Senior Associate, Security

Schillings is a multidisciplinary advisory firm with expertise in reputation, privacy and security.

We work with UK and international clients to successfully manage high-stakes opportunities and threats, using a unique combination of capabilities: legal; intelligence; communications; security and diplomacy.

We believe everyone has a right to fair treatment of their reputation, to a reasonable expectation of privacy and to feel safe.

Our experts sit within their specialist team but day-to-day work in multidisciplinary teams solving client problems. They are supported by our business services teams: Clients and Markets, HR, Finance, Risk and Compliance, IT and Client Services. 

Because we are a growth business, opportunities appear in all areas and at all levels.   We have the largest team of specialist media lawyers in the world, an expanding Intelligence & Investigations team, a growing Critical Risks unit, an evolving Digital Resilience practice, and a new communications agency – Schillings Communications – that will grow significantly in the next three years. 

Schillings is a collaborative, fun and welcoming place to work, with a positive culture, strong values and a developed service ethic.  We require commitment, diligence, agility and professionalism, and in return provide competitive packages and incredibly stimulating and interesting work.  We are committed to sharing learning and creating development opportunities so you can progress your career with us. Our people’s career trajectory and longevity at Schillings is a good example of this: a third of our people have been at the business for over five years. Join us and become part of our story.

Division:  Investigations, Security and Diplomacy (ISD)

Job Title: Senior Associate, Security

Accountable to: Partner

Day-to-day supervision of: Associates, Analysts

Job Purpose:

We are expanding our ability to offer the high stakes security missions (physical and digital) that our international clients need.  These missions are usually delivered as part of a multidisciplinary package of other measures (for example legal steps, private or public diplomacy, strategic communications, risk and crisis management and negotiation tasks).  Schillings is distinguishing itself by offering security services at a high level of sophistication and collaboration with other advisory services, inside and outside the firm.  We need an individual with drive and expertise to help scale up this aspect of our business. 

You will be required to understand the market, help the partners win new business, scope client needs, design operational mandates and missions, and execute projects in collaboration with teams across the firm and our external partner companies.  You will also contribute to developing our knowledge and expertise in security-related fields and spreading best practice, through the creation of standard operating procedures, policies, guidelines, case studies and training.   A particular focus will be to build and deepen relationships with partner companies who provide capabilities we do not have in-house, so our clients receive the best possible, seamless and integrated service. 

The role demands a flexible, diligent and sometimes robust approach.  You will need to be comfortable making, with support, high pressure judgment calls.  You will also need to available for client emergencies and out of hours demands or travel.  This will be balanced with the routine office-based rigour that makes our services sustainable and successful. 

This is a fee earning role and includes day to day responsibility for meeting fee and profitability targets.  The role will suit dynamic, entrepreneurial individuals looking to build a book of business within a very established and respected brand.  You will work as part of the Investigations, Security and Diplomacy division, the members of which support each other, help people succeed and encourage a culture of initiative taking and self-improvement.

Although the primary client asset that we want this role to focus on is security, we would like the incumbent to understand security’s interplay with reputation and privacy and be comfortable working in the overlaps between investigations, security and diplomacy.

Role Accountabilities:

• Lead the development and formalisation of our ability to design, market, sell and deliver security projects (physical and digital), in collaboration with others with expertise in security, law, intelligence, communications and diplomacy.
• Win new business with a security (digital and physical) flavour, especially that which attracts clients’ interest in a range of Schilling services.
• Latch onto client needs, emerging from direct conversations with clients or referrers, or from internal dialogue; and scope clients’ requirements, matching mandates to needs and getting them approved and fees agreed.
• Deepen relationships between current suppliers and be alert to new partnering opportunities; always being commercial about how we acquire and integrate these external service providers into our client mandates.
• Run security projects and the security aspects of broader multidisciplinary projects. These projects and task lines might include counter-surveillance, close protection, location security audits, counter-extortion, cyber security, fixated risk management, kidnap response, hostile environment extractions, medical evacuations, dispute resolution, and high-risk negotiations.     
• Innovate by conducting research and development of client solutions: introducing new products, frameworks, methodologies and services where appropriate.
• Manage client relationships and expectations, anticipate and provide timely advice to meet clients’ needs, ensuring the highest standard of client care and communication.
• Meet identified business targets for chargeable hours, billing and cash collection, demonstrating good financial management of debtors, disbursements and work in progress.
• Represent Schillings at international events, conferences and with insightful thought leadership.
• As a recognised expert in your fields, develop the skills and experience of other fee-earners, sharing knowledge and best practice to the benefit of the firm, its clients and employees.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Ideally 8+ years of complementary experience.
• You may have a military or government background in delivering complex assignments in high-stakes environments.
• Demonstrable interest in geopolitics and their impact on our clientele; and global issues that affect personal and corporate reputations, privacy, and security in particular.
• A proven ability to enhance our private diplomatic offerings is a plus. As is experience in gathering or utilising intelligence.
• We are looking for the ability to takethe initiative when the requirements or outputs necessary are ambiguous, rapidly changing, or when publicly available information is limited.
• Demonstrable experience in making informed and appropriately risk managed assessments of geopolitical and security developments.
• An effective problem solver who thinks strategically and translates clients’ business issues into solutions.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• A doer, with good attention to detail, excellent project and engagement management skills; including resource scheduling, project team management and billing.
• Self-starter with a commercial outlook; showing high degree of personal initiative, drive, and desire to grow new services.

Life at Schillings

Given our audacious (and successful) business strategy, it is not surprising that Schillings has a very strong culture. The atmosphere is highly collaborative and focused on excellence. We have worked hard over the years to develop a coaching culture and are remarkably non-hierarchical, especially given our roots as a law firm. Schillings has adopted a set of values to put at the heart of this change and they reflect the intention and tenor of our ambitious plans. They are: ‘Innovative; Bold; United; and Excellent’. Our client list speaks for the outstanding results that have been delivered over many years and the task now is to grow without losing any of the commitment to delivering for clients or the service ethos. Finding people who share our values and can thrive in this environment is key to our success.

It takes a unique mix of people to create something truly great. We appreciate that diversity of thought, background and culture creates the best environment to truly innovate, solve problems and achieve our goals. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds – if you are driven and want to achieve your best then we will give you the platform and support to succeed.

Please let us know if there are any extenuating circumstances we should consider, or any adjustments we may need to make to our selection process, when making your application.

Find our candidate privacy notice here, Candidate Privacy Notice (schillingspartners.com)