Senior Financial Institutions BD Manager – EMEA (Hybrid)

We're Norton Rose Fulbright – a global law firm with over 50 offices and 7,000 employees worldwide. We provide the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service. At Norton Rose Fulbright, our strategy and our culture are closely entwined. We know that our expansion will mean little unless it is underpinned by truly global collaboration and we understand that pioneering work only takes place when our people have room to move and think beyond boundaries. As well as the relevant skills and experience, we're looking for people who are innovative, commercial and value the work that they do.

The Senior Business Development Manager (SBDM) role is a 12‑month FTC maternity cover role within the Marketing & Business Development (MBD) function and the Europe, Middle East & Asia (EMEA) region at Norton Rose Fulbright. The role will lead strategic business development activity for our Financial Institutions sector group, one of the key sectors for the firm. The role will support the continued development of our Financial Institutions sector for the EMEA region leading the BD team for the sector which covers Banks; Insurance; Funds & Asset Management; FinTech; Private Equity; Private Wealth; and Financial Regulation. This role will design and implement strategically aligned and client‑focused MBD initiatives, working with colleagues across our regional sector and practice teams to bring together our considerable expertise across all aspects of the financial institutions sector.

The Senior Business Development Manager, Financial Institutions reports to the Director of Business Development, EMEA and will work closely with the EMEA lead Financial Institutions partners. The role holder will work in close cooperation with our wider MBD team, our Knowledge team, and our global BD teams. The role holder has line management responsibility for the wider FI BD team, which includes a Business Development Manager and Senior Business Development Executive.

Key Responsibilities

• Planning and development of business development activity and the targeting of marketing activity (all channels).
• Working with the leadership groups of relevant teams and sector/practice BD SMEs to develop and implement annual business plans, budget proposals and campaign plans.
• Working closely with partners on proactive, structured client development including taking responsibility as the BD lead on some client programme accounts.
• Acting as the subject matter expert and ambassador for Financial Institutions including monitoring market developments and commercial opportunities.
• Establishing a close and effective relationship with the lawyers and partners.
• Producing bespoke bids, panel pitches and other client development presentations (formal and informal).
• Managing relevant award and directory submissions.
• Leading on profile raising initiatives, including events and partnerships with key external stakeholders such as industry bodies.
• Managing our branding and external positioning.
• Working closely with other MBD teams, for example, the client relationship team, strategic bids, events, design and digital, and the marketing services team in Newcastle.
• Acting as a key point of contact and ambassador with the wider business, MBD and other key stakeholders.
• Managing relevant MBD budgets, including reporting of ROI.
• Working in collaboration with colleagues across our global business to pursue a unified approach.
• Maintaining and enhancing the profile of our Financial Institutions sector internally to foster and encourage collaboration across sectors and practice areas.

Key Skills and Experience

• Strong experience in marketing and business development in a partnership environment.
• Adept in working with stakeholders at all levels of seniority in an international business.
• Experience of managing a team and developing junior MBD colleagues.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including rigorous attention to detail and ability to adapt communication style as needed.
• Confident, persuasive and assertive.
• Highly organised with a professional, confident, collaborative and proactive approach.
• Strong time management and prioritisation skills.
• Graduate calibre with demonstrable and/or professionally recognised marketing or communications qualification (such as CIM, etc.).
• Excellent project management skills – this candidate must be able to demonstrate experience of managing multiple projects and transforming a commercial issue into a business development opportunity.
• Leadership ability – this candidate must be able to build a strong reputation within the business and deliver excellent service.
• Demonstrable experience in managing and writing bids (formal and informal).
• Must be flexible to work outside of contractual hours as needed.
• A curious mindset and continuous improvement approach.
• Understands the need and has the ability to manage expectations.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

To attract the best people, we strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work, have a sense of belonging, and realize their full career potential. Our new enabled work model allows our people to have more flexibility in the way they choose to work from both the office and a remote location, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of service. We offer a range of family friendly and inclusive employment policies and provide access to programmes and services aimed at nurturing our people's health and overall wellbeing. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams. We strive to create an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all candidates. If you require any tailored adjustments or accommodations, please let us know.