Business Development Manager - Litigation, Arbitration, Insurance and Employment (LAIE)

Are you a Business Development professional looking for an opportunity with a sector-driven, technology-focused law firm? The successful candidate will lead and support on the planning and implementation of all BD & marketing activities, in line with the firmwide strategy and in close coordination with the global Practice Group Business Development team.

About us

CMS is a Future Facing firm with more than 80 offices in over 45 countries and 5,800+ lawyers worldwide. We combine deep local market understanding with a global perspective. We are passionate about building strong relationships with our clients, our people, and the communities we work in. We take a bold, dynamic, and agile approach to ensure our clients are able to face the future with confidence. We are driven by emerging technologies such as generative AI and readily embrace the possibilities it opens up for developing new and better ways of working. Our aim is to inspire, impact and support our clients and our people, helping them to maximize their potential and thrive.

About the role

This is a unique opportunity to support an integrated global group comprising the firm’s litigation & arbitration practice and sector teams. In this role, you can expect to get involved in a variety of work including:

• Support the Partners in their activities aimed at targeting potential clients and further developing existing relationships.
• Keep abreast of relevant developments, legislation, and regulations to build and broaden understanding of department’s work, enabling knowledgeable conversations and BD recommendations.
• Construct engaging pitch documents and presentations to develop current and prospective client relationships.
• Use networking opportunities to build develop BD knowledge and profile; know what other organisations are doing, and promote the CMS strategy, brand and services.
• Co-ordinate and host internal and external events, seminars, webinars and socials.
• Support on the development and execution of effective marketing campaigns.
• Prepare compelling legal directory and award submissions in order to maintain and achieve higher rankings in the legal community.
• Business planning including contributing to the budgeting process within your area of responsibility and monitoring spend against budget.
• Maintain and work with BD systems and infrastructure, including standard pitch content, credentials database and client relationship management software.

About you

We will invest in your ongoing training and development to support your professional goals and help you to thrive in your role from day one. Our opportunities are open to all suitably qualified applicants, so to be considered for this role, you must meet the following skills and experience:

• Significant Business Development and/or Marketing experience gained within a law firm environment – this includes pitches/proposals, practice group and sector marketing, client targeting, campaign planning and execution and event management.
• Experience in writing compelling legal directory submissions such as Chambers and Legal 500.
• Experience gained supporting a similar practice group(s) is highly desirable but not essential.
• Ability to develop deep knowledge of BD specialism and how your role supports the delivery of firm strategy.
• Strong written and numerical skills, with the ability to present complex information and concepts in a clear and concise manner.
• A proactive can-do approach with the ability to prioritise tasks based on relative importance and urgency.
• A mindset focussed on process improvement with the ability to identify areas where ways of working can be adapted/automated to improve effectiveness.

What’s in it for you?

We want to reward you today and help you plan for tomorrow. We appreciate that everyone is different, therefore we have designed a benefits system that offers choice and flexibility based on individual needs and lifestyles. To name a few, these include:

• Competitive basic salary (reviewed annually)
• Flexible, hybrid working policy
• Generous bonus scheme
• Up to 25 days holiday (rising to 28 days with service)
• Holiday exchange scheme
• Private medical insurance
• Enhanced parental leave
• Reasonable adjustments and accommodation for disabled talent in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

If you would like to read more information regarding our range of benefits, please visit our Rewards & Benefits page on our website.

Equal opportunities

At CMS, we place diversity and inclusion at the centre of our culture and the heart of our organisation. As a firm we recognise, celebrate, and embrace the diverse talent our society has to offer because we know that to solve big problems, we need the best and brightest minds available to us. In support of this goal, we commit to actively breaking down barriers which stand in the way of those from diverse backgrounds and play our part in levelling the playing field.

As a Future Facing Firm, we strongly believe that a career in law should be open to people from all walks of life, because not only does diversity of thought and experience make our firm a stronger and more sustainable business, but it also makes it a more rewarding place to work.

When recruiting, we prioritise attracting talented people and we actively promote a flexible working environment which enables all our team members to thrive. If you see a role you are interested in, but don’t feel you meet 100% of the criteria we encourage you to still consider making an application. We also welcome applications from those who may be looking to return to the workforce after a career break.

We are proud to say our leadership in creating an inclusive working culture has been celebrated and recognised externally, including being listed for a number of years in the Times Top 50 Employers for Women and the Social Mobility Index. We are a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer, and we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities, whether visible or invisible. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity throughout our recruitment process and in every element of the employee life cycle.

If you require assistance, or if you would like to discuss any accessibility requirements or adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please contact a member of the TA team at TalentAcquisition@cms-cmno.com who will be happy to support you.

Ready to apply? Here are the next steps. We look forward to receiving your application online via the CMS careers site. Please contact our Talent Acquisition team if you have any questions.

Please note that we have a preferred agency panel in place. Only applications submitted via the portal at the point of instruction will be accepted.