National Digital Manager

A leading UK law firm with a network of offices from the South Coast to Scotland, working together as one national team. An innovative practice and the first top 100 law firm to achieve “Gold Standard” Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm. The lack of barriers between departments, a real lack of hierarchy, zero tolerance for arrogance and pomposity makes Shoosmiths a fantastic place to work.

To manage the transformation of Shoosmiths’ website, making it the outstanding client-centred and market-facing digital site in the legal sector, directing and managing content to ensure the delivery of optimised website traffic, successful lead generation campaigns and effective campaign promotions, to reflect our brand and vision as “The leading national law firm famous for its client experience”.   

• To direct the re-design and re-casting of the Shoosmiths website to pivot on clients’ expectations and wishes, working closely with the Brand Manager and CRM teams.
• To increase as a consequence the engagement levels, effectiveness/results and usability of the Shoosmiths website, including the full range of digital stratagems, including video, e-learning and the deployment of client portals
• To optimise the end-to-end client experience across multiple channels, regularly measuring and monitoring results, as well as client feedback and insights, and making necessary improvements in line with these
• Work with Campaign and Data Managers/BD colleagues generally to devise strategies to drive online traffic to the Shoosmiths website(s) (including Access Legal) in the form of specific, targeted lead generation campaigns, to increase the level of opted-in data achieved, in compliance with the GDPR and ePCR
• Use data capture to shape and individuate the experience of website visitors
• Be a pro-active and enthusiastic advocate and ambassador for best digital practice to all stakeholders, including the provision of guidance and training
• Continually manage the website content to reflect the evolving strategic vision of the business and present our ‘shop window’ in line with evolving technologies in a way which is attractive, compelling and captivating to external client, targets and influencers
• Stay on top of new emerging technologies in order to deploy innovations to keep the company at the forefront of developments in digital marketing and e-marketing
• Recommend and manage analytics to measure performance and visitors and ensure that the website is performing optimally in relation to the firm’s key market sectors
• Provide reports and analytics on results and conversion rates, and use learning and feedback to foster innovation
• Line management of the Digital Manager, Executive and Assistant and developing opportunities for them in line with the BD competency framework
• Management of external contractors
• Work with Comms Manager to support the firm’s social media strategy, ensuring that social media use dovetails in to the way the website is used, and providing statistics on reach and impact reporting and suggestions for improvement
• Manage the interface between IS and the Business Development team, ensuring that upgrades are made in a timely way (including the integration and delivery of client portals)
• Ensure all documentation relating to the website is accurate, compliant and up-to-date, including all policies, procedures, business processes and training materials relating to the website
• Budget preparation, sign off, forecasting and management
• Contribute to development/monitoring of and action around the Directorate’s Risk Register

Key requirements

• Experience, familiarity and ease with Sitecore
• Experience of having delivered a new website previously, and the associated requirement to persuade and influence stakeholders
• First rate digital project management and planning skills and digital marketing experience in a professional services organisation. 
• Team player who can meet deadlines, prioritise workloads and manage multiple projects
• Knowledge of GoogleAnalytics and familiarity with the requirements of the safe and professional website protocols
• Able to link the objectives of a law firm with the capabilities of a website and the likely attention span of clients and targets in a market or sector, including the specification and design of projects on a technical and nontechnical basis
• Accuracy and attention to detail, commensurate with working for a top UK national law firm committed to delivering the highest standards of client service
• Good communications skills and highly personable – the ability to express requests concisely and courteously by email and by phone, to elicit results and co-operation required
• Ability to inspire confidence and trust in the team and the business
• Intellectual rigour and insight to be credible with a highly intelligent and experienced group of personnel
• Excellent interpersonal, written and presentational skills

Experience, qualifications and other role-specific requirements

• Strong understanding of current online strategy and best practice in B2B and B2C (Access Legal) digital marketing.
• Experience of Sitecore, InterAction, Vuture preferred
• Creatively confident, and able to challenge existing norms appropriately
• Experience in ecommerce, SEO, PPC, Email marketing, and social media.
• At least 3 years’ experience within a partnership or professional services environment, or ability to demonstrate experience in dealing effectively with professional services requirements
• Comfortable working to strict deadlines and in pressurised environments without compromising on quality of work
• Able to influence, persuade and reassure “non-techy” lawyers on the benefits of strong and proactive digital engagement
• Ability to manage and prioritise own workload, motivated to achieve long term goals by developing and adhering to a project plan.

Shoosmiths is a committed Equal Opportunities employer promoting equality of opportunity. This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.