Senior Business Development Executive in Leeds

Those who know Walker Morris say we are a different type of legal business – not bound by convention but driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for breaking with tradition to deliver real competitive advantage. It’s an approach that is getting us noticed and introducing opportunities from existing as well as new clients for more complex, higher value work. The firm is growing rapidly, and we are expanding the team in response to this demand. Our continued growth is underpinned by Ambition 27, our bold strategic vision for the future, which is driving significant expansion and investment across the firm. The Business Development & Marketing team plays a central role in making this a reality—working closely with partners and stakeholders to turn insight into action, and strategy into tangible results.

This Business Development Executive role offers the chance to be right at the heart of that growth. You’ll be part of a collaborative, high‑performing team with the opportunity to influence key initiatives, support major client relationships and deliver impactful campaigns. It’s a hands‑on role where your ideas and input will be valued, and where you’ll see the direct impact of your work on the firm’s success. We’re looking for someone who is curious, ambitious and ready to step up—someone who is not afraid to bring forward ideas and take ownership of their work. If you’re excited by the opportunity to take ownership, build strong relationships across the business and play a meaningful role in driving growth, you’ll find this a rewarding and fast‑paced environment in which to develop your career.

• Business Development & Campaign Delivery
  • Act as a lead BD contact for allocated sectors or practice groups, working closely with Partners and key stakeholders to progress activity.
  • Work with the Clients & Markets team to develop, co‑ordinate and deliver sector and practice group BD plans, aligned to firm‑wide priorities.
  • Contribute to the design and implementation of targeted BD campaigns, taking responsibility for co‑ordinating delivery and ensuring activity is commercially focused.
  • Collaborate with Digital, PR and Communications teams to align messaging and maximise campaign impact.
  • Work with the Knowledge team, listening to client and market insight, to develop content that supports client conversations and opportunity identification.
• Pipeline, CRM & Reporting
  • Co‑ordinate the tracking and management of BD pipeline and opportunities, ensuring activity is progressed and visible.
  • Prepare and maintain accurate, high‑quality data within the firm’s CRM system to support targeted BD activity.
  • Contribute to the preparation of BD reporting, providing insight on pipeline, activity and performance.
  • Use data and insight to support targeting, prioritisation and decision‑making.
• Bids & Proposals
  • Co‑ordinate and manage the preparation of credentials, proposals and capability documents, working with stakeholders across the firm.
  • Draft and refine proposal content, contributing to messaging, structure and overall quality.
  • Work with the Bids team and wider BD colleagues to contribute to the delivery of high‑quality and competitive pitch opportunities.
  • Maintain and develop content within the firm’s document and pitch systems, ensuring materials are up to date and accessible.
  • Champion best practice in bid development and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.
• Events & Client Engagement
  • Co‑ordinate the planning and delivery of events aligned to BD objectives and strategic priorities.
  • Work with stakeholders to develop targeted and commercially focused invite lists.
  • Collaborate with fee‑earners to drive effective client engagement, including pre‑event outreach and post‑event follow‑up.
  • Support the progression of event‑driven conversations into opportunities.
  • Contribute to post‑event analysis, ensuring learnings are captured and applied.
• Market & Practice Group Support
  • Act as a key day‑to‑day BD contact, working closely with stakeholders to co‑ordinate activity and provide commercial support.
  • Prepare for and contribute to BD meetings, including agenda setting, pipeline reporting and follow‑up actions.
  • Maintain visibility of BD activity across sectors and teams to ensure alignment and co‑ordinated delivery.
  • Stay informed on relevant market and client developments, identifying opportunities to support growth.
• Team Contribution
  • Collaborate with colleagues across BD & Marketing to share knowledge and support delivery of best practice.
  • Contribute to BD planning and budgeting processes, ensuring activity is aligned to strategic priorities.
  • Delegate effectively to junior team members where appropriate, taking shared responsibility for delivery.
  • Champion the use of BD tools, systems and processes to support efficient and effective working.
  • Take ownership of personal development and contribute positively to team culture.

We are looking for:

• Demonstrable experience in a Business Development or Marketing role within a professional services environment.
• A confident communicator, comfortable working with and influencing a broad range of stakeholders, including Partners.
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple projects, balance priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong understanding of BD fundamentals, including CRM systems, data‑driven targeting and campaign delivery.
• Ability to interpret data and insight to inform strategy, drive activity and support decision‑making.
• A proactive, solutions‑focused approach, with strong attention to detail and a willingness to take ownership.
• A creative and commercially minded thinker, confident contributing ideas and adding value across campaigns, bids and events.

Desirable but not essential:

• Experience within a legal or similar professional services firm.
• Experience supporting bids, proposals and client‑facing materials.
• Strong PowerPoint skills, with the ability to create clear, compelling presentations.
• Experience using design tools such as InDesign (or similar).
• A relevant marketing or business qualification (e.g. CIM).

Some of our benefits include:

• Salary reflective of your experience.
• Earn up to 10% of your salary with our annual bonus scheme.
• Minimum of 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays per year increasing to 31 days with length of service, with the opportunity to buy/sell up to 5 days holiday per year.
• Auto enrolled into the workplace pension scheme, and we’ll contribute a minimum of 6% of your salary.
• 4x your annual salary in the event of a death in service.
• Hybrid and flexible working with 40‑60% of your time spent in the office.

Walker Morris is committed to being an inclusive employer. Our aim is to ensure our workforce represents our diverse society. We recognise that everyone brings their own unique capabilities and experiences to their work. We welcome applications regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, neuro‑diversity or disability status, family or parental status, race, religion or ethnicity. We take great pride in being a Disability Confident Employer. If you need any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to ask.