Location: Hybrid. Minimum three days per week in the Raedas London office.
Reporting to: Partner
Direct Reports: 1 x Business Development Assistant
Experience: 4–6 years in business development, ideally within the investigations or legal sectors
Role Overview
The Business Development Manager will be responsible for supporting the company’s growth by leading all business development (BD) strategy and efforts. This individual will work closely with partners and senior directors, providing hands-on support for their BD activities, and will play a pivotal role in helping to identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities. The role includes management responsibility for a BD assistant and will report directly to a partner. The role sits alongside the marketing function.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Planning
- Develop and execute annual business development plans aligned with overall business objectives.
- Drive strategic initiatives to enhance the firm’s presence in targeted markets.
- Create a detailed, executable BD plan that identifies target markets, key opportunities, and measurable goals.
Leadership & Support
- Support with all BD efforts across the company, acting as the primary internal point of contact for business development.
- Support partners and senior fee earners in lead generation, lead identification, and targeting.
- Provide hands-on support for client targeting, relationship management, and pitch preparation.
Opportunity & Profile Management
- Proactively identify and pursue new business opportunities, partnerships, and markets.
- Actively seek opportunities to elevate the firm’s profile through external partnerships and firm-wide initiatives.
- Initiate thought leadership content across key practices and sectors.
- Create a detailed annual plan for conference attendance and execute on this plan, supporting key individuals with conference attendance.
Budget & Effectiveness
- Manage all BD budgets, continuously evaluating the cost-effectiveness of all business development activities and practices.
Client Relationship Management
- Build and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective clients.
- Oversee the development of tailored proposals, presentations, and marketing materials.
Team Management
- Manage and mentor the Business Development Assistant, ensuring effective delegation and professional development.
Legal Directories & Marketing
- Work closely with internal teams (including Marketing, Operations, and Finance) to ensure a coordinated approach to business development.
- Contribute to the annual legal directories process, collaborating with the Senior Leadership Team on submissions to directories (e.g., Chambers & Partners).
Reporting
- Provide regular updates and reports to the leadership team on BD activities, pipeline status, and progress against targets.
Key Skills & Experience
- 4–6 years’ experience in business development, ideally but not necessarily within the investigations industry.
- Experience developing and executing successful BD strategies and plans.
- A proactive, self-starter, dynamic approach is absolutely essential.
- Leadership and people management skills.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building abilities.
- Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret market data and trends.
- Experience supporting senior stakeholders and working collaboratively across teams.
- Proficiency with CRM systems and BD tools.
Qualifications
- A degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field is preferred but not essential