Senior Business Development Executive - M&A in London

We are seeking a Senior Business Development Executive to join our global M&A/Corporate Business Development team. You will work closely with partners and BD leadership to deliver a focused marketing and business development strategy for our M&A practice, combining hands-on pitching and client development with broader profile‑raising initiatives. The role involves building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and collaborating with brand, marketing, communications, research and BD colleagues across our global network to support a coordinated “one team” approach to M&A growth.

Why Join Us

• Work at the centre of a market-leading global M&A practice, supporting high-profile, often cross-border mandates.
• Take on a varied role, spanning pitching, client targeting, campaigns, events and thought leadership for a strategic, high-growth area of the firm.
• Collaborate with senior partners and cross-functional teams across regions, sectors and practices, building a strong internal network.
• Develop as a rounded business development professional with increasing responsibility, ownership of projects and exposure to best-practice BD tools (e.g. Salesforce, Foundation).
• Join a collaborative, agile team culture that values professional excellence, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the Manager/Senior Manager to understand the specific opportunities and challenges for M&A/Corporate and support the development and execution of a focused marketing and BD strategy.
• Help strengthen relationships with existing clients, target new work and contribute to building the firm’s global M&A reputation, including our transatlantic and transpacific capabilities.
• Work independently, under the direction of the Manager/Senior Manager, to develop compelling credentials, proposals and pitches for strategic panel appointments and other key opportunities to win work for M&A/Corporate.
• Deliver timely, tailored pitches and credentials for fast-moving M&A mandates and ensure opportunities are accurately recorded on Salesforce.

Marketing, Content & Events

• Develop practice/sector-specific content and campaigns, and support directory and award submissions to increase engagement with priority clients and enhance the profile of key practitioners.
• Provide strategic support for M&A practice events, such as client roundtables and Listed Company Academies, and help leverage their impact for further brand-building initiatives.
• Use marketing technology and tools (e.g. Salesforce) to spot opportunities with existing clients, track key relationships and evaluate the impact of initiatives.
• Build trusted relationships with a defined group of internal stakeholders and MBD colleagues, supporting a “one team” global mindset across groups, sectors and adjacent practices.
• Contribute to continuous improvement in the firm’s approach to business development, including sharing knowledge, content and data via centralised tools such as Foundation.

About You

• Several years’ experience in marketing or business development within a professional, client-focused environment (ideally legal, accountancy, technology or consultancy), working either in a specialist BD function or supporting specific practice groups/sectors.
• Strong team-working and collaboration skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with partners, senior stakeholders and colleagues across functions and regions.
• Confidence to work independently and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment, delivering high-quality work to tight and sometimes changing deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with excellent attention to detail in drafting, grammar and proofreading.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office; familiarity with CRM/marketing tools (e.g. Salesforce) is an advantage.
• A natural curiosity and appetite to learn, with enthusiasm to develop as a rounded business development practitioner specialising in M&A/Corporate.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered by the firm on the basis of their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing. Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case by case basis and take a number of factors into account.