Business Development Manager Corporate & Life Sciences

This is an exciting opportunity for a Business Development Manager to join a leading International law firm. You will be responsible for managing the provision of a comprehensive Business Development Corporate team and will work closely with the Corporate team in delivering the UK components of major international initiatives and key industry groups. You will also have direct responsibility for BD within the UK Life Sciences industry group and for co-ordinating BD efforts in respect of the US market.

You will help build on the client development and profile-raising work to create a more structured approach to business development activities. Key to the role is the ability to build excellent working relationships with the partners and associates. This role has two direct reports – an Executive and an Assistant and also involves close integration with other teams central to the delivery of effective business development services.

You will work closely with the partner team to help draft business plans, and advise on BD investment decisions at practice group level, identify new BD opportunities, and oversee expenditure. You will manage resources to ensure that BD initiatives are supported appropriately and build external networks, attend regular industry functions representing the firm, and build credible external relationships, particularly with key intermediaries.

You will drive active relationship management of key clients, working closely with partners to devise client plans and provide suggestions for ways of enhancing client relationships and/ or cross-selling relationships across practice groups, industry groups and geographies.

You will lead pitch strategy discussions and helps deliver documents as required and coach the pitch team, working with the Head of Bids to develop new opportunities. You will continually build your knowledge of clients and industries through active participation in relevant groups and develop, design and implement thought leadership programmes. You will also commission research to help BD drive initiatives and/ or support business planning. In addition, you will oversee the process of managing marketing materials, and ensure that all practice and industry group web pages are being actively managed to ensure quality and consistency. You will work closely with the PR team to identify relevant PR opportunities for partners and associates.

You will proactively manage the workload of the team ensuring that tasks are delivered on time, with accuracy and to a high quality and manage the annual performance review of direct reports and contributes to reviews for other team members as appropriate.

You will have business development experience gained in a professional services environment and be a graduate with strong academic results and real commercial instinct. It is essential that you have good communication skills, interpersonal and influencing skills and possess a proactive, tenacious and creative approach. You have the ability to work to deadlines, juggle multiple projects, and deliver excellence under pressure.

Follow us on Twitter for the widest range of roles across the entire professional services sector – /leightontaylorC