Business Development Manager

Shakespeare Martineau is a leading law firm that combines creativity, commerciality and clarity. We work with blue-chip companies, leading organisations, high street brands and individuals across the country.

Our multi-disciplinary team delivers a broad range of specialist legal services, and particularly stands out for its expertise across sectors including, but not limited to: energy, education, banking and financial services, investment funds, healthcare and advanced manufacturing. 

We’re proud of our people’s varied backgrounds and expertise. Our different qualities stand out and make us interesting to our clients.

We firmly believe in working hard and being ambitious. We look to recruit and develop talented people to achieve their potential - and who will contribute to achieving ours too.

Here you can fulfil your ambitions, whatever they are and however rapidly you want to achieve them. Together, and individually, we create exceptional results.

Our Volume & Consumer Business sits within our Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group, and has a long-standing experience of working with some of the most successful and influential businesses in the UK and also internationally. Our specialist teams combine expertise with a sound understanding of the commercial landscape to provide exceptional solutions for every aspect of our clients’ corporate requirements.

The role:

We are looking for someone to take on the role of Business Development Manager, based in either our London or Birmingham office.  This role is focused on the delivery of business development and sales growth based in our Volume & Consumer Business. 

As an adviser to the Partners, you will lead, deliver and monitor all business development activity as part of the overall Volume & Consumer Business Growth Plan, collaborating closely with the firm’s objectives. 

You will also be responsible for BD activity across the teams, driving priority growth activities, spear-heading cross-selling initiatives across the business and unlocking client opportunities.  You will ensure that all new opportunities being pursued are qualified.

You will be in and amongst the clients and prospects, actively networking and developing business with clients.  You will be an inspiration to internal stakeholders, developing solid client networks and professional relationships with clients. 

Working closely with the Volume & Consumer Business Board on business development plans, you will be an integral and active member of the Volume & Consumer Business Operations team.

Your key duties will be:

Volume & Consumer Business Sales Growth and Business Development:

• collaborating in the creation of the Volume & Consumer Business Growth Plan, ensuring a strong BD plan
• leading sales and growth activity to support the Volume & Consumer Business Growth Plan and regularly providing a measurement of progress
• increasing opportunities with key top clients through the execution of targeted BD and Marketing activity
• researching into clients, targets, markets and competitors to support growth related activities
• driving sales generation initiatives with the Volume & Consumer Business Partners encouraging a new sales and cross-selling culture within the team
• identifying significant new client opportunities and introducing a targeting methodology to capture these
• monitoring the Return on Investment of all BD initiatives to determine successes and the shape of future plans
• reporting monthly on BD activity, leads, wins etc.
• building internal and external networks and third party relationships
• working closely with the Volume & Consumer Business, developing BD activity across the teams with a focus on unlocking client opportunities through key account planning, targeted approaches and pipeline management
• working closely with the Bids & Tenders team, where relevant, to win new business and focus on the right messages for our designated markets

Team Activity:

• working closely with the Volume & Consumer Head of Operations to progress BD activity, and ensuring the marketing approach is suitable for BD and clients
• working closely with the Volume & Consumer Head of Operations to ensure the adoption of the client feedback programme, and driving resulting client service improvements
• playing an active role in the Volume & Consumer Business to shape client delivery, service and growth strategies

Skills and experience you will have:

• degree-level education (or equivalent)
• ideally a marketing or further business qualification would be an advantage but is not essential
• previous experience of working in a BD role in a service-orientated organisation (ideally professional partnerships, insurance or volume outsourcing providers), performing at a senior level and routinely in a client-active, revenue winning role
• excellent organisational skills, flexibility and the ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously
• a good knowledge of targeting initiatives for both individual partners and teams
• excellent oral and written communications skills
• strong research and analytical skills
• demonstrable ability to train, lead and motivate on BD initiatives
• highly developed people management skills and the ability to work well in inter-departmental teams
• a broad awareness of the impact marketing initiatives have on BD and how to utilise this awareness to recommend actions to improve the level of sales
• experience of producing bespoke materials to support pursuit of goals

Key competencies you will need:

• the ability to drive projects through supporting a range of partners and to evidence project success using Management Information systems
• to be resourceful in analysing the needs of clients, evaluating alternatives, proposing options and effective implementation of solutions for the client/prospect clear understanding of the connectivity between business development, sales and marketing
• a high degree of drive, self-motivation and energy
• to have a “can-do” approach and the ability to make things happen
• the ability to provide fresh and creative ideas
• willingness to work flexible hours and additional hours as necessary to fulfil the role

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Shakespeare Martineau is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.