Business Development Manager in City of London

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Term type: Temporary

Department: Business Development

Location: London

The firm Boodle Hatfield has been providing practical advice to businesses and individuals for 300 years. Our clients come from a wide range of sectors, both in the UK and internationally, and include some of the most well-established owner-managed businesses and property companies as well as fast-growing entrepreneurial enterprises and ultra-high net worth families. Our chief priority is helping our clients achieve their commercial objectives, whatever form their business takes.

Our approach is to become the long-term trusted adviser to leading wealth creators and owners as well as their commercial and investment enterprises. Having a holistic view of our clients' structures and affairs means we can leverage this to provide the most appropriate and commercial advice to them. This approach has enabled us, throughout our 300‑year history, to help our clients successfully navigate the continually changing and sometimes challenging markets in which they operate.

With a history like ours, we know we are built to last. But this isn’t the time to rest on our laurels but instead a chance to reflect and build on our heritage. We are merely today’s custodians of the Boodle Hatfield name, and we want to create a legacy that our successors will be just as proud of.

To commemorate our 300 year anniversary, last year we rolled out an extensive programme of activities, each of which sowed the seeds for the future success of others - our local neighbourhoods, the wider legal profession, and of course our valued clients and our own team.

Summary of role: You will be joining the Firm at an exciting time, as we approach the midpoint of our five‑year strategy period. We have achieved high levels of performance across the Firm and expanded in many areas, with lateral hires providing additional capacity and growth opportunity. We are now enhancing the focus of our BD activity to facilitate the Firm's future growth, ensuring we provide the right level of strategic support to partners and teams to deliver new business.

Your role will be focused predominantly on leading BD activity for our Real Estate (commercial and residential), Corporate and Litigation teams, driving forward go‑to‑market initiatives across: art and culture, hotels and leisure, the living sector, and luxury assets, targeted to private businesses, family offices, family businesses, entrepreneurs and senior execs. You will be instrumental in assessing and driving forward BD initiatives, identifying opportunities for growth and ensuring we manage relationships with intermediaries effectively.

You will be joining a BD Manager and BD Executive, helping us to strengthen and deepen the experienced support we provide across the Firm. You will report into the Marketing and Business Development Director and will also work closely with the Marketing and Communications team.

The overall aims of this role are:

• To develop, advise on, and drive forward business development plans for our Real Estate, Corporate and Litigation teams to deliver new business growth, expanding client and intermediary relationships.
• To provide the partners and fee earners with advice and support on the full range of business development activities including identifying and qualifying opportunities, pitching, client and intermediary relationship management and targeted BD activity (working with marketing to deliver events and supporting communications).
• To evolve our BD activity, aligning with trends, themes and emerging issues affecting our clients, capitalising on opportunities, providing direction to the marketing team to influence the focus of our PR, thought leadership, campaigns, and marketing collateral.

Skills and experience Responsibilities:

• Strategic BD advice: Play a key influencing role with partners to provide direction and delivery on business development initiatives across the practice areas and client facing initiatives, aligned to the Firm's strategy.
• Opportunity/trend spotting and new client targeting: Identify trends and opportunities to grow new business (from existing/new clients). Support on targeting new clients, including undertaking market and client research as required.
• Cross selling: Identify opportunities to grow relationships across practice areas, using our focus on client audiences to extend the work and introduce others in the Firm.
• Client and intermediary relationship management: Identify crucial sources of business and opportunities to grow intermediary relationships, working with partners to plan and strengthen relationships, and deliver uplifts in referrals and introductions.
• BD coaching: deliver business development coaching and training where needed for fee earners and work closely with them to support them with their BD plans and efforts through coaching and other means.
• Directory submissions: Produce high quality directory submissions for your teams ensuring we are focused on high value areas.
• Pitching: Qualifying and leading the pitching process with fee earners, utilising best practice and producing high quality, tailored pitch and credentials documents.
• Events: Proactively identify opportunities aligned to our strategy. Challenge fee earners on the best use of events and entertainment opportunities liaising with the marketing team to plan and deliver activity, working with partners and fee earners to deliver and measure returns.
• BD tactics: Deliver strategic and focused business development activity to a high quality, ensuring it supports our brand and elevates the client experience. Manage key messages and credentials for your teams facilitating day to day client opportunities.
• Campaign management: Working closely with the communications and marketing team, facilitate the delivery of proactive campaigns and initiatives aligned to our strategy and focus areas.
• CRM system engagement: Demonstrate best practice CRM use by utilising the current CRM system to deliver relationship intelligence and proactive growth, particularly for trips and intermediaries. Encourage CRM best practice with fee earners.
• External networking: Maintain peer group networks outside of the Firm to leverage any market intelligence that could help your role.
• Other activities as required: Central business development projects and responsibilities as they arise.

Experience and Skills Required: The successful candidate will have:

• At least 8 years' experience of working in a professional services business development and marketing environment, preferably within a law firm.
• Experience leading and delivering business development initiatives in professional services at either junior manager or senior executive level.
• Excellent written, creative and organisational skills and highly IT literate.
• Ideally educated to degree level (or equivalent).

Equal opportunities: Boodle Hatfield is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment through its inclusive and supportive environment. This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the Firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. We are fully committed to a working environment in which all people can excel.