Strategic Pricing Senior Manager

Job Description

We are recruiting for a Strategic Pricing Senior Manager to join our Finance team in London.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE
The Group Pricing & Commercial team is a high-profile, Partner- and client-facing advisory function that sets direction for pricing and realisation across the firm's most material client relationships and panel agreements. We drive client-level results and lead firmwide initiatives - from pricing strategy and commercial governance to data, tooling and AI-enabled analytics - to deliver sustainable margin improvement.
ROLE PURPOSE
Lead the Pricing Excellence sub-team within Group Pricing & Commercial, managing 8-10 Managers and Analysts to deliver high-quality, client-level pricing support on the firm's most material client relationships and panel agreements. Maintain a small portfolio of senior client accounts to optimize margin potential and model best-practice commercial advisory. Organize the team to support a growing global client portfolio, delivering greater commercial impact across the firm.

In parallel, lead the next stage of the team's evolution: elevate the team's capabilities from pricing analysts to trusted commercial advisors, and refine the operating model to drive quality and efficiency, leveraging data, insights and technology. While separate from the Strategic Commercial Partnering team, the role will influence and contribute to a broader range of strategic pricing topics and initiatives.
ROLE & RESPONSBILITIES

• Lead and manage the team - Lead, motivate and manage a team of 8-10 pricing Managers and Analysts; set standards, priorities and resourcing to support a growing global client portfolio and amplify commercial impact.
• Upskill and elevate pricing team capability - Coach and develop the team to operate as trusted commercial advisors, strengthening partner-level influence and negotiation.
• Own a top-tier client portfolio - Manage a portfolio of the firm's most important client relationships; act as a key adviser to senior Relationship Partners on panel agreements and complex deals, modelling best practice to lift margin.
• Evolve the operating model - Identify areas for systems and operational improvement within the team to enhance quality, consistency and efficiency
• Champion pricing best practice - Influence and inform pricing strategy, governance, methodology, guidance and tools, in line with the evolving commercial landscape and needs of the business, recognized as a pricing subject matter expert driving continuous improvement and margin optimization
• Shape commercial strategy & optimization - Be an active member of the Pricing and Commercial leadership team, influencing commercial strategy and continuously identifying opportunities to optimize pricing, realization and margin across the organization.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Influential commercial adviser at Partner/C-suite level; excellent communicator with a proven track record advising on complex commercial decisions and negotiating client panel/fee arrangements across multiple countries and currencies; comfortable operating in a consultative decision-making culture
• Experienced people leader and coach; strong pastoral care, performance management and operational team management (standards, work allocation, prioritisation, resourcing). Ability to drive change in the team
• Deep B2B pricing and commercial experience (preferably in legal/professional services) with outstanding analytical skills and expert understanding of rate cards, AFAs, panel agreements and value-based pricing
• Operating-model improvement experience; track record of successfully redesigning ways of working and leveraging data and technology to drive quality, consistency and efficiency
• Self-starting, proactive and results-driven; delivers under pressure and thrives amid ambiguity
• Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) an advantage
• Experience in complex/matrix, partnership-led organisations (advantageous)

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office. Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (i.e. three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE - A&O Shearman does not accept unsolicited CVs. For further information, please see our UK Recruitment Agency Policy and our commitment to direct sourcing here.