Global Head of Sector Business Development

CompanyA&O Shearman

LocationLondon, England, United Kingdom

Posted At1/8/2026

UK Visa Sponsorship Analytics

Occupation Type

Marketing, sales and advertising directors

Occupation Code Skill LevelHigher Skilled

Sponsorship Salary Threshold

£87,300 (£44.77 per hour)

Occupation rate applies

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Description

We are recruiting a Global Head of Sector Business Development in London to join our global marketing function.
DEPARTMENT PURPOSE

Our global Marketing team contributes to the setting and achievement of the firm's business objectives. This includes supporting our partners and associates in their pursuit of becoming our clients' trusted advisers, building and maintaining long-lasting, deep institutional client relationships, winning new clients, increasing the visibility of the firm globally, and positioning the firm as the thought leader among the global elite law firms. The function works as one team across the globe with close collaboration between the central groups and professionals supporting offices, practices and sectors.

ROLE PURPOSE

The role is a leadership position within our global marketing function, responsible for developing and executing the firm's sector strategy. Specifically, the role will shape how the firm goes to market through industry groups, help us amplify our name in key sectors and develop a firmwide approach to client relationship best practice.

The role will report to our Managing Director for Clients. Our global sector BD team, based in various offices across our global network, will report into the role.

Key relationships

Chief marketing officer
Global head of sector strategy
Managing director for clients and managing director for BD
Sector group leaders and their partner teams
Global sector group BD team
Director of operations - global sectors
Global marketing leadership team
Firmwide senior leadership team, including practice and office heads, as well as the senior partner

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

Principal responsibilities of the role

Work with sector group leaders to build consensus on collective sector priorities and initiatives
Work with leadership partners to continuously develop and execute our go-to-market strategy for sectors
Lead a senior team of sector BD leads, ensuring there is a common focus and direction across the team
Drive client development best-practices, creating uniformity across sectors and our key client program - eg client planning, measurement, behaviors etc - including overseeing the efforts of our global CRM teams
Identify and prioritize 'cross-over' market trends and opportunities that cut across multiple sectors

Leverage data insights and analysis to challenge and support sector group leaders with driving client growth

Ensure our sector BD efforts are aligned with our practice and office/regional BD efforts

Engage leadership partners across the firm on our sector strategy

Work with firm leadership to evolve the strategic and operational role of sectors within the firm

Context on A&O Shearman's approach to sectors

Our sector strategy is a central component of how we go-to-market and the firm's overall strategy. The firm has identified a defined group of priority sectors, building leadership teams and partner groups around each. We have also defined our global sector priority clients, with relationship teams mandated to broaden and deepen those relationships, ultimately with the goal of delivering greater value to those clients.

There are three strategic areas of focus for our sector groups:

1. BUILD A COLLECTIVE

Bring expertise together across practices/offices
Empower industry experts and collaborators
Foster an inclusive sector community

2. DELIVER SECTOR EXCELLENCE

Drive profitable growth of our priority clients
Build business and client plans, to drive execution and ensure accountability
Define client development best-practice through sector leader and relationship partner role expectations

3. AMPLIFY SECTORS

Embed sector expertise into our client propositions
Develop impactful and targeted sector marketing campaigns
Establish internal sector communication channels

This role will work with our partners, BD and wider Marketing teams to help shape and execute the firm's efforts across these three strategic areas of focus.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Senior level marketing and BD professional with a proven track record of delivering high-impact change in large professional services environments.
Significant relevant business development and marketing experience, likely to be within a professional or financial services organization, notably marketing to a sophisticated business audience.
Confident and experienced in working with senior stakeholders to shape a strategic agenda.
Proven track record of delivering high-impact change.

Client focused - driven and motivated by delivering exceptional outcomes for the firm's clients.

Excellent communication skills - both written and oral. Experienced in selling concepts and presenting up to senior executive/board level.

Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills - with partners, attorneys, BD colleagues and clients. This role is not about 'power'; it is suited to someone who can achieve results through influence.

Politically astute - can make tough decisions and follow through; anticipate future areas of risk and takes appropriate action to address these.

Ability to motivate, develop and inspire both team and attorneys to deliver business goals and change behavior.

Experience of managing and developing the careers of senior BD professionals.

Applies a proactive approach, creativity, tenacity and energy to achieve business outcomes.

Ability to work to deadlines, juggle multiple projects and deliver under pressure.

Previous experience of working in a sector or industry focused role is desirable.

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our recruitment team who will work with you to provide any adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office. Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (i.e. three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.