Senior Business Development Manager (Disputes & Risk)

Role profile
Osborne Clarke's (OC's) Sales & Marketing (S&M) team is seeking a dynamic and experienced Senior Business Development Manager to join our Bristol or London office. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and executing comprehensive business development strategies to grow the Disputes & Risk (D&R) practice group's client base and revenue. This role requires a strategic thinker with a strong background in market research, business development and team leadership.

You will be confident to bring new ideas, challenge existing ways of working and be a catalyst for driving change in partner and associate BD activity.

Osborne Clarke's Disputes & Risk practice has experienced substantial growth over the last decade. The practice group now boasts 45 partners and over 200 total fee earners who combine market-leading experience with a commercial approach to litigation, arbitration, mediation, contentious regulatory issues and investigations. Divided into six specialised service lines - Commercial Disputes, Regulatory Disputes, Construction & Engineering Disputes, Property Disputes, IP Disputes, and Restructuring & Insolvency - the team works across all of Osborne Clarke's major sectors. We advise a range of high-profile clients, including Dell, HSBC, Pan Optis, and Marks & Spencer, providing comprehensive legal support and solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

Market Research and Analysis

1. Work alongside Knowledge, Operations and Marketing Manager to conduct market research to identify trends, emerging issues and potential areas for growth.

BD Strategy and Execution

1. Develop and implement comprehensive business development strategies to grow the practice group's client base and revenue, including using OC's own sector strategy, practice group marketing activity, market intelligence and financial reporting to identify (OC and target) clients to pursue/prioritise.
2. Work alongside the practice group's Marketing Manager to advise on services to promote and approaches to take, and support fee earners to successfully execute BD activities, with internal and external markets.

Sub-Group Support

1. Same as above for sub-teams (e.g. tech disputes, contentious financial reg, soft IP disputes, products, building safety, etc.).

Disputes Market and Referrals

1. Develop and implement strategies to raise the practice group's profile across in the disputes market, both in the UK and Internationally.
2. Strengthen UK referral relationships - both for the Firm and for you personally, working with the Marketing Manager where appropriate.

Performance Tracking and Reporting

1. Monitor and report on the effectiveness of business development activities to assess and inform future strategies.

Pitches and Proposals

1. Lead the preparation of compelling pitches and proposals that relate to D&R specific opportunities.

People Management and Leadership

1. Lead the marketing and business development function for the practice group, including direct line management of the Marketing Manager and Marketing Executive, to foster a collaborative and high-performing team.

What are we looking for?

This is a high profile and busy role which will work closely with the Operations Director, Partners, Director of Business Development and a wide number of key stakeholders across the business.

You'll work collaboratively with our Communications, BD (Sectors), Client Relationship Development, Events, Thought Leadership and Bids teams to ensure the sector is benefitting from the expertise and tools that these teams produce.

The role will suit someone with the following experience:

1. Proven experience in a senior marketing or business development role with a demonstrable understanding of the disputes market.
2. Demonstrated ability to develop and execute successful business development strategies.
3. Excellent leadership and team management skills - including being comfortable at leading people through change.
4. Ability to bring challenge and new ideas/approaches to creating revenue opportunities.
5. A track record in advising and coaching partners on revenue generation opportunities.
6. Strong communicator with the ability to build credibility and influence senior management teams and partners.
7. Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
8. Analytical thinking: ability to analyse complex information and provide clear, concise advice.
9. Team collaboration: ability to work collaboratively within a team, as well as independently.
10. Proficiency in using market intelligence and financial reporting tools.
11. Strong market research and analytical skills.
12. Have a proactive and results driven approach.

Salary and benefits

We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits. We value the health and wellbeing of our people and our wide range of initiatives and benefits support this.

Our recruitment process

If you would like any further information about this role or the firm, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact, in complete confidence, Philippa Hemmings (Recruitment Manager) on 0117 917 4107 or email Philippa.Hemmings@osborneclarke.com.

Please note that although we include closing dates for our roles as a guide, we review and progress applications on a rolling basis. At Osborne Clarke we do not make any recruitment decisions using automated decision-making.

We are committed to providing an environment where you can perform to the best of your abilities at every stage of your recruitment experience and beyond. If you require any adjustments to be made during the application stage, interview process, or when working with us, please let us know in confidence.

About Us

Osborne Clarke is an international legal practice with over 330 Partners and more than 1,260 talented lawyers in 26 locations*. Our sector-based approach enables us to help our clients tackle the issues they are facing today, and prepare for the ones that they will face tomorrow. Advising them both comprehensively and commercially. We love working closely with our clients on new deals, products and solutions which will transform their businesses, markets and even sectors. And our unique approachable culture is not an added extra, it's fundamental to our success.

At Osborne Clarke we value difference and encourage applicants from all backgrounds. We want everyone to feel that OC is a place where you can be yourself and belong, and our range of interest groups and diversity networks - not to mention our great teams - are a part of making that a reality.

*Services in India are provided by a relationship firm.