Head of Clients & Markets

ROLE OVERVIEW //

We have an exciting opportunity for an ambitious and driven individual to join our team and deliver exceptional outcomes for the firm and its clients.

Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer, this role will drive effective business development and enhance client relationships. Leading our Global Client Development, Pitching and Research and insights’ teams, the successful candidate will blend talents and skills from across the teams to create campaigns which deliver results, and motivate the teams to deliver the highest level of performance to the firm.

It will work closely with the firm’s Practice Stream Heads to support their client development activity and provide advice, guidance and challenge.

This position requires a strong understanding of the legal market, exceptional leadership and stakeholder management skills, and a proven track record within a professional services environment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES //

The key responsibilities of this role are set out below and there may be others which are not listed. Further details are broken down below:

Strategic oversight and delivery:

• Develop and implement the firm's business development strategy in alignment with overall firm goals and priority areas for growth.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to set and achieve business development targets for practice areas.
• Working with the practices, identify and evaluate new opportunities and markets for growth.
• Determine the most effective cross-selling opportunities and work with the team to deliver these to the firm.
• Develop the approach to BD for Associates, coaching and training, to support the firm’s relationship development.
• Maintain a clear focus on output and deliverables.

Client Relationships and Development:

• Lead the firm’s Client Relationship Management Programme (CRMP), identifying opportunities to enhance and grow client relationships
• Use a clear understanding of client issues to deliver effective relationship management.
• Review data and insights to spot opportunities with clients at either end of the client cycle – new clients onboarding and early growth opportunities, and client drift where the relationship requires attention to improve and repair.
• Monitor market trends and competitor activities to inform client relationship activity.

Stakeholder management

• Work closely with Practice Stream Heads and their BD leads, help drive business and client development activity within the practices
• Join the dots across Practice areas to ensure best practice is shared and nascent opportunities are teased out into actionable BD activity
• Build relationships with partners across the practice and be a visible point of focus for BD activity.

Marketing and Communications:

• Collaborate with the marketing team and Head of Marketing to develop and execute marketing campaigns anchored in client issues that support business development goals.
• Ensure consistent and effective communication of the firm's value proposition to clients and prospects.
• Work with the marketing team to enhance the CRM system, through data governance and roll out of an ERM system, ensuring the buy-in from the partnerships and articulating its benefits to the business.
• Champion the use of qualified data emerging from marketing campaigns to foster client relationships and pursue opportunities.
• Work with the Head of Comms to ensure that client issues form part of the firm’s comms planning.

Data and Insights:

• Track, measure, and report on the effectiveness of BD and marketing activity, adopting a continuous improvement methodology at all times.
• Actively monitor financial performance across the firm, looking for trends and insights that can be leveraged for future growth opportunities.

Team Leadership:

• Lead and mentor team members, fostering a culture that is high-performing and fun.
• Provide coaching, guidance, and support to team members, ensuring their professional growth and development.
• Work closely with peers across the firm to collaborate on initiatives.
• Be an integral part of the Commercial Leadership Team in supporting the development of the team, key messages, and team morale.
• Manage the budget submission and monitoring process for the team

CANDIDATE PROFILE //

Candidates for this position must have:

• Experience: Minimum 8-10 years of business development experience, ideally within a professional services environment.
• Industry Knowledge: Deep understanding of the legal market, including key players, market dynamics, and emerging trends.
• Strategic Mindset: Proven ability to develop and implement strategic business development plans that align with broader firm objectives and deliver measurable results.
• Client-Focused: Strong client relationship management skills, with a proven track record of developing and maintaining high-level relationships with senior stakeholders and clients.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to confidently communicate with senior leadership and partners.
• Collaboration & Leadership: Strong team player with the ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams, collaborate across practice areas, and mentor junior staff.
• Proactive & Results-Driven: A self-starter with a proactive approach to identifying opportunities, solving problems, and driving business development initiatives to achieve tangible outcomes.
• Commercial Awareness: Strong commercial acumen and the ability to understand and respond to client needs.
• Education: A degree in business, marketing, law, or a related field is preferred. An MBA or equivalent qualification is a plus.

We welcome applications irrespective of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, belief or marital status.