Business Development Manager

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: property, corporate services, litigation and private client advisory.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do.  RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 40% of our partnership.

The Business Development Manager – Corporate (BDMC) is responsible for supporting the Head of Corporate with the implementation of the UK Corporate Team’s  business development strategy.  The BDMC will be embedded into the Corporate Team and will act as the Corporate Team’s key account manager for the wider Business Development and Marketing (BDM) Team, delegating and managing  Corporate-related work to the BDM team accordingly. 

 The BDMC will be expected to develop a comprehensive understanding of the principal areas of focus for the Corporate Team and to keep up to date with general business trends from business updates, media and briefings. The Head of Business Development will be responsible for ensuring that the Business Development Manager attends relevant training sessions and conferences.  

Specific responsibilities include: 

 Business Development Strategy, Planning and Budget 

 Working with the Head of the Corporate Team to develop, implement and drive forward the BD strategy, annual business plan and marketing budget for the Corporate Team. 

• Work with the Corporate Team to help execute the corporate BD plan by 'opening doors' to key targets/referrers, ensuring that the team follows a strategic, BD-led approach.  

• Monitoring expenditure against the Corporate Team’s annual marketing budget, ensuring that the team achieves maximum ROI and that the budget is fully utilised to the benefit of all Corporate Partners.  

 Team integration 

• Support the onboarding and integration of new Partners into the Corporate Team and in particular new Corporate Partners in the firm’s Bristol and Sevenoaks offices.   

 Clients   

• Work with the Corporate Team to maximise opportunities to improve the quality of the team’s client base and attract high value work streams.   

•  Support the Corporate Team with client development related activities, including preparation of client briefings, marketing collateral and follow-up strategies and ensure that all relevant information is recorded on the Firm’s CRM system, Intapp.   

Intermediaries 

• Analyse key intermediary-related BD activities and referral patterns with the aim of formulating a sustainable, ROI-based pursuit strategy for valuable intermediary relationships.   

• Advise the Corporate Team on the deepening of relationships with valuable intermediary relationships, with the emphasis on the coordination of intermediary activities across the Corporate Team.   

 Collaboration 

• Facilitate closer cross-practice client collaboration and cross referrals between the  Corporate and Employment Teams. This collaboration project to be based on a detailed plan to be formulated  and executed by the BDMC in conjunction with the  Heads of both teams and the Head of Corporate Services.    

• Work with the Corporate Services Teams and appropriate Sector Groups to identify opportunities to collaborate with other Teams and Sector Groups, with a particular focus on greater collaboration with Banking and Finance Charities, and Commercial and Tech teams. 

• Facilitate collaboration between the Corporate Team with the Firm’s other divisions (Real Estate; Dispute Resolution and Litigation and Private Client), focusing on potential client cross-referral opportunities.  

Thought leadership   

•  Work with the Corporate Team on devising thought leadership-led campaigns, overseeing the launch of these campaigns and reporting back to the Team on ROI.   

Account management 

• Act as the account manager for the Corporate Team, commissioning support from other specialists in the Business Development and Marketing for Corporate-related activities as set out below. 

 Lead generation (Intapp) 

•  Working with the CRM team, support the Corporate Team Partners in their usage of the Firm’s CRM system, Intapp, focusing on ensuring that the partners build a robust set of lead generation activities and associated tasks.  

 PR 

•  Collaborate with the PR team to identify opportunities to promote the work undertaken within the Corporate Team. 

 Mentoring and coaching 

•  Working with the Director of Business Development and Marketing, identify training opportunities for lawyers in the Corporate Team to develop their business development and marketing skills. 

 Directories and Awards 

•  Manage the legal directory submission process for the Corporate Team by collating work examples and referee information throughout the year using Intapp. 

• Working with the Content Manager, oversee award submissions for the Corporate Team.   

 Marketing collateral 

•  Direct the drafting and production of marketing collateral for the Corporate Team. 

 Website 

• Oversee the management of the content on the website for the Corporate Team, including individual fee-earner profiles. 

  Internal communications 

•  Direct the Corporate Team’s internal communications activities, including overseeing the management of the Team’s content on the Firm’s intranet.  

• Solid business development and marketing background with extensive experience across a corporate division/s gained within a professional services environment.
• Self-motivated with the ability to use initiative and provide pro-active support to colleagues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a high level of attention to detail.
• The ability to work calmly under pressure and adhere to strict deadlines.
• Flexible and adaptable around working hours.
• Strong team player.

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment, we offer the following core benefits:

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays (rising to 30 days)
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme 
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
• Dress for your Day Policy

https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application. 

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.