Business Development Manager

New York or London

Summary

The Business Development Manager, reporting directly to the Senior Business Development Manager, plays a crucial role in identifying and pursuing new business opportunities, including prospective clients, leads, and cases. This dynamic position offers a high degree of autonomy and responsibility, allowing for significant influence and impact within the firm. Unique within the legal industry, this role involves frequent and direct interactions with senior decision-makers, such as Founding Partners and senior business leaders. Ideal candidates will possess a strong entrepreneurial spirit, excellent interpersonal skills, and sharp analytical abilities, coupled with a proactive approach and confident decision-making. This role will be instrumental in helping the firm articulate its capabilities and differentiators in a way that reflects the firm’s market position.

Responsibilities

New Business Client Development

• Evaluate new incoming opportunities according to the firm’s business model and assist in preparing lawyer teams for these potential opportunities. Proactively identify, assess, and pursue new business opportunities, including opportunities for internal cross-marketing and joint business development initiatives.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to attorney teams by preparing for in-person meetings and calls with prospective business contacts through proposal requests, research, evaluation, and business recommendations.
• Oversee research and related competitive intelligence activities on key and prospective clients. Provide strategic guidance to lawyers based on findings, including advice on the commercial viability of incoming opportunities, proposed strategies for cases, and how to leverage the firm’s resources to maximize sales and conversion likelihood.
• Serve as a key liaison between other functions of the firm, including Finance, Legal, Legal Staffing & Utilization, Knowledge Management & Learning, Attorney Development, and more, to ensure collaboration on all new business opportunities.

Business Analysis

• Develop a substantive knowledge of key clients, market trends and developments related to the firm’s various integrated offerings and products. Synthesize and share findings with relevant lawyers to proactively pursue leads and enhance the prospect of converting new business.
• Collaborate with other product, office, and strategy department members to develop cross-selling opportunities, raise brand awareness through integrated marketing and communications campaigns for incoming opportunities, and work closely with regional managers to analyze distribution networks to capitalize on business sourcing opportunities.
• Assess the impact of new business on existing firm relationships, clients, and/or initiatives, and propose a course of action to senior leadership for matters that display business sensitivities (impact on firm relationships, reputation, business, etc.).
• Strategy Development
• Project manage the external proposals process, including drafting presentation materials (PowerPoints, RFPs, capability statements), and coordinate strategy formulation alongside attorneys to ensure key objectives are met, and firm messaging is aligned.
• Participate in new business debriefs, monitor wins/losses (conversion to engagement vs. loss of new opportunities), track and report client feedback, and build and maintain a flow of information across departments, teams, and integrated offerings regarding new business activity trends to encourage internal communication and sharing of client intelligence.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required.
• Minimum of 3 years of working experience in a related field, demonstrating competence in business development, market analysis, and strategic planning.
• Takes ownership of tasks, works independently, and demonstrates initiative and proactivity in identifying and implementing process improvements.
• Natural curiosity and dedication to learning; passion for understanding the business arm of the legal industry.
• Ability to maintain professional composure and confidentiality in high-pressure situations and an international, fast-paced legal environment.
• Robust project management skills; flexibility to adjust work schedule according to workload demands; ability to deal with complex material and concepts, manage multiple concurrent projects, establish and manage deadlines, and prioritize appropriately.
• Excellent collaboration skills, with a focus on building strong relationships internally and externally. Excellent organizational and communication skills (both written and verbal).
• Possess excellent follow-through skills and demonstrate the ability to anticipate and address business needs proactively.
• Strong skills in MS Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Occasional travel as needed to the firm’s international offices.
• New York-based individual preferred, but willingness to relocate to New York or London also considered.

Compensation

• $120,000.00 – $130,000.00 annually.

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