Director, Corporate Development

Join us for a bright future…Discover where your talent fits best at ALM! Our network of more than 450+ employees globally is united by a shared understanding that the work we do makes a direct impact on the success of our customers and audiences. Our collaborative environment provides a vast amount of opportunities for career development. Our goal is to hire industry’s top talent, offer growth opportunities and provide a fulfilling working environment. Here at ALM, we are a customer-focused and market-driven company dedicated to the success of the customers we serve with our information products and marketing services and events. Across ALM, our teams deliver premium content to professionals in the legal, finance, real estate and insurance industries. We promote and value innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. We believe that integrity must be at the heart of everything we do. We foster an environment of trust and teamwork and believe that employee empowerment drives our progress and success as a business. We insist on quality and continuous improvement in all that we do. We have a winning attitude and seek to celebrate all of our successes … big and small.

ALM / Law Business Research is seeking a Director, Corporate Development, to support M&A and strategic investments across a global, tech-enabled legal information and events platform. Reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer, this role will combine rigorous market and financial analysis, structured problem solving, and cross‑functional leadership to shape and execute the company’s long‑term strategy. ALM / Law Business Research is a leading, technology‑enabled information services and events company serving the global legal industry with news, data, analytics, and performance insights. The combined business operates globally with a broad portfolio of subscription information products, proprietary data sets, workflow tools, and premium events serving law firms, in‑house counsel, and adjacent professional services segments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support development of the corporate and inorganic growth roadmap through market research, target mapping, and analysis of trends across legal information, data/analytics, workflow tools, and events.
• Build and maintain detailed profiles and financial summaries for priority markets, strategic opportunities, and potential acquisition or partnership targets, including preliminary valuation and strategic fit assessments.
• Support and, where appropriate, lead workstreams in end‑to‑end deal execution: financial modeling, valuation scenarios, due diligence coordination, and preparation of transaction documentation in partnership with the CSO and finance team.
• Develop clear, well‑structured materials (strategy narratives, investment memos, presentations) for executive leadership and the Board related to corporate strategy, M&A pipeline, and key strategic initiatives.
• Partner closely with product, commercial, finance, technology, and operations leaders to build business cases, size opportunities, estimate synergies, shape integration plans, and track post‑close or post‑launch performance against strategic theses.
• Conduct competitive and market landscape analyses to inform build–buy–partner recommendations and to refine perspectives on priority customer segments, geographies, and themes.
• Establish and maintain a structured view of the external ecosystem (competitors, disruptors, adjacent markets) and translate insights into actionable recommendations for product, go‑to‑market, and corporate development.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with bankers, advisors, and target companies in coordination with senior corporate development and strategy leaders.
• Contribute to and help facilitate the annual and multi‑year strategic planning process, including objective setting, KPI definition, and progress tracking.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• 5+ years of experience in strategy consulting, investment banking, transaction advisory, private equity, and/or corporate strategy/development, ideally focused on information services, software, or other B2B recurring‑revenue businesses.
• Demonstrated experience contributing to or leading end‑to‑end M&A or strategic transaction processes, including financial modelling, valuation, due diligence, and preparation of executive or investment committee materials.
• Strong analytical and financial skills, with the ability to build robust models, synthesize complex quantitative and qualitative data, and translate insights into clear, actionable recommendations for non‑financial stakeholders.
• Strategic and commercially minded, with exposure to market landscaping, growth strategy, pricing, and/or go‑to‑market topics for digital or information‑led businesses.
• Highly organized and detail‑oriented, with a track record of managing multiple concurrent projects and stakeholders in a fast‑paced, global environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to structure complex problems, craft compelling narratives, and collaborate effectively across editorial, product, technology, finance, and commercial teams.
• Comfortable operating with a mix of autonomy and collaboration, with a proactive, resourceful, and low‑ego working style.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (e.g., MBA) is a plus but not required with relevant experience.

Benefits

• Our people are our most valuable asset, as such, we offer a wide range of benefits to help ensure that all are supported:

• Start of employment: Eye care, Employee Assistance Programme, A day off for your birthday.
• After 3 months employment: Pension (4% employer contribution and 4% employee contribution).
• After 4 months employment: Life assurance.
• After probation: Cycle to work scheme, Season ticket loan, £350 annual wellbeing allowance to contribute to gym memberships or fitness classes, Puregym access, Perks at work platform access.
• After 1 year service: Private healthcare.

• Additional Perks: Company socials, Access to Employee Affinity Networks, Mentoring scheme, Volunteering Day, Mortgage Advice, Work from anywhere (2 weeks), Generous parental leave.

We are committed to making our organisation an inclusive, respectful & engaging place to work with a culture shaped by our core values that promote equality, collaboration & respect in everything we do. We are proud to be part of the Disability Confident Scheme, meaning we are committed to being inclusive and accessible, which starts with our application and recruitment process. If you do require any reasonable adjustments to be made, please let us know as part of our application page. At Law Business Research, we believe in the power of growth and the importance of nurturing talent. We have learned that building the right team delivers extraordinary results. Our fast‑paced journey to becoming a global technology‑driven information service provider has been built upon the values we hold close: rewarding excellence, providing meaningful work on our leading brands, and fostering an inclusive environment that is diverse, connected, and supportive. By doing this, we have grown together and achieved global success. Join us and be a part of a journey where your contributions are valued, your impact is significant, and your growth is our priority.