retirement Savings Plan with employer match
• Financial protection through short & long-term disability, life, accident & critical illness insurance
• Employee & Family Assistance Program, guided CBT, and an internal network of 120+ trained Mental Health First Aid responders
• Recognition awards, appreciation events, and a supportive, collaborative work culture
• Perks and preferred pricing programs, referral bonuses and more

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees